Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1873-03-04
TIE eLOupED HEAVENS.
MoTTo.-NSn see n,tthe bright light IL :ac elodd
job 37,-2l.

Mo7ro-Nrn see n,tthe bright lis ht if tac eloGds.
job 37,-2l.
There is a very WEAKNESS in the air, in
these days when the sky Is obecued by the
clouds and the rain falls slowly vita its
still, small patter. We gaze 0tt but a
gloom has shroude1 the smiling landscape,
and the shadows lie heavy on the distant
fields. We look up; but the bright blue
is gone, the sun, glare IS shut out, and the
clouded heavens seem heavy with grief or
covered with a pail. We wrap our cloak
about us and stray beneath the dripping
woods; bat their ali8strelsy is silent, and
the great heart of nature that throbs as
gaily beneath the forest shades as in the
city crowded path, seems to be stilled
forever. Behold A narrow, dingy room,
the abode Of sqUalor and misery. A rag
ged couch, prc--od by an attenuated form.
A bright, burning eye, a hot, fevered brow,
| a plusc that beats and Autters as though
it hasted to finish its labors All |! so il
does. 4 weary, weary voice that feebiy
asks for but one drink. A thin hand, too
feeble to hold the small glass All the
heavens are clouded indeed Look in that
face and read the sad tale of how hope
has gone out iff oTIe bright heart. Read
how youth and friends have passed as a
dream and how in dreamsthe question
has been asked. is not life dreamy
Read how love has been blighted, until
the founts Of feeling are dry Health and
strength once belonged to the man frame,
nov looM h0@ humanity trembies at a
breath, a the leaf of rose would shake.
Steadily the rain comes down. Sullenly
lower the clouded heavens. Patter, pat
ter come the drops down upon the house
tops, down through the branches Of the
trees, down, down sullenly into the great
river, tina. dark and muddy rolls on to the
great sea. The birds shake their drag
! gled plumage the oxen stand rocking in
one c5r.cr Ct the barn-yaTl and roll their
! great patient eyes, as they would ask what
means this gloom and this continuous pat
ter, pa.ter? The Watchdog has gone to his
kennel and the cat on the hearth purTs
lazily. But, look away yonder in the
| West at the faint grey streak, that tells
the rain is over. Larger and clearer grows
the white, and now faint patch Of blue
| is seen, and now sunbeam, trembling
and dancing, glances in among the thick
underground and sets every drop to glow
! Ing, till the hedge seems forest of Jew
els. And now the birds awake, and the
forest rings again, while the sun peers out
in wonder to see what nature means, and
we see the diamonds on every bough of
every tree and the western sky bushes red
Ike bride So our gloom and despon-
dency fly and the sun sinks behind the
mountains, and the beautiful dreams of
years gone by are painted on the bright
hucd clouds, till the little stars come forth
to look aud aIuire Turn, again, thine
eyes 10 the narrow howell and the dying
man. Fainter beats the huITying pulse,
fainter comes the uneven breath, fainter
grow the scenes of earth. The eyes begin
to glaze, the senses 10 reel, is consciousness
going? All no my dreams have told me
that The mad is Weakening to life. Fainter
| is the sound Of the anxious voices around
the bed, fainter the touch of tender hands
upon the brow, fainter the gloom Of the
cloudcd heavens Humanity disrobed Gifts
entertainments stands before the gaze Of the
dying, IN all its ghastiincss, in all its glory
The gloom that hides the issues Of life dis
perseS, the light that is in the cloud shines
upon that which was dark. All, heart of
man the clouds may oft obscure thy sky;
but remember that the sun, which turned
the drops to diamonds, and painted the
l.u>h of the evening, shone constantly
behind the clouds Life may he dark, its
way intricate; bat surely there dwells a
bright light in the clouds.
ALEPu
Emory, Feb. oath.
Emory Bonner.