The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1873-11-19
! syIIE RENORsIi o nA NIGHT.


expire; tile wipds. after ds Vol stosininess
had subsidized into Tluliber the white cxrtl
lay outspread likes slroudcd map, undei
the moon and innuneratle stars arose out
from the rsmosc~t ID yssesof leaysn. twink-
ling IS brightly ns though they had bnl
then hegun their existence. aud we're ncycl
q suffer impairment. Eievsn O'Clock iisd
to'led from the tower If an spcient Gothic
church and as tbs vibrations died away On
The transparent air. an Old Man drew Nigh
u llse window Of dark room In the deso.
late 4 xeiliAx "a HLicliic had long besn Vii
solitary tpnsnf. and cast his dull Jespairful
cyrs apssris towards tIls in,novsbe fIma.
ment, and from thence down on the blank
waste IL the Earth, aud then bgextlrd .
groauing prayer. that those eyes might ne
ycr survey that ARMAMENT or chat earth n
gain Nretched was he, in truth, thsf
Old Man. beyond al parallel and beyond
all consolation fur his grave lay open for
him. ns il seemed, By bis side: it was thin
ly covered over. not by the flowers Of
Youth. butby tic SHOWS Of Age and vixen
heartsick pf the sight. be looked away froul
il into himself. he saw that the sole fruits
thst be had gstllsred from long and csent-
ful life we're sins. regrets. aud unlaaes---a
decayed hody. plague smittea soul. a ba-
sonl full Of bitterness, and an old age full
Of remorse Tie beautiful days Of his
youth now came again before him like
ghosts. and rssummoned TO lis remeu-
brsnce the cheerful morning upon which his
venerable father had first placed him upon
the great Cross road Of Lfe--a road which,
trcddtnson the,right hand, conducts the pill
grim along the MONDAY path Of Virtue INTO
; spscilns. joyous land. sbounilng 10 sun
bsaa.s. hanests. and angelic spirits. but
witch. followed on tie left. be,rsys him
Through lampless and miry ways. into tile
raefuf Mildernesses II Vice, wl,ere serpenss
fsr ever swarm, and pestilsnce chukes tue
atmosphere. and % qnench bis bnraing
thirst. tie sluggish black rivers yield him
but slime aud poison.
Alas tie serpsnts we're nov coi!ei q
bout hini--.hc poisOn was riiling through
bis hearth Alas for him be knew too veil
which road he lad ehosen--w where be was---
and what he must undsrge--for eternity
Tor eternity
With 81 anguish. with m agony. with
despsir. that language cannot even fairly
portray he upliftsd bic risbered arms To-
wards haven, cls.red his hands. aud cried
aloud. Ol give ME back. give ne back my
ypnth u! MS father. lead me once more
10 the Cross road. that may once more
choose. and this tune choose with fore
kno~ledgci IS
But hiscfies vested themselves idly up
ou the frozen air. for his father was no
more, and his youth was no more both had
alike long hong ago eyanished. never TO re-
appear. lie knew this. ana he aept-yes.
that misersbla old man went: but his
tears relieved hin, not they were like drops
u ho, lasa, fgr they ,rickled from burn
iig brain.
Tie looked farih. ani he saw fitting
i;ehss -Nill~o-wisp-danein urer Tue
aud becoming extinguisiad IN the
bariai-. rounds; and he said. Such were
ny riotpas lsys of folly. lie again looked
forth. and he behold star fsll from Hca-
ZEN - earth. and there melt away ii
Blaekness that left 10 trace Behind. and lie
md. lam that slar land with that woe
'ul thought acre torn open anew The lep-
-ons sounas ID bis bosom which the ser.
penis taas clang around him would never /
,ulssr 70 he traled
Ills morbid imagination, wandering a.
lroa3 Till Il touched % sl.e>anGines OF frep-
II. sioeedhim kgares II slsep-wslkers ira
iersing like shadows the raofs of the hoas-
! s:--the ehluueys widened into furnaces /
'olniting forth flames and monsters-the /
rindmills lifted up their giant arms. aud
threatened 70 crnsh llm--and forgotten
pec.rc. ltls behind III deserted charncl-
louse. elarsd on linn with horrible es
,rsssion Of malignity. aud then mocked bis
earor By assuming bis features.
On sudden tlerc flowed out upon the
ir . deer, rich. and solemn stream of ma. /
u. Itcsme from the steeple q The old
iosl,ic church. - The lells announced the
firth Of tho new year, for il was now the
weifih hour. Its cadeuccs fell with 4
hFil!ing dis,incncS upon the ear and the
cart ol the Old Man; and every tone in
he melody through the agency Of that inys-
erioas power which sound possesses Of re-
within the foraker halls Of the
oul Images long departed. brought before
Is mind some past scene of bis lie. vivid
! . panoramic picture. Again he looked
oand upon the lucid horisoE and over The
rcsted earth: and he though. on the op-
oFtEnities lie had forfeited the warnings
. had slighted--the examples hc had scof.
ID at.
ne thonght mon The friends Of bis
ouih. and how they, better and more for
anste than be. were now good men, =.
ssoe NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. II wisdom
, others. fathers Of blessed families. torch
ghts for The woFld--and he exclaimed,
III and also. bad but rilled II. also
light, like tllem. have scen with lcsrless
yes. with tranquil heart. this night depart
ITO eternity Oh. my dear father--sny
ear. dear inoshsrs |, cvsn I. might have
cen now happy. had / but hnsrkened