New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-12-13
For tho Sunday Republican,
OUR LUCY l1ION.
Thous mt, of the Beautiful and Pur
BIZ w. JASPER BLACKBURN.


i thing of beauty Is . joy forever.
Keats.
II the better thoughts and imsginstions
could be painted in living colers and placed
before the natural eye, the view would be
most entertaining-more beautiful and en-
sapturing, perhaps, than any real scenes OF
earth that have ever passed before material
vision; and still more lovely and entertain
ing would it evidently be it these purer
thoughts and imaginations could be realized
in forms Of living intelligence, with sympa-
thies and tastes and hopes and aspirations
in unison and accord with our own more
exalted nature-to move ON and up. already
superior themselves to the touch and waste
of time, thus leading and directing US to
that better land of rest, and peace, and
purity, where all the heavenly aspirations
shall be developed and realized in the
identity of Q living and eternal beauty OF
lovelincss and perfection.
20. that would be joyful"
Often in dreams We commune with lovely
creatures, whose beauty and purify create
for the moment an entire and perfect, heav-
only peace-cnange the scenes Of earth into
paradise, peoplel with that degree of
enchantment capable Of filing the soul with
fruition of rest far above anything known
to the waking moments OF lite-drowning
all Of sorrow and outreaching all fear, and
divesting for the time earth and the things
of earth Of all power to annoy or Oppres .,
and causing one to regret, upon the recur.
renee of the realities of life again, that he
had not been permitted forever thus to
dwell amid the scenes of . dreamy lowell
ness and purity. Ali have realized such
moments of sleepful peace, foretssts OF
what awaits the soul when released from
the tolls and trammels of sin.
And whether IN dreams or in waking mo-
ments, the most pleasant theme that can be
placed before the human contemplation is
the perfect female oharacter-from infancy
to mature age, through all the phases and
charms of childhood to . moro advanced
youth, from the prattling babe 1T the moth
ers breast along through all the happy
years Of romping and playful needless
ness. to the full and gushing hopefulness Of
. mature and perfect womanhood-com-
bininG all the charms and graces Of . fault
less physical development with the chsste-
full purity of an unspotted soul. Such a
being is Of close kindred to the angels, and
lacks only wings to soar away and be ut
rest with God forever. And such object is
the happiest inspiration of earth-the best
gift of God to man.
have dreamed Of such lovely creatures
often, and have sometimes met them in my
waking moments-indeed l may say that
from nv more mature manhood to the
present blessed hour it has been my happy
lot to commune from day to day with such
beauty and perfection-with parental soil
citude watching it through all Its rose
tinted and inspiring phases. from the tender
loyeliness of the sweet babe to the glowing
flush and more solid grsces Of after years;
and our sweet Lucy lion furnishes one
such instance of earthly beauty and living
perfection.
She csme in the'ear,y spring time, when
AL nature begins to smile in new beauty
when the earth speaks Of God through bud