Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-03-08
VOL SO NO lG.
TH-E HERMIT.


His food the fruits, his drink the crystal well
Remoe from man, with God he pass'G his days.
Prayer all his business, all his pleasure praise.
A life so sacred, such serene repose,
Seemd Heaven Itself, till one suggestion rose
That vice should triumph, virtue vice obey;
This sprung some doubt Of Providences sway
His hopes a certain prospect beast,
And ali the tenour Of his soul is lost.
So when smooth eXpanse receives imprest
Calm natures image on its waery breast,
Down bend the banks, the trees depending grow,
And skies beneath with answering colours glow
But if a stone the gentle divide,
Swift rushing circles curl on every side,
And glimmering fragments OF q broken sun (:
Banks, trees, and skies, in thick disorder run.
To clear this doubt, to know the world by sight,
To find if books swans report it right,
(For yet by swains alone the world he knew
Whose feet came wandering oer the ng ghtly dew,)
He quits his cell the pilgrim staff he bore,
And fx'd the scalop i'll his hat before;
Tben with the sun 4 rising journey Went
Sedate to think, and watching each event
The morn was wasted in the painless grass.
And long and lonesome was the wild to pass
But when the southern sun had warmd the day.
A youth came posting Ger crossing way
His raiment decent, his complexion fair,
And soft in graceful l'nglets way'd his hair
Then near approaching, ''Father, hail u he cried
And "Hail, my son !" the reverend sire replied.
Words tollow'd Words fom question answer howd,
Till each with other pleas'd, and 10th to part,
While in their age they differ, join in heart,
Thus stands an aged elm in ivy bound,
Thus youthful ivy clasps an elm around.
Now sunk the sun the closing hour OF day
Came onward, mantled o er with sober gray;
Nature in silence bid the world repose;
When the road stately palace
There by the moon through ranks of trees they pass
Whose verure crown their sloping sides of grass.
1t chancd the noble master of the dome
Still made his house the wandering strangers home
Yet still the kindness, from a thirst Of p.ase,
Provd the vain flourish ofeXpensiye
The pair arrive the liyerled servants wait (;
Their lord receives them at the pompous gate;
The table groans ~ith costly piles OF food,
And all is than Hospitality good.
Then led to rest the day - long toll they drown,
Deep sunk in sleep, and silk and heaps o. down.
AT length ts morn and at the dawn of day
Along the wide canals the zep,y1s play;
Flesh DER the gay parterres the breezes Creep
And shake the neighboring wood 10 bHnish sleep.
Up rise the guests, obedient to the call
An early banquet deckd the splendid hall
Rich luclols wine golden goblet grac'd
Which the kind master forcd the guests to tasts
Then pleasd and thankful from the porch the GO
And, but the landlord, none had cause of wo
His cup was vanlshd for in secret guise
The younger guest purloind the gltterlng prize.
AS one who spies serpent in his way,
Gistening and baskng in the summer ray
Disorder Il steps TO Shun the danger near,
Then walks with talntness on and looks with fear
So seemd the sire, when Tar upon the road
The shining spoil his willy partner showd.
He stopp'd with silence walkd with trembling heart,
And much he wshd, but burst not ask, to part
Murmuring he lifts his eyes, and thinks it hard
That generous actions meet a base reward.
While thus they pass, the sun his glory shrouds,
The changing skies hang out their sable clouds
A sound IN lir presagd approaching rain,
And beasts to covert Scud the paln
Warnd by the signs the wandering pair retreat
To seek for shelter at nelghbouring seat
Twas built with tures on rising ground
And strong, and large and unmprovd around;
Its owners temper, tlmorouS and severe,
Unkind and grping causd desert there.
AS near the misers heavy doors they drew,
Fierce rising gusts with sudden fury blew;
The nmble lightning mxd with showers began,
And DER their heads loud rolling thunder ran.
Here, long they knock, but knock call in vain
Drlv by the wind, and batterd by the rain.
AT length some pity warnd the masters breast,
(Twas then his threshold first fecev'd guest y
Slow creaklng turns the door with jealous care,
And half he welcomes in the shvering pair
One frugal taggot lights the naked walls,
And natures tervour through their limbs recalls
Bread of the coarsest sort with meagre wine,
each hardly grantec) serv'd them both to dine
And when the tempest first appeard to cease,
A ready warning bid them part in peace.
With still remark the pondeyng hermit view'd,
In one so rich, life SO poor and rude
And why should such (whin himself he cried)
Lock the lost wealth Thousand want beside
But what marks Of wonder soon take place
In every setting feature Of his face,
When from his vest the young companion bore
That cup tie generous landlord ownd before,
And paid protasely with the precious bowl
The stinted kindness of this chursh soul
But now the clouds in airy tumult fly
The sun emerging opes an azure sky
A fresher green the smelling leaves display,
Aud glitterng as they trembe cheer the days
The weather courts them from the poor retreat,
And the glad master bolts the wary gate.
While hencetorth they walk, the Pilgrims bosom wro
With all the travail of uncertain thought
His partners acts without their cause appear:
Twas there vice, and seemd madness here's
Detesng that, and plying this he goes,
Lost and contounded with the various shows
Now nights dim shades again involve the sky,
Again the wanderers want place to lie;
Again they search, and find lodging nigh.
The soil improvd around the mansion neat,
And neither poorly low, nor idly great, .-s ..
1t seemd to speak its masters turn Of mind,
Content, and not for praise, but virtue kiud
- Hither the walkers turn with weary feet