Vicksburg weekly herald., 1877-07-06
VICKsBURG WEEKLY HERALD, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 1871.

Beautiful statues were mOulderiug in
rust:
Beautiful buildings had gone to decay;
Beautiful art faded slowly away,
lis but sad relic OF wonderful grace,
whose shadowy lineaments we hardly
can trace.
Passing away, is its sad ceaaeless dlrge,
Eohoed still BY the waves as they mourn.
Dead forever, "Fair Greece" your cold
beauties lie.
While Times busy fingers shall cease.
lessly ply.
CLINTON FEMALE INSTITUTE, June 26th.
ls77.
| The graduating essay of Miss Ma.
rian 5. Allen, also Of Vicksburg, was
the subject Of much praise, as II
evinces considerable historical kno WI
edge aud ability to use the most beau.
iful metaphors and illustrations from
I the most noted scenes OF Antiquity. Il
is subjoine1, and will be found worthy
OF perusal:
A Land without Ruins Is q
Land without Memories.
GRADUATING ESSAY BY MARIAN s. ALLEN,
/ CENTRAL FEMALE INSTITUTE, cLIS-
ton, KINDS COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI, June
y, 1871.
I "G0 where you may, you will see the
tOucn OF time. The flowers which wrap
earth In q robe Of resplendeut beauty,
wither, fade and die" From the giant
tree Of the forest to the tiny violet which
mOdestly hides its sweet face behind the
stately lily, all will bear witness to the
/ blighting influence Of time. A few short
| years will cnange the young and gladsOme
schoolgirl into the siIYer.haired, sadden-
ed old woman. In the same manner, time
! nying past, waves his wand ABOVE stately
ediices and palaces aud changes them from
their mejestic grandeur into heaps OF
TmOuldering ruins.
standing by castles which IN bygOne
days have witnessed scenes OF greatest
| triumph and which In their proud beauty
had lowered far above surrounding objects,
attracting attention by their lofty vanity.
but which are now fast falling into decay
aud slowly but surely returning ~ the
dust from which they have sprung,
Thoughts OF ethereal beauty spring to
birth,
And wait the soul beyond the dreams Of
earth"
! Sadness steals oven us while we are lost
/ in the contemplation OF these ruins, but no
sorrow comes for 'l.and without ruins,
for such land 10 without memories"
Egypt, the land Of ruins, Is tllled with
memories Of ancient manners and customs
In this land on the summit of lofty
mountain, as One says II,
"There temple In ruins stands,
! Fashioned hv lnnu fnrUnttan hanhas
Two or three columns and many stone
Marble and granite, with grass O'ergrown."
This temple is supposed to have been
erected In honor OF certain deiIies wOr-
SHIPPED by the people OF that age. In
gazing upon II one Is led back into the
cloudy mists OF antiquity and 10 tilled with
awe and wonder as he views, far from
human habitatiOn, the labOrs OF men long
since forgotten. Where are these men
now: They are gone all gone and even
the design Of their great labor Is yelled In
mystery and uncertainty.
AleXandria's glory lies buried deep ID
The dust. Her iOrmer site Ia strewn Will
he fallen leaves OF early grandeur. Hel
glory has indeed departed, but she yet pos
sesses memories Of the past. What wOulC
Egypt he without her ruinsg A land with
out name land without memories.
In Greece we pass over the plains ol
which once stood a city, now thickll
strewn with sad relics Of IT'S former sblen
dor, The existence Of this city was un
known except to those classical student
who wee familiar with the works o
ancient writer's, As ages upon ages roll
ed by, rUins upon ruins covered the sita O.
this once celebrated city, until naught bu
dust seemed to mark the spot. or late, BY
the labOrs Of learned explorer, the site q
this city has been discovered and the ruin.
OF mythical ages brought to view. ThesC
relics are OF especial interest to those whC
delight in the legendary history OF the
ancient Greeks; for from here the com
mander.ln.chief OF the Grecians in the
Trojan war marched at the head Of biz
army towards Troy, to begin taat memo,
rable siege which lasted ten long years
The chief gateway OF the AcrOpOlis also
possesses peculiar historic interest to the
classical student, for In front Of II is laid
the scene OF one Of the greatest Of Greek
tragedies, the AgamemnOn Of IEschylus.
The minq wanders back to the time when
Greece possessed her greatest power
when her liberty was dearer to her than
life, and her heroes trod the field OF glory
in its defense. Contrasting the past with
the present we notice how changed IN all
things she has become, AgamemnOn'l
once elegant home Is now dust and bis
/ FtbAN kNAhb VI uAAVtAha W uINAlg Aouk Auol
but now discovered, reve ais to the modern
explorer, only a broken vessel, tarnIshed
jewel or time corroded weapon as memen.
toes Of its once mighty occupant. "SiC
transit gloria mundi."
Rome, the fallen city has yet its memo
ries kept alive by Its rare, old ruins. The
Colosseum stillremains, and 1t seems as II
Rome would have builded all her trlumphs
In this one dome. How magnificent this
vast pile e,en in Its desOlati0n must seem
when warmed by the Italian sun, with its
walls covered with moss and vines run
ming over and conceallng partially their
, ruinOus condition; seeming to show the
victory Of nature over art and Of love over
cruelty. But the Colosseum by moonlight
Is described by those who have seen II as
, grander scene than this. The moon
throws a veil OF beauty over thls massive
ruin, hiding its deiOrmities and giving dig
nifty TO Its proportions. At times clouds
throw dark mantle over the scene, then
passing away leave only the brightness o.
the silVery moon. The grand corridors, ,darl
aud gloomy, are fit emblems Of the cruelty
Of the past. While gazing upon this scene
food OF memories comes rushing over
the mind bearing as back to the time wheI