The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-03-17
The Atheists Dream.

I dreamed q dream twas not dream Chat came
lnien with tales Of lille love or woe:
hut ffauRht, thank God, with Joy untold for me
I'm not an "Atheist' now, but for that dream
shudder cen To think-ah well it's past.
We'll remember in the mlit1nuring woods.
How the signing breczes stirred the leaiv trcc9
And thus to me of their unendng joy
Spake in glad tones From glen to answcrin,
glen
The warbing wood birds trlicd melodion- aonu4
The mellow cadence of resonant rills,
The Hover and grass.blade in their hunblccEay4 =
seemed ohering praise to natures mRtchessik King
Zen the cool moist ground withheld her fribui
but, slow cxuding from her mossy banks,
The pearly vapors heayenward ceaselcss roac.
Like incense pure In holy censers burned.
swim through the vcrdant canopy o'erhead,
Bright rays of light in golden showers fell.
The stately pine-trees waved their spicy tops
anu from their swaying whispering boughs, nupi
Breathed sweetest fragrance on the buovant giy
All nature worshipped God in alteration true
alone, of man, creations lord, was sad;
There in the shady depths of the wooded ai-lc-
laid me down and slept troubled sleep.
Fast by my side as reclincd, brook,
Rppling and splashing DER the grass. growi
stones,
Seemed fashioning my dream. Now low ami asd
II murmured then OF helpless woe and dirk
despair, swin changed to furious rage, and then
10 hope and last TO endless JOY.
Hut thus my dream
I seemed TO stand hy q rivers brink
That parts from the further strand
The toilsomc strife of mortal llr
That mars this transient land
knew this rivers name was Death
Ana thought all ended there
ofJoy or woe that mortals know
Ofhope or Of dark despair.
But saw as in the tomb lay
fOr death had passed me them
That heavenly bliss, or the dark abyss
was prepared for the sons of men
saw the glstcning towers above
As they in splcndor shonc,
And The happy tilrOng with n glad new song
Around the great white throne
As IL ope'd to receive the blest
And marked each look that The glad sou
took,
As it entered eternal rest
saw the streets all paved with gold,
Anh The sparkling crystal sea,
rili cursed the day III sinncd away
rms Joy unknown to me.
turned in grief from heaven above,
Where ransomcl spirits dwell
To- the fiery glow that lit below
The awnl depths Of hell.
oh God! how my soul with horror shrank
From that fearful realm of woe,
Where tortured sprites midst the banenl lights
seemed driven to and fro.
knew at the coming Judgment day
With me 'twould not be we'll
That the avcnging rod of righteous God
would scourgc me down TO he'll
Long years seemed to pass nom earth away
And then the trumpcts sound,
W lth its echOng blast sped hurting pasl
To caiths remotcst bound
saw the flaming sky ocrhead
Like parchment rolled away;
Through the quaking land spread the dread
command:
fart bo In
And then the dead from the tomb- come forth
The evil and The good,
i,y scepter bright As n lash of light,
Divided iar they stood
Then spakc The judge in accents Kind
To those upon his right,
'o blessed few of the tried and true
Rest ye nom the toilsomc fight"
Then unto those upon his iclt
"fc cumberers Of the land,
Depart my sight to the depths OF night
Depart yc wicked band"
doomed, doomedi o words of anouisb
doomed
From heaven, so pure and fair,
From every JOY with naught 10 cloy.
To darkness, gloom, despair.
fc-, doome.l nom the Judgment throne rcl
Enwlapt In the rustling flame,
from deep despair aloud In prayer
called On Gods great name.
Then came the thought TO my reeling brain
No helping hand is near.
No pitying eye, no refuge nigh,
NJ God to answer prayer
No more could my tortured soul endure
Hut freed nom cN'ry sense
OF narrowing pain in the burning rain
Aud the stilphurons vapors dense,
uneonscicus lay In hrll'a domain
Till 'rOinh, a softer glow,
"A fbr -elfiup a b,.u .I.,. =.
Cool Swallows seems L. throw.
~ "'rr my burning soul coui shadow. seemc,
to fall,
SLOW vanished cv'Ty icar,
Soit fell each sound nom chaos 'round
Night seemed to disappear.
Then changed my dream: nn angel pmic
seemed standing over me;
In accents blcst mo thus addressed
THY sins forgiven he"
Thus ends my dream; and a. woke
Each hill and distant field,
The Silly glade with Its brislling shade
Seemed ffinged with molten goid
Here field and forest, nature ALL
My duty seemed 10 show,
And trusting Him through the ahadows dim
Henceforth I'll onward go.
r. l.. MASON.