Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1878-11-28

ton than the ancient poetry which,
like its theology. was content with
streams and winds and forests, but
which we have generalized into cosmlc
forces and universal laws.
Mr.. Leighton's language is easy, and
though his rhymes are natural and his
sense clearly expressed, he speaks IN
almost the same order as in good prose.
His versifcation is somewhat irregular,
and his lines often cannot be scanned
according to the rules of prosody. a
careful reading of the volume cannot
but suggest many noble thoughts to
the student, and the sentimental maiden
even will find much to please her most
delicate fancy.
We can, perhaps, best convey an idea
of the work by giving the reader copious
extracts illustrative OF its peculiar fea-
lures. The opening lines delicately in
troduce the object of the whole poem.
"A voyager landed on foreigd shore,
Beh0lds with alien eyes all things around
Wondering observes the hand and people DER,
And each strange thing his wa'chinli'eSS h"'h
found
But this most strange: that in the multitude
Remembrance beams not forth from any eye
No face calls up scene that he hath viewed.
Nor recognition by one passerby. Up. 81
e This is further developed i'll the fol-
lowing well put lines:
"But no. must not lingcr while wait,
The might of change is on the subject world,
And Joy and pain obey the calls oil Fate,
And stars are fading. and the damp al mould
Claims proudest things of Garth. The mountains
Not fast forever; like All armed host
Bright ocean waves bcsicgc the fortrrSScd land;
The pride Of virtues is M idle boast, ;,
For age creeps OH them ~ II comes u AL,
And hides them in the dust. Ay, even now,
While hut A breathing pause dare Ia call,
may not know II Time will that allow;
Yet sure of an eternal government,
Above all change rest in calm content. Up
6and a.
lie states that the object OF his poem
is
"To show how in tho whrl Of the remorSelcSs
Gods, angels. heroes. poets, warriors all.
Are troddcn into dust, while change lives on:
As gathering strength from every ruined thing,
And making broad and broader, year on year,
One universal empire. Up. 81
Numerous gems and well expressed
truths may be picked out OF almost any
part of the volume. We can only give
few:
cor whether Change or Time was elder hnrr
Al D.. 0 l..f mi la
Or il they DC the same. or different aspects
OF the same great, Sep HI
No star OF heaven
Was shining in the cold extent Of space
When Time was born, Ia be it, natal llIht:
OF cleaning lights that fash and glmmcr forth
Upon this little world.-a the white walls
OF ovcnrhing skies, the heavens star masonry
Rooted granjJy over us-will. with our world.
Have filed their use, grown cold ana dulI, ana
black.
And died namelcSs unrcconlcd death.
Time and the stars!-thc ocean and drop
The SEA shore and single grain Of sand
To gauge eternity by shine of stars
Were burning candles ~ light up the sun.
Days. months. years, centuries, arr woven links
or which All endless chain is ever made;
our dear To-day, the last and nearest one,
Joined To the infinite our little Now.
One end supported hy-we know not what,
Beyond the limit where far,darting thought
Though plumed with fancics fails its hailici
flight,
The chain of Time Is hung, down reaching us
Through the mysterious depths nf Age antique.
Out of the darkua>S Of AN ancient night
Hang pendant ages lost In chOn depths
As they rcccdc. but OH the latest link
Catching the dazzling sunlight Of the Present.
One single spot amid intinitudcS,
one light thus climmering in immensely
That walls 1t ruund about. and hangs above,
m al. Aat .aFEN In u al
While. clustering round that light it, ticctinS
day,
And bathing fragile lives in its sweet beams.
And dreaming this To- day the one dear thing
For which prilncVal darkness was pushed back,
And Times long chain thus kindly forscd and
Is man week race that labors laughs, and wecp>.
lpages 1911
On page IS the author commences 4
highly poctical account OF the Nebular
Hypothesis:
When by the action Of Primeval Fore
Creation was. when laws began 10 move
The thinuc>t forms of matter in wide space
That thrilled with impulse Of awaking Nature;
When ont of nothing as from sleep, awokc
The law poised atoms woke to spin and hy
unrc>ting ever in the countless years,
Pushed ON ~ II acroSs inhnity;
When. closing up, the neiIhbor elements
Together drew 10 social union driven:
Aud definite shape. by instinct 81 that force
That wrought the contour Of each balanced orb,
And framed the architecture Of the skies."
Ever frnm the hour Of her nativity.
Hath n->tcSs change pursued sw if fittinc shapes
whirlcd rnund about the Earth's rutundity.
white flaming fires condensed Ia solid mas
Till round her poles long sunless winters frrcEc:
The cooling crust uptorn by inward thrNS
That greatly moved her heaving ierVcni breast
Hath pieryi the SKY with Handicapped noun
tain chains;
The sz,s have left their old, accustomed hc,is
To pour their floods uion the sinking land
From out the deepest caves in oScan depths
Have Islands sprung that buttresscd 'gainst the
Lift To- sweet light grCIi mountains long sub
merged.
And nov rrioicc To catch ON kindliug peaks
The glowing hcarlds of each new days dawn:
seagrotins where the shark ono wooei his love,
Deep under the blue tnIs OF curling waves,
Ap now grecn valleys when the r>.iien, cow
ChevS the sweet graSsI> and Arca,tia smiles
While summer sirs bucolic idyls, sing.
80 Change transmntes ,hcfraHing forms of
With a strange alchemy. The troublc,i atoms
Hurry at call 81 weird atfnitiss,
Or by the might of a snbjsCting stroke.
To new alliances brief a. new;
For scarcely ART they joined ere they dissolve,
While the great doom Of matter seems Ia be
4 cessele~s agony 81 dissolution
And shifting shape: and life and death arr names
OF phases in the tiitting cycles Of Change"
The following lines elegantly express
the pessimist's view Of life, which the
author, however, does not adopt as his
own philosophy:
"a skeptic cries. There Is no more beyond
The present. life, nothing Ia hope Ia fear;
Death is an end Of thinking. pleasurs, pains
Who would ash more would be dissatisfied
At last with an eternity OF life.
Why drag the thing beyond its natural length
With fAnciful TRANSLATION % the skies!
Would you, Hike Alexander, be GOD.
Who all TOO poorly the small place of mani
Have al the EGGS taught mankind In vain