Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-04-16
By J. NJ. LARRABEE.

ell April To-
By J. NJ. LARRABEE.
There comes TO Us, from legends Of the past,
A story of sculptor, hurrylng fast,
While vesper bells, upon the evening air,
Rang out TO call the wofshippers TO prayer
A long the streets of Florence. GA his way
Or truih.or fiction, matters not to-day
tie saw marble block, all rough and solled,
Neglected j. a useless, worthless stone;
Tue chise marks Of woIkmen, who had toiled
10 SHAPE 1t ii the quarry, still were shown
Upbn us dIngy surface, oyel-grown
" lth lienens, mosses,-nature's wondrous way
OF snrouaiag things unslghtly from decay
Tins block, unheeded by the thoughtless crowd
OF plebeiaus, of lords and ladies proud,
OF counters and courtissns. perchance mad lain
Beside the thoroughtare for many year,
haf buried with debris, where llth and stain
Had made the virgin marble 10 appear
DIS listing and offensive TO tue taste.
Not one Of all the unthinklng throng had traced
form OF beauty, solldiy encased,
Within the rock. But Michael Angelo,
The sculptor painter, architect, agiow
With the wonurons lire vi genius wdlch hamed
Within his heart, beboidiDg 1t, exclaimed,
There Is an angel prisoned IN that stone!
The task TO free 1t must be niue alone
From weeds aud filth the stone was raised with
care,
And strsightway to the artists study sent.
10 gam gem, or pearl or diamond rare,
Day after DAY he tolled his malle, blow ON blow,
Resounded from his chip-slrewn studio.
The angel that his artist eyes had seen
Concealed behind It's unhewn marble screen,
At lengt tn stood forth, u figure clothed Ia white,
AT once the artists glory aad the worlds delighI.
Long centuries have passed. HIS work is done.
Ills genius mas immortal glory Won
HIS statues, paintings, monuments, proclaim
AT Florence and imperial Rome his fame.
a nd stuueut artists worship AT MS Shrine
And study AIT where ant seems most divine.
But VIII lie lie sleeps his long, unDroken sleep,
His marble angel shall it's viglls keep,
A nd teach that seeming eaI tu-iessons may be
The crust which covers immortality,
Which skilltul hands with patent toll may break,
And, from tue crude material, angels take.
Around u.s. with us daily, on the street,
la cultured homes, in passions foul retreat,
Where discipline or license rude holds sway,
The children cluster all along our way,
W It'll natures crude. unshapen, solled perchance,
Un whom the scorntul gaze with look askance,
Aud with prophetic fingers point and say,
Fit subjects these for prison cells some day;
fis true, If passions flight be unrestrsined,
The depth of vice and crime would be Obtained
VI savsges unculivaled, they would be,
Who like the brute should wander almlessly
They are the unhewn marble by tue way
And yet impressible as plastic clay;
The lightest touch will ,eave Trace behind,
A nd may a demon form, OF man refined.
Where Is the Angelo, with power to ken
This crude material and behold the man,
Who in the likeness OF the Godhead stand
But little lower than an angel band
Where are the artists, who possess the skill
To carve the good and pure IRON seeming Ill
Or where the scuiptors whose grand work shall
crown
Their future lives with the brightness of renown
To education we must look, TO find
The power to train and cultivate tue mind,
10 elevate the taste, to curb the VIII,
10 mould the intellect, the heart TO tnrili.
BY 1t the savage nature Is suodued;
1t is 3 source OF JOY IN solitude;
II checks the tide Of wee, and safely brings
It's votarles wnere the tount Of virtue spnngs;
1t leads to lofty avenues OF thought
70 realms with wonderous my slerles fraught,
1t counts the stars that deck the heavens at night
And tells the course and season OF their flight
In delves and reads the stralas oil the rocks
nd at the portal of creation knocks.
Rut whose the hand, these plastic minds shall leal
40 taste this fountain OF their natures need,
And wake the slumbering lntellects OF youth
10 keener aspirations for the train
The teacher mission Is to watch and guide
The slow development Of mind; and woe Detide
The unskilled workman who Tor selfish greed
Resolves 10 teach for temporary need.
The teachers province is oy patient skill
To lead her pupils captive 10 her VIII.
To train the ooys TO love the pure md good,
Whate 'er the pupils dispositions be
The teachers woIk is for eternity.
To YOU true teacher, God the power has given
To mould and shape Immortal minds for Heaven.
Work on and learn to love the WORK you do;
The angel hid, shall yet be brought 10 view;
And by your specimens, mankiLd snail see
You Work for God, and for humanity.
The child receptive is, and will be taught
Nv Objects wnicn attract and hold his thought;
A growing plant. bud, an opening Hover,
Its fruit may furnish lessons ior the hour
And by their subtle, quiet influence sway
Inc after man through ali his iie long way.
A hut, novel, or a rum old
May sned the Ialn-pcrnaps protect from cold.
True they might serve purpose 10 our day,
Suggesting how a boy might cut his way,
But notw Outstanding all our JACK knlIe JOYS
They make lar better pens ior plgs tnah boys.
The old log school house on the hlll is gone,
The boarding round, with oougnhuts night and
morn,
And recoections of the distant past,
Dim memories now, and these are fading last.
TO day. kind friends, we meet to consecrate
This noble edince, To dedicate
Ipese spacious rooms, these solid, massive walls,
These desks convenient, aud these ample halls,
10 education, cult ured and refined,
Which elevates as We. as fslns the mind.
We need ia the burrows OF our rugged soh,
some bright amenities 10 tighten toll;
some pure esthetcs, the flushed grace Of art
10 blend discordant elements OF heart;
some power 10 draw our better natures out
And ali our groyeliing, baser passions rout.
And you, the guardian fathers Of the Town,
We would with brightest wresths OF laurel crown.
A nd Il ank you tor the noble work begun;
Aud hope as years roll on, and one by one
Inc old unsignty rooms, shall aDdlcate
For such as tnis which now we dedicate,
This house shall be your monument, when you
No more the labor oil your hands shall view,
And childrens children shall this service prize,
A nd laud your memories to tue loiuest skies.
REMEDY fOR HARD I'll VI ES.
Stop spending so much on fine clothes, rich foed
and style. Buy good, healthy food, cheaper and