Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1880-09-02
Written Tor the Beacon.)
A RAMBLING WALK.

When I walk before breakfast, / set
the alarm the night before al an early
hour. | have little movable clock
that | place on my table opposite the
bed every night, and then I sIeep-a
deep sleep of utter exhaustion-tiIl wa
kened by buzz and whir and spang-
spang. at first amusing from its insignifi-
cance, but at last positively exaspera-
ting in its persistency. Shout at il to
stop, 10 desist from its racket, assure IL
that my nerves are larcerated and my
tympanum will be made defective by
its continued cackle; but all is of no avail;
Il calmly spangs. buzzes and whiFs three
dreadful, eternal moments, and finally
runs down with complacent stolidity
that is maddening. get up. of course.
after lying still few minutes to con-
vince myself that I do not rise because
was alarmed. oh! no, that is not the
reason, but as 4 an awake and have
something to do, I think il would be
well to avail myself ofthe morning hour.
So reasoning, il takes but few mo-
ments to prepare for my walk. Equip
ped with book and umbrella and hat
tipped far back on my head, open the
street door, after working quarter of
an hour over the might lock, an institu-
lion that fills me each morning with
rage and despair, for stay in order il
will not and Just is would think had
coaxed il to open aud let me out, il
wouid relapse and baflie my ingenuity.
At last surprise il into passive ohe-
dience, and stand on the portal hum
ming How so fair" softly. stand IN
the doorway twirling my umbrella, with
the thought, was there ever such glo-
rious morulngs The sun rays rested on
the earth with such glad, gentle light,
It seemed the worlds lover wrapping
her glorious form with strong yet gentle
touch. How freshly the breeze, laden
with breath Of rose and elematis, came
through the still air.
And now | leave The doorway and
stroll leisureiy up the street with my
umbrella closed, tor am tropical an
imal aud love to feel the sun burning
my skin and freclsling my face. How
many times have | reused the ire Of nv
poor mother by my determination TO
bask in the sunlight as had seen cats
and dogs doing, | knew in the bottom
of my heart that il was as good for me
as for them. and IoDged for freedom to
partake Of their enjoyment; and this
liberty / did take surreptitiously, ill
mother discovered me and tied the
small offender TO bed-post, where |
was left TO chew the bitter cud ofreIiec-
lion a whole afternoon, which seemed
an age in my impatient calculations.
While | was wriggling on the floor,
had the amusement of hearing our old
colored woman call to her little daugh-
ter, "Here, Mary Jane, come into the
house this instant or you'll be burned
black as nigger." Mary James coal
black face would. mayhap. be improved
by non-exposure TO the suns rays. |
laughed heartily and was consoled BY
the reflection that had companion in
misery; but return to the street.
| was wandering OF into one Of the
devious by-paths Of early youth, those
fragrant-hidden paths, 50 mysterious and
50 charming: how We long TO explore
and how we hate to leave the cool.
blessed memories to come to the pre-
sent, be II ever so encouraging. There
Is trail OF glory, q misty veil of for
gettuiness cbscusing our jnvenaI woes.
We almost forget how utterly real and
woful was our grief over a pet bird. 3
dead and buried kitten, 10 " hom we
vowed eternal faithfulness: how the
fancied doll troubles became our own.
and our struggles TO keep wretehed lit
tie hearts from breaking. Then with
bruises and cut fingers the rusi, for
mother. for the pain could be sooihed
only BY her loving kiss.
An how many woes we have had
since, but We mss the mother love and
ieel growing stronger and deeper With
IN Us, reaching ont tendrIls towards an
living objects, only to be bruised and
wIthe red here. and utterly broken of
there, yet still we find the tendency 10
love some higher object than ourselves:
'tis the grandest power Of the soul as
serting ITSELF Thus arose hero worship.
The mass Of aneienss required no sub
tie, invisible essence for q divinity.
They desired . striking physical per-
sonality, and Zeus, the tllunderer. the
llcentinus superior Of his fellow-deitics.
presents no beauties Of the soul 20
charm modern mesaphyslcians. We
behold Vulcan. the mighty blacksmith
0f The 60 Is, who FORCES with terrific
safa force H. tA...~I -k-f.