The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-04-02

Aud. from tbs hollow OF her dusky hand
Flung darkness back UPON tbs sea and shore.
Let there b Light" God said, and there was
From luminous fountains # the SKI. It poured
Id tempered torrents or efuigenee down.
stu uM MH u oonstellariona. Orion's belt
Cleaned where the mighty nonter $1,000 Oh
Aud heia his trophies In the glare Of suns
Fresh from Creations hand.
The white stars burst
1ato s1sfs ef fhe inae
Ktutle their never. Quenching fires and swung
TO their supernal orbits
The asteroids
Chung Ike fiock Of frightened birds unto
The azure empyrean. He'mstted Mars
Stood with his lurid sisoi up and daled
0A'A'' Planets took up their march
In swift otedlt nee to the silent laws,
Aud went their way hnzins through boundless
From never empty lam ps pc petual light.
suas snd their satellites their radiance blsnt
With grand Celestial mysteries. yet kept
4 secret from the earth.
The Southern Gross
Eurled its red jawels on the astral deep
And left them thsre to glow forevermore.
From stella silencss young LYra LOOKED,
And the eidereai Scornion grantly stretched
Across the shining skies his luminous lsnGth.
FILLED with sudden glory lesser orbs
Flashed down the dizzying heights their lam
Trembling to flnd themselves 50 glorious.
Slender with youth the primogenial moon
Her gold IN hammock In tho zenith hang
And n the lsf and ana nSss
In clust ered splendor on the sapphire heights.
Conn ct in lus.rons numbers. smiled afar
The Pieiadsaa sisters.
Over all.
Respls hung the unmeasurod Milky
A bridge Of woelds arched over countless
Aud drowned lag darkness in the drenchine
Earth was; Light was: Man was: and all The
Thrilled 10 the harmonies of Genesis.
The Moon and Stars and Sun shone on. Light
Through change and oounterchange It lived
sim there was heard voice crying aloud,
Let there be light!-yea. yea!-Let there be
twas avoice that issued from mems souls.
From hearts that burned with deep, ambitious
With yearninRs vague and ind sterminate wants.
Tue Nations of the Earth took no the cry:
NJ IN wrought aud delved. and builded monu-
They made the stars their books and from them
Porte ut and inspiration. Invention rose
And hourished in tie land. Science was great
And Architecture with luxurious hand
Inwrought her temples with rare worries
And sato her Palaces on precious stones.
Cities sprang up on many verdant SITE
Palmyra's pillars gemmed the Assyrian plain.
Tue ships Of Tarshish bore the, dyes OF Tyre.
GLORIOUS freight OF precious cedar wood,
And spices. from the famed PhBliaiHn coast
Toward the Palaces of.solomon-
n,n,usons shona hen cath the Syrian SIM.
Aud great within her hundred brazan gates.
Where. mid the hanging gsrdens proudly rose
Sat to wered Baby lon.
Persepolis.
Bscame the pride and Glory OF the East"
Aud, by the Murdusht meadows butlded up
Her temples. tombs. and marble monuments.
Kingdoms and Kings ruled and we're overruled
Fss %bss g hsl height
Then t,ppiel to the deep and echoing tomb.
Oimighsy Things that were.
The bearded Scribe
Sculptured the stone. or traced with patient
The labored page Of the papyrus leaf,
4rsved with the stylus Or. In nre ious inks
OF fluent metals, clipped the Nllottc reed.
Meanwhile from crumb'ine places totteret
The bricks of Babylon with the cuneiform
Inscriptions OF dead heroes and great Kings.
from peak 20 peak OF the VdSI centuries
Time. slowly stepped. Creed after creed wa
And swept In turn from of the face of Earth.
From him VINO WIS King Suddhodana's con
TO him in gardens of GethstInane
Men turned. and hungersd. and were fed. an(
The subtle essence Of Divinity.
We're stron&, were sad, were humble. wer'
Grew sreat with earth's best greatness il thei
And passed to death with fortitude sublime.
Yet from their burial places came The Voice.
Calling fromWnat was not. Let there DO Light
As In the earliest moments Of the morn
A tender radiance gives sweet hints that DaWl
IL Smiling at the Ofient's shining 9atee,
SO. came strange yet penetrating CLEAN
Across the mental shadows OF the time.
Sole toward an ancient city on the Rhine.
And entered at the stony gates of MRinz.
It wandered past the famous Eiehelstein
OF Charlemaene Its lasting impress left.
Traversed the crook ed streets and narrow ways
Went out among the roofs. the lofty towers.
The homes and affairs OF the quaint old town.
It lowered DER the pillow Of the Priest;
1t 9litterred past the scholar and the sage;
L. turned from luxur9s couch and Pride'
demands.
And sasrsa WHERE within biz lox1y room
With busy fingers and fast beating heart.
Here stared the ray and dropped its light di
vine
Upon the earnest brow Of Gutenberg.
Beneath It's radiance Genius recognized
Her child, and with kidding kiss woke all
The latent fires within HE eager soul.
Meath that inspiring touch his handf &c lme
lite chosen instrument to set the torch