For, from the grave, there seemed to rise a voice, And there his mother found him: From the damp church-yard sod she bore her child, 'Twas strange the influence which that fearful hour ANONYMOUS LESSON CCXVII. THE THRICE CLOSED EYE. THE eye was closed, and calm the breast; Ranged through a world of new made things, For ah! how light does slumber sit From her pale throne, when envious care Again; I saw the falling lid, And from his sight the world was hid; The lip was moved; the knee was bent: The heavy-laden spirit went, Bearing her burden from the dust Up to her only rock of trust; And, childlike, on her Father's breast Cast off the load, and found her rest! At length that eye was locked; the key Had opened heaven; 't was Death; 't was he Lay the smooth seal of quiet, now, Which none could break. The soul that here Had burst her bonds, to soar on high, And left to earth the thrice-closed eye! MISS H. F. GOULD. LESSON CCXVIII. LOOK ALOFT. In the tempest of life, when the wave and the gale If the friend who embraced in prosperity's glow, Should the visions which hope spreads in light to thine eye, Should they who are dearest, the son of thy heart, "Look aloft!" from the darkness and dust of the tomb, And oh when death comes in his terrors, to cast J. LAWRENCE. I WAS musing on the strange inclination which every man feels to deceive himself, and considering the advantages and dangers proceeding from this gay prospect of futurity, when, falling asleep, I found myself suddenly placed in a garden, of which my sight could descry no limits. Every scene about me was gay and gladsome, light with sunshine, and fragrant with perfumes; the ground was painted with all the variety of spring, and all the choir of nature was singing in the groves. When I had recovered from the first raptures, with which the confusion of pleasure had for a time entranced me, I began to take a particular and deliberate view of this delightful region. I then perceived that I had yet higher gratifications to expect, and that, at a small distance from me, there were brighter flowers, clearer fountains, and more lofty groves, where the birds, which I yet heard but faintly, were exerting all their power of melody. The trees about me were beautiful with verdure, and fragrant with blossoms; but I was tempted to leave them by the sight of ripe fruits, which seemed to hang only to be plucked. I therefore walked hastily forward, but found, as I proceeded, that the colors of the field faded at my approach, the fruit fell before I reached it, the birds flew still singing before me, and, though I pressed onward with great celerity, I was still in sight of pleasures of which I could not yet gain the possession, and which seemed to mock my diligence, and to retire as I advanced. Though I was confounded with so many alternations of joy and grief, I yet persisted to go forward, in hopes that these fugitive delights would, in time, be overtaken. At length saw an innumerable multitude of every age and of both sexes, who seemed all to partake of some general felicity; for every cheek was flushed with confidence, and every eye sparkled with eagerness; yet each appeared to have some particular and secret pleasure, and very few were willing to communicate their intentions, or extend their concern beyond themselves. Most of them seemed, by the rapidity of their motion, too busy to gratify the curiosity of a stranger, and, therefore, I was content for a while to gaze upon them, without interrupting them with troublesome inquiries. But seeing a young man, gay and thoughtless, I resolved to accost him, and was informed that I was in the garden of HOPE, the daughter of DESIRE, and that all those, whom I saw thus tumultuously bustling around me, were incited by the promises of Hope, and were hastening to seize the gifts which she held in her hand. I turned my sight upward, and saw a goddess in the bloom of youth sitting on a throne. Around her lay all the gifts of fortune, and all the blessings of life were spread abroad to view. She had a perpetual gayety of aspect, and every one imagined that her smile, which was impartial and general, was directed to himself, and triumphed in his own superiority to others, who had conceived the same confidence from the same mistake. I then mounted an eminence, from which I had a more extensive view of the whole place, and could with less perplexity consider the different conduct of the crowds that filled it. From this station I observed that the entrance into the garden. of Hope was by two gates, one of which was kept by REASON, and the other by FANCY. Reason was surly and scrupulous, and seldom turned the key without many interrogatories and long hesitation. But Fancy was a kind and gentle portress. She held her gate wide open, and welcomed all equally to the district under her superintendence; so that the passage was crowded by all those who either feared the examination of Reason, or had been rejected by her. From the gate of Reason there was a way to the throne of Hope, by a craggy, slippery, and winding path, called the Strait of Difficulty, which those, who entered with permission of the guard, endeavored to climb. But, though they surveyed the way very carefully before they began to rise, and marked out the several stages of their progress, they commonly found unexpected obstacles, and were often obliged to stop suddenly, where they imagined the way plain and. even. A thousand intricacies embarrassed them, a thousand slips threw them back, and a thousand pitfalls impeded their advance. So formidable were the dangers, and so frequent the miscarriages, that many returned from the first attempt, and many fainted in the midst of the way, and only a very small number were led up to the summit of hope, by the hand of Fortitude. Of these few, the greater part, when they had obtained the gift which Hope had promised them, regretted the labor which it cost, and felt disappointment even in their success the rest retired with their prize, and were led by Wisdom to the bowers of Content. Turning then toward the gate of Fancy, I could find no way to the seat of Hope; but, though she sat full in view, and held out her gifts with an air of invitation, which filled every heart with rapture, the mountain was, on that side, inaccessibly steep, but so channeled and shaded, that none perceived the impossibility of ascending it, but each imagined himself to have discovered a way to which the rest were strangers. Many expedients were indeed tried by this industrious tribe, of whom some were making themselves wings, which others were contriving to actuate by the perpetual motion. But, with all their labor, and all their artifices, they never rose above the ground, or quickly fell back, nor ever approached the throne of Hope, but continued still to gaze at a distance, and laughed at the slow progress of those whom they saw toiling in the Strait of Difficulty. Part of the favorites of Fancy, when they had entered the garden, without making, like the rest, an attempt to climb the mountain, turned immediately to the Vale of Idleness, a calm and undisturbed retirement, from whence they could always have Hope in prospect, and to which they pleased themselves with believing that she intended speedily to descend. These were indeed scorned by all the rest; but they seemed very little affected by contempt, advice, or reproof, but were resolved to expect at ease the favor of the goddess. Among this gay race I was wandering, and found them ready to answer all my questions, and willing to communicate their mirth; but, turning round, I saw two dreadful monsters entering the vale. One of them I knew to be Age, and the other Want. Sport and reveling were now at an end, and a universal shriek of affright and distress burst out and awaked me. DR. JOHNSON. |