The literary echo., August 21, 1851, Image 1

About The literary echo. (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1851

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@he Literarp Echo.
b 8. BABCOCK, PROPRIETOR. Titerature, Seience and Aet,--n0 Party--wo Soet, TERMS, $l.OO, Tl¥ ATV ANCE.
VOLUME I
.
&he Litevarn CEcho.
-
PUBLISHED WEEKLY
By G. H. BABCOCK,
WESTERLY, R. L
Terms :
$l.OO per year in advance. Seven copies for
$#5.00.
Transient Advertisements, six cents per line for
the first insertion, and three cents for each
subsequent insertion,
Z9~Advertisments, to insure an insertion,
must be handed in at the office by Tuesday eve
ning.
==Communications, orders, and remittan
‘ces, should be addressed, post paid to
G. H. Bagcocxk, Westerny, R. L.
It was with regret that we received the
e
-accompanying lines from our esteemed
-contributor, Liniay. We hope she will
not entirely forsake us, at any rate she shall
mot lack for Kchoes if she will give us her
-address.
Farewell to the Echo.
‘When 1 take up my pen to say I must leave
thee,
And go to my native home, far off, to dwell,
The thougats that sieal oer me are fraught
with deep sorrow,
That now 1 must hasten to bid thee farewell.
I shall wmiss thee, loved Echo,—Dbut hush this
wild weeping. ‘
Thy readers ne’er *ll sigh for such tributes as
wmine.
Yet still iu my heart will I, record be keeping
Of memories iragrant because they are thine.
Thou hast checred the lone hour when the long
day grew woary,
Beguiling them olt us thy benuiws scan i—
-1 love to hear urcais from tae bright lovely
Genic,
And hear from New York by the prompt
Powhatian.
Pear are the lines from the hand of Geneva,
And others wuich time now forbids e to
tell 5
Yet however dear, duty calls me t) leave thee,
Although 1 may sign to bid thee tarewell.
1 would fain bid thee live through long future
ages,
The echo of virtue, and truth to resound,
"Till thy youthtul writers shall becowe as wise
suges,
And foul vice and error may nowhere be
found.
But while o'er the fuiure no dark storm is
swelling,
A cloud still inclines on my vision to dwell ;
« Yet with calm trust in Heaven, a prayer for
its blessing,
I tenderly whisper, farewell! oh, farewell !
Aug. Y, 1851. LiLiAN,
For the Literary Echo.
Death,
0, stern relentless death !
Thou of almighty and resistless power!
Who with one blast of thy destroying breath,
Subduest even nations in an hour,
Thou'rt present every where ;
Nor cot, nor palace from thy power is free;
No spot so beautiful but thou art there ;
Nor prince, nor peasant can thy presence flee.
With proud triumphant might,
Thou ridest forth upon the whirlwind's wing,
Or comest with the lightning's lurid light,
Or with the billowy ocean’s murmuring.
Thou leavest thy witheving trace
On all things fair and lovely here below,
Rock, valley, river, all fuir nature’s face,
[ plainest lineaments thy presence show
WESTERLY, R. I, AUGUST 21, 1851,
Thou puassest o'er the sea,
And the poor sailor midst the angry storm,
With agonizing shriek his breath to thee
Resigns, and cold waves shroud his lifeless form.
Thon visitest the halls
Where all is careless joy and merriment ;
Pierced with th’ unerring dart, thy victim falls
While with the voice of wmirth the mourner’s
tones are blent.
Thou comest to the cot,
The peaceful cot where loving hearts entwine,
And makest desolate that sacred spot,
Claiming its loved and beautiful as thine.
Thou goest to the slave
In hopeless bondage on a southern shore ;
e welcomes thee and sinks into his grave ;
Gilad that his toils and sufferings are o’er.
The lovely infant too,
So goftly eradled on his mother's knee,
Fade, 'neath thy chilling tough as flower-buds do
When, nipped by biting frosts, their beauties
flce.
And soon thou’lt come to me!
Soon will my deathless spirit be at rest;
Soon from its earthly tenement set free
To dwell in gorrow, or in heaven be blest.
To suftfer or be bLlest!
Oh, which ghall be my everlasting lot ?
Grant oh, Almighty Father this behest ;
In the dark night of death forsake me not.
GENEVA,
From the Americar JAicsscnger
ALICYE;
SPEECH OF THE EX-MEMBER OF CONGRESS
A great “expericnee meeting” was 10
be held one eveaing in ——- chorch, where
the speakers were, as usual, tosbe reform
ed drunkards. Anestimable woman whom
[ will eall Alice, was induced to attend.
When the meetieg was somewhat advanced,
a late member of Congress rose with appa
rent sadness and hesitation.
“Thongh 1 had cousented, at your
urgent solicitation to address this assembly
to-night,” he said; “yet 1 have felt so
great a reluetance to dojne so that it has
boen with the utmost difficulty T could
drag myself forward As to relating my
own expericnee, that T do not think 1 can
venture upon. The pastl dare not recall.
I could wizh that the memory of ten years
of my life were blotted out.” He paused
a moment, much affected, and then added
in a firmer voice, “ something must be said
o my own case, or I shall fail to make the
impression on your minds that I wish to
produce.
“ Your speaker once stood among the
respected members of the bar. Nay, more
than that, he ocenpied a seat in Congress
for two Congressional periods. And more
than that,” lie continued, his voice sinking
into a tone expressive of deep emotion,
“ he once had a tenderly loved wift and
two sweet children. But all these bless
ings, all these honors have departed from
him. He was unworthy to retain them
his constituenis threw him off beeause he
had debased himselfy and disgeaced thom,
And mwore than all, she who had loved him
devotedly, the mother of his two babies,
was forced to abandon hiagy and seek an
asylen in her father’s honse And why
Could T become so chanzed in a few short
(years 2 What power was there to debase
fme that my fotlow-beings sparned, even
the wife of my bosom turned away, heart
steick n from me 7 Alas, my friends, it
wis mad indulgence in intoxieating drinks,
But for this I were an honorable and use«
ful representative in the halls of legisla
tion, and blessed with a home and with
wife and children,
“But I have not told you all. After
my wife separated from me I sank rapidly.
A state of sobriety brought too many terri
ble thoughts; I drank more decply, and
was rarely, if ever free from the bewilder
ing cffects of partial intoxication. At last,
I became so abandoned that my wife,
urged by her friends, no doubt, filed an
application for a divoree, and as cause
could be readily shown why it should be
granted, a separation was legally declared ;
and to complete my disgrace, at the con
gressional canvass I was left off the ticket,
as unfit to represent the distriet.
“ When I heard of this new movement,
the great temperance cause, at first I
sneered, then wondered, listenod at last,
and finally threw myself upon the great
wave that was rolling onward, in hope of
being carried by it far out of the reach of
danger. I did not hope with a vain hope.
It did for me all and more than I could
have desired. It set me once more upon
my feet, once more made a man of me. A
year of sobriety, carnest devotion to my
profession, and fervent prayer to Him who
alone gave strength in every good resolu
tion, has restored to me much that I have
lost, but not all, rot the richest treasure
that 1 have proved wmyself unworthy to
retainy nol my wife and children. Be
tween myself and these the law has laid
its stern impassible interdictions. 1 have
no lengei a wife, no longer children,
though my heart goos towards those dearly
beloved ones with the tenderast yearnings.
Pictures of our early days of wedded Tove
are ever lingoring in my imasinstion, L
dream ot/ o sqeet fireside civele ; I soe
ever hefore e the sweet placid fuce of
my Alice, as her eyes looked into my own
with inteliigent confidence ; the music of
her voice is ever present to my care.”
Here the speaker’s emotion overcame
him 5 his utterance became choked, and he
‘ i . .
stood silent, with bowed head, and trem
bling limbs. The dense mass of people,
‘.wwc hushed into an oppressive stiliness
‘that was broken here and there by a half
stifled sob.
t At this moment there was a movement
in the erowd. A single female fizure, be
lfm'e whom every one seemed instinctively
to give way, wos scen passing up the aisle.
‘This was not observed by the speaker un
til she had come nearly in front of the
'Platform on which he stood. Then the
Enmvcmcnt eaught his ear, and his eye that
'instant fell on Alice, who by the kindness
of those near her, was condveted to his
side. The whole audience, thrilled with
'the seene, were upon their foet and bend
ling forward, when the speaker extended
‘his arms, and Alice threw herself upon his
bosom,
~ An aged minister then came forward
and gently separated them. ¢ No, mno,”
‘said the reformed eongressman, you can
not take her away from me.” “ Heaven
f,-bid that T should,” replied the minister,
“hut by your own confession she is your
wife.” “N, shie is not,” returned the
speaker mourniully. ¢ But is ready to
tule her vows again,” modostly said Alice,
in a low tone, smiling thro” her tears.
C Belre the large as-embly, all standing,
and with tew d.y eyes, the warriage cer
emony was agiiu porformed that again
gave Alice and the speaker to each other.
“As the minister, an aged man with thin
‘white locks, completed the marriage rite,
he laid his hands upon the heads of the
[two Lie had just jo' 'in hely bonds, and
lifting up his streaming eyes, said in a
solemn voice. “ What God has joined
tocether let no Rum put assunder.”—
“ Amen !” was cried by the whole asem
bly, as with a single voice. 5. 8 B
Uupleasnt Bed-Fellows.
Many years ago, a young man twenty
one years of age, and whom I will ecall
Daniel, was hired to work on a farm by Mr.
W-——, a man of considerable note as a
farmer, in Massachusetts. Mr. W. had
a daughter, and a hired girl, both about
cighteen years of age; and Daniel being of
a steady turn was not talkative enough to
suit their fancy; and after trying various
plans and tricks, without success, to---as
they said—raise his ideas, they caught a
large frog, and put it into Danicl’s bed.
On going to bed, he soon discovered the
where-abouts of his bed-fellow, and pitch
ed his frogship out of the window, and
never afterwards betrayed the least knowl
edge in regard to the joke.
About a month afterwards, Daniel found
a lot of chestnnt burs, nearly as sharp as
thistles, and contrived to deposite nearly
half a peck in the girls bed ; and after the
girls went to their room and had time to
undress, he took a candle, went to the
door and rattled the latch, when the girls
put out their light, and jumped into bed
and such a squalling was never heard be
fore. Daniel now opened the door, and
stood in it with light in hand.
“ Dan, torment your ugly picture; I
wish you were as far beyond the light-house
as you are on this side,”” said Sukey.
| “Why, what is the matter? have
0w iy frogs there 77 said Dan.
“ Dan, if you don’t shut the door and
clear out, I will call Mrs. W——," contin
ued Miss Sukey.
“T will call her myself, if you wish ”
said he.
“ Daniel »” said Anna W——-, “ifyou
will shut the door, and go back to the
kitchen, there shall be no more tricks or
jokes put upen you, by us, for six months,
at least.”
' Danicl thinking he had punished the
irls enough, shut the door and left them.
A few moments after, Sukey came out to
light her candle.
‘ ¢ [ thought you had gone to bed, Su
key 2 said Mrs, W——.
Sukey made no reply, but looked dag
gers at Dan and quickly returned. After
this the girls put no more tricks upon Dan.
f]lc was a steady, faithful man—saved
‘every collar of his earnings, and six years
from that time owned a farm, married
Auna W——and was three years first
selectman of the town, which he after
‘wards represented to the State Legislature.
& ¢ Ned, who is the girl I saw you
walking with #”
¢« Miss Hogg.”
Hogz, Hogg ; well she iz to be pitied for
having such a name.”
¢BO I think,? rejoined Ned; T pitied
her so much that T offered her mine, and
she’s going to take it soon.”
As the sun doth not wait for prayers
and incantations to be prevailed upon to
rise, but immediately shines foith amris re
coived with universal salutations, so neither
do vou wait for applauses, and shouts, and
praises in order to do good ; but be a vol
untary bencfactor, and you will be beloved
like the sun.
Put no faith in tale-bearers.
NUMBER 21