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PUBLISHED BY JAMES GARDNER,
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NEW SERIES.] ’
THE RAINBOW DREAM.
A PRIZE POKM.
RV ALEXANDER MEANS, DD„ LLD.
The following poetic effusion had its origin in a sin
gular and impressive dream which charmed a sleeping
hour of the author, a few months since.
The anomalous vision was so fall of poetic beauty*
blended with novel grandeur, that, although he may
fail to transmit to any reader the vividness and inspira
tion of the scene, he has, nevertheless, under the
promptings of his muse, endeavored to embody its
more luminous features, and, without claiming the fa
culty of Joseph, to indulge in a favorable, although it
may be a fanciful, interpretation, which he cannot but
pray Heaven may, at no distant day, find its ample
realization in the Providential deliverance and peer
less glory of his disenthralled and rejoicing country.
A. M.
It was night on the plain, and the village was still;
Hot a wing was afloat on the air;
Ev’ry wheel was at rest in tho neighboring mill.
And the invalid doz'd in his chair.
I had pray’d for the lov’d ones, in camps far away.
And had sank in the arms of repose,
Overpow’r’d by tho cares and the tolls of tho day,
v_ When a bright, drwjny ylshn* f
It waa twilight, it seem'd, as I gaz'd from my rx>rp,
> nd beheld on the dark southern sky,
A rainbow, in beauty and majesty, loom
t O’er the billowy cloud-drifts on high.
As I stepp’d from the door, and with rapid cye-glance,
Swept the broad panorama around—
How sublime was the pomp, through the blazing ex
panse, .
While the atmosphere breath’d not a sound!
For in prismatic glory tho heavens all smil'd.
And shone on the landscape below,—
From horizon to zenith the arches were pil’d,—
East, West, North and South were aglow.
Flooey masses of vapor, disrupted and pale,
As if taking their leave of the sky,
Floated gloomily by, over mountain and VBle,
Tet they robb’d not a bow of its dye. .
Far aloft in the East was the “ All-seeing Eye,’’
And resplendent with streamers of light;
It was burning like Constantine's Cross on the sky,
And the son! bow'd in awe at the sight.
Great God! with what grandeur creation then shone,
In her purple, and crimson, and gold.
Was the curtain uplifted that oircles the Throne,
And a scroll from the God-head unroll’d ?
%
Were the thousand bright arches that spann'd the blue
dome,
The symbolic fore-tokens of peace
Shall the tempest that beats o'er my once happy home
And the thnnder of battle soon cease ?
Shall the red clouds of war—rent and torn by the blast,
That Mercy shall speed from on high—
Be swept from our sky, and the sunshine at last,
Kindle Joy through the land, far and nigh ?
Does the Eye of Omniscience auspiciously beam, I
On the land of the orange and pine;
To encourage onr faith with the glories that gleam,
From a Providence , truly Divine*.
Then thanks for the vision—so rich and so rare,—
So abounding with hope, and with God ;
We shall yet about in triumph and bieathe a free air,
Where tfie Goth and the Vandal have trod.
- urn*
A youth went into a barber’s shop the other
day to be scraped. The barber having adjusted
the ctoib, and soaped the smooth skin, lett him
and went lounging about the dpor. As soon
as the young gent saw him sauntering, be im
patiently called out:
“Well, wbat are you leaving jne all this time
for?”
“Sir,” said he, “I am waiting until your
beard grows.”
THE STORY TELLER.
[For the Southern Field and Firesidt»_ ”}
BELLMOI.
BY MRS. SITE E. HCNT,
CHAPTER VII.
When down the vale unlock'd by midnight tho might,
That loves to wander in thy sunless realms.
Oh Death! I stretch my view ; what visions rise- !
What triumphs 1 toils imperial! arts divine!
In wither’d laurelsglide before my sight!
What lengths of far-famed ages, billow’d high
With human agitatidn, roll along
In unsubstantial images of air!
The melancholy ghosts of dead renown,
Whispering faint echoes of the world’s»pplau*»
With penitential aspect, as they pass,
All point at earth and hiss at human pride,
The wisdom of the wise, and pranotngsof tliwe great
\ I «: rung . ,
The storm of the preceding night had. given
way to a dear, cold morning, aud Mark
was busily engaged superintending the feeding.
He wondered if that careless boy Cato would
attend well to tile wauta of the prancing,
spirited little carriage aud thotmgbt it
was ‘ mighty well they didn’j venter o ut tho
night botoro.’ ‘That Cato,’ he
aloud, ‘ da. trial qf ipy lite-r-never wpE-jid da
anyting right—thou’ 1 am ’tioallya ru&Jb
after him. % Spoae I mus put up with ic. now,
dat little missy has growed up to be such a
pretty young lady, (jisther ma over agai kh,) aud
rheumatics keep me taking the reins.’
. Thus the old man ran on, withallthee-ompla
cency of a stump orator. His boys warnt
raised now like they was in them days. Then
they was taught to ‘have some manners, aud to
show a proper respect to their elders; and
uncle Mark sighed heavily as he thota glit of
the depravity of young people in genera. J, and
of that Cato in particular. His revery w~as dis
turbed by a short familiar neigh at the gate,
which caused him to open it quickly Co find
Ins youDg mastor’s pony standing impa. tiently
awaiting admittance.
‘Bless my soul! what does die mean and
uncle Mark gave au involuntary start, as he
saw the dapple gray all equiped but ritXerless.
* Somethin’s wrong,’ and he shook hi» head
ominiously. ‘ But if you have throwecL. Mars
lleinhold its the fust time in bis life tha.t such
a thing ever happened,’and be caught th« dan
gling bridle of Dapple and led him in. What
does all dis mean,’ he again soliloquized, saddle
wringing wet, and I know it hain't rainec3. since
two o’clock last night ? Surely that good-for
nothing Cato took the saddle off when Mars
Reinhold got to Dr. Hinton’s. Butlrecikon it
was mighty nigh night when he got dar, and I
know jist as well as if I had seed him C bat he
was stuck up- in the kitchen a stuffia o A’ hirp
self, and talking with them gals. He’s raoighty
triflin, and dey ain’t much better. B*_it old
Mark won’t shield him from justice dis time.—
Master shall see this animal for hisel-fV and
deliberately fastening the horse, he proceeded
to the house with his face elongated toita usual
length, when his equanimity was diaiurtoed, to
ask Marster to step out there a minute.
Mr. Ralston listened to uncle tale;
then proceeded hurriedly to the stable y iird. —
With more serious misgivings than Ca *.O had
expressed, he examined closely the dripping
saddle, and started, as he detected, what A ooked
to him like blood on the white mane. That’s
clay said uncle Mark, but Mr. Ralston’s fears
were aroused, and for an instant the han«i that
lay on-Dapple’s neck, trembled; but overcom
ing the trasient emotion, be called a serv~ -ant to
get a horse in readiness, and proceed w Athout
delay to Dr. Hinton’s, and make'enquirie- as con
cerning the sudden appearance of Dapple. Mr.
Ralston then returned to the house to wait in
suspense, the doming of his messenger-. To
go himself was the first impulse, but not wish
ing to alarm bis wife, be. thought to for
bear mentioning the circumstance until it could
be satisfactorily explained.
of tho day.
Southern Field and Fireside.
AUGUSTA, GA„ SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 1863.
Making the beat of every moment, John was
at Dr. Hinton’s, where he found the family still
in the breakfast room, gaily discussing tne events
of the preceding evening.
i ‘My brother, ray brother,’ exclaimed Jennie,
and with a wild cry of terror, she fell ihto the
arms of Mrs. Hinton, as John breathlessly de
livered his message. The cheek of Ada paled,
and the Misses Bryon looked into each others
faces in mute astonishment.
‘There is no cause yet for so much alarm,
said Dr. Hinton, rising. Perhaps for some
good reason they proceeded to I) last
Dight instead of returning home, and Reinhold's
horse has broken loose, and determined to
breakfast at Elmwood quite innocent of causing
so much pam and needless anxiety.’
' T will soon suttle all doubt by going after
the miscreants, returned Alf, and give them
over to bo tried and punished according to the
sentence of the present court.’
Dr. Hinton acquiesced in the proposal of
Alf, who started at once for D , a distance
of only five miles.
‘Cpme girla said Julia, dou’t look so solemn,
but finish your breakfast. Watching never yet
brought any one, aud I know Alf will hurry
back, ‘for somo body’s sake,’ was added in a
lea’ tone to Jennie.’
1 :»V*ro was more thau Jeuuy waiting in tronu
*%iety the result. In Ada’s heart there
was aVyfao <J»ad of somttufu'f Wo know not
what; for Reiubold’a look, as lie bade her good
night, had haunted her dreams, and oven now,
could remorse atone for those cruel words
which he alone had heard, they would be blot
ted out forever.
Alf Hinton’s return iuatead of solving the
mystery only increased it; tor in place of
bringing the miscreants, as he termed them, he
brought the horse ot Mr. Dalzelle, which
Arthur Bryon had rode the evening before, lie
was found wandering about, and was taken up
by some persons residing iu the vicinity of the
depot. Alf immediately recognized it, but no
clue could he find to the rider. No person had
seen anything of Reinhold Ralston, or a gen
tleman answering to the description of Arthur
Bryou. What could it all mean ?he must re
turn without fulfilling his promise.
The fears and sympathies of the whole neigh
borhood were now fully aroused, for the rich
aud poor, the old and young, were alike inter
ested in the noble and generous hearted Rein
hold. A strict search was soon instituted, but
it seemed an impossibility that they could have
lost their way, the road lying in a direct line.
A gauntlet bearing Reinhold’s name was
found near the point where a road diverged
towards the river. This led to au examination
of every foot of ground in that direction, but
still no clue; and tho lengthening shadows of
departing day were casting their saddening in
fluence over the stricken household of Elmwood.
Words fell unheeded oti the ear of Mrs. Rals
ton, though uttered bv friends who would con
sole, but iiko Rachel of old, she wept, and re
fused to be comforted *beeause ho 'was not,’
whose presence had so short a time before shed
joy and gladness around. She grasped tho lost
glove, and with trembling hands, pressed it to
her lips. Her heart sank within as a rushing
memory of the past came up—twenty-one
years before, he came, to her with no clue to
his birth except the name of Iteinhold, and
now—the thought was too crushing, and a
swoon relieved the overburthened heart.
Ada would remain all night with Jennie, but
the Misses Bryon would return with Mrs. Dal
zelle, for they would go back to the city in the
moraing. Surely tbeir brother must have gone
thither, but for what reason they could not sur
mise.
The morning came, aud with it all hope van
ished. A hat was found by some boatmen
about half a mile above the town, which was
carried to Elmwood by interested friends. —
' Was it Reinhold’s bat ?’ was the eager ques
tion, but no one could possibly decide. There
were a dozen others exactly similar.
•* 4/r*
% W
w ■
* , r < *
AT THHKi: DOLLARS Per ANNIJII.
‘Give it to tue for a moment,’ and Ada held
out her hand to receive it, and quickly turning
down the lining, loutid "Ada” traced upon the
smooth white surface underneath, tihe knew it
well; she had playfully written her name
there when their hearts were full of happiness,
and Reinhold thought her good and pure as an
angel. Burying her lace in her hands, the™
was a long, hard struggle between that love
and pride which had alternately ruled her past
hie. Tue future all a biauk; but no word, no
sigh escaped, and naught save the rigid lip, the
stony gaze revealed to others what uad forced
lt'seh upon her, that she had a heart, and that
heart but too deeply interested in the sad late
of Remnold.
Weeks passed, but brought no gleam of hope
to muurniug Irieuds. It was supposed by all
tnat iu me thick darkness of mat uulbrtuuate
night, they had, in some way, fallen iuto the
river, Iroiu wneuee their horses escaped in
satety, leaving their riders to become luod tor
the monsters of the deep. The days of afflictiou
svore drearily on at Elmwood. Mr. Ralston
missed the genial companionship ol nis sou,
and Mrs. Ralston found it hard to bow and kiss
tue chastening rod. lie had lakeu tne place of
ner tifst Dorn sou in her heart, who hud been
claimed by the Reaper Death’ lor me * Lord of
Paradise,’ and while her heart was still yearn
, tug lor tne miaul cry, and the iiuie head that
> had uusiiea so confidingly upon her breast, a
' ktud Provfdeaoe hdd thrown tnatl.ltie ooj&iiu
ner path Way,and with the cherished mementoes
01 her lost darling, went the mother's love;
and as lour more little lorms were auded to ner
angel uaud, her love grew more firmly around
me remuiug two, and lor thoir sake sue lived,
while sue urauk deeply ol iito’s cup ol sorrow.
Sow ner human heart wouid rebel, and look
upon lue watery grave, in tend 01, With tne
eye of faith, looking far beyond to mat brighter
and better snore, wnere tears no more bcuew
the eye. Time must not be spent iu vaiu re
piuiugs, wuuu the bufioriug ol outers require
our care and attemiou; and Mrs. Ralston was
aroused from the ietuargy ol her grief to
assuage that of others. Ada DaiZelio was lit,
aud needed her skillful and soothing powers as
nurse. Had sue not been the object nearest
ner boy s ueart '{ auu lor mat icaaou, lentotd
more near unto her own. On 1 nuie dtu sue
know ol the dark cloud mat passed between
nappmess and nimseri.
tine found Ada witu the levensU hush burn
ing ou her cnee k and brow; at tunes uicekiy
submissive to the vfisnes oi ner uicnus aud
pbysiciau, then wildly uehrous, trying in vain
to escape me phantom tnat naunu*u ner cou
fused brain.
4 Poor enud, said kind Dr. Hiutou—sne was
so wayward in me first stages of me disease,
| tnat 1 tear now mat it is beyond Ooutqol.’
But he dai'ed not oreatue aucj tuougnts to
'tue stricken parents. Day alter uay Drought
no tavorable symptoms, and at last me crisis
came. Tnat uay would decide wuetuer lue lne
that was suspended by tne tiniest mread, was
to he rudely snapped in twain or oe prolonged
for days ot future health auu nappmess. All
day me anxious friends novereu around ber
bedside, and as the auu was decaniug irorn ins
meridian brightness, iresn uopes inspired tiieir
breasts. The quick, snort bream was giving
pioci to more qu>et respiration. The wild look
irorn me eyes had disappeared, auu a giauce of
recognition sent a thrui to me heart ot her un
( happy mother.
•Ur. Hinton, 1 articulated the feeble voice of
the sufferer, aud he beut over to eaten the
taint whisper: * I leel so strangely as i never
telt betore —is this death V auu me large brown
eyes rested ou his lace with an eager question
ing gaze as if to read its uoom from his
own. ' #
Eor a moment he was quiet. There was a
hurried struggle in his breast. Must he crush
out tue ouiy ray Os hope by telling tier caudidly
her Situation, WUeu, pefuaps, Oy concealing R
She might survive l Was tt not ms duty an a
physician u> buoy up the spirits as mug as there
IVOL. 1.--NUMBER 4