The Diamond Chain [pp. 611]

SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER.
611
"Great is the grace, the neighbors cried,
And owned the power Divine."
Griffith immediately established the worship of God
in his family, and rejoiced in God with all his heart.
Nor was his wife a whit behind in holy delight at the
change. Griffith's conversion led him to inquire into
the lawfulness of gambling. He had three questions
to decide. The first was, whether he should pay a debt
of $60 incurred in gambling? He soon resolved to pay
it, as it was the manner of contracting, and not the
payment of the debt, that was the sin. The next
question was, what should he do respecting the $9,000,
which he found by estimate he had lost at different
times? To this he could only say, that most of it was
won by strangers, and by men who had long since died
in wretchedness and poverty. He could not get it. By
a careful estimate of what he had won from men whose
names and residence he knew, over and above what
they had won from him, and including the $500 extorted from the gamblers, by threatening to volunteer as
witness against them, he found that he owed in all,
rather more than $1,500. Resolving to pay the whole
sum, if spared and prospered, he engaged to teach
school another session of ten months; and although he
could not save much of his earnings, he resolved to
save what he could.
How astonished was he, when a few days after he
formed this purpose, as he was going to school in the
morning, a gentleman hailed him as Mr. Griffith, and
said: " Sir, I won from you several years ago nearly
$700; there is the money, with some interest. I am a
christian. I cannot keep it; there it is." With these
few words, the traveller proceeded. Griffith was so
amazed, that he even forgot to ask his name, or residence, or the course of his journey. Of the $700,
Griffith sent $200 to the widow of a poor silly drunken
man, from whom he had, not long before his complete
downfall, won that amount. He sent $200 more to a
young clerk, whom he had well nigh ruined as to morals
and character, and from whom he had won $180 two
years before. He sent $300 to the father of a little
blind girl, from whose deceased brother he had won that
amount, saving the interest, and requesting that it
might be employed to send the blind child to the Asylum for the blind. By the kindness of Providence,
other sums were restored to him, amounting in all to a
few hundreds. His economy and industry, and good
capacity as a teacher, also secured to him a growing income from his school-so that in a few years he had
paid every debt, and restored all money obtained by
gambling. He has since bought a small tract of land,
and built a very neat cabin, with two apartments, upon
it. He calls it the Retreat. He is now forty-three
years old-still keeps a school-has a good income from
his own industry-enjoys tolerable health, and has
around him many of the comforts of life. His wife and
children still live, and help to make him happy. His
penitence and humility are deep; yet is thankfulness
the reigning exercise of his heart. The goodness and
grace of God, through Jesus Christ, are themes on
which he never tires.
Dryden's genius was of that sort which catches fire
by its own motion; his chariot wheels got hot by
driving fast.- Coleridge.
For the Southern Literary Messenger.
LINES
Written in Mrs.'s Album.
Give me a subject! O! propitious fate!
That by collision with my frigid brain [Hate?
Shall strike out fire!* Love? Honor? Friendship?
The jaded ear doth loathe the hackneyed train!
Give me a subject! thus a Byron sang And from the Poet's mind in perfect form
Like brain-born PALLAS, forth Don Juan sprang,
A captivating Demon-fresh and warm.
0
Give me a subject! Alexander raved,
A world to conquer!-and the red sword sweptNo truant Planet sought to be enslaved,
And bully Ellick disappointed wept!
A theme, ye stars! that with yon clouds bo-peep They wink, sweet Madam! —but, alas! are dumb:
"I could call spirits from the vasty deep"
To freeze thy gentle blood! But would they come?
There are no themes in this dull changeless world!
Spinning for aye on its own icy poles —
Forever in the self- same orbit whirled,
A huge TEE-TOTUM with concentric holes!
Ev'n Heaven itself had not poetic been
Though filled with seraph hosts in guiltless revel,
Had not one bright Archangel changed the scene Unlucky wight! to play himself the Devil!
Then came the tug of Gods! for rule and life —
The unmasked thunders shook the stable skyBut MILTON sings of the immortal strife,
And lived much nearer to the times than I.
Prythee! go seek him, if thou would'st be told
A graphic story, pictured to the ear
With matchless art, by one who did behold,
So thou wouldst think-the war storm raging near.
Hast read the Poem, Ma'am? So have not I,
But I have heard that what I say is trueAnd by my faith I'm much disposed to try
And give the Devil's bard and Devil his due!
But I am modest-and do not intend
To outsoar Milton in his lofty flightNor would my Muse poor Byron's ghost offend,
He hated rivalry-and so-good night!
For the Southern Literary Messenger.
THE DIAMOND CHAIN.
While Rosa near me sweetly sung,
And I beheld her blue eyes' light,
A chain around my heart was flung,
Its every link a diamond bright.
But now that we are forced to part,
And her loved voice no more I hear,
The chain is withering up my heart Its diamonds each a burning tear.
QUESTUS.
* A familiar suggests that an " oaken towel" might produce
the desired effect. No doubt; and hence the expression "cud, gel thy brains.,