The Sabbath in Its Poetical Aspects [pp. 223-226]

The Sabbath in its Poetical Aspects.
But the dawn of unknown ages, still ascending higher, are shut, the tumult of towns is hushed-the vii higher! lage is reduced to silence, and the hamlet beUnto which the soul's free impulse doth unconsciously as- comes increasingly still. Even the encamp pi-e,
pire, ~~~~~~~comes increasingly still. Even the encampBack unto the glorious fount from whence it drew its vital ments made by huge armies are affected by its
fire. repose, though we lament to think that the great
battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday. That
Therefore every gentle feeling, every pure and lofty thought,
Is a faint and far reflection from its Maker's image caught- was a sanguinary day for the rose of England
Guiding to those lofty aims by creeds and maxims vainly and the lily of Gaul. How much sweeter would
taught. harvest hymns have been, rising from the ravines
of La Haye Sainte, than the fanfare of loud
Not for me that worldly wisdom-scornful of its weak clarions and fierce trumpets? The color of a
clarions and fierce trumpets? The color of a
control,
Take I now my creed and standard from the impulse of my purple field is not so refreshing as that of a green
soul; one and Waterloo would have pleased us better
Meted not by worldly measure is my spirit's lofty goal. on Sunday morning than on Sunday night. In
the morning it stood in ranks of corn or waved
Earnest of a brighter future, prophecy of things to be, the rning it stod in ranks of corn or waved
Are those yearning aspirations seemning but a phantasy; in ripened wheat: but at night furrows and
Fades the rainbow, but its promise in the future still we see. corn hills had been turned into sepulchres and
Richmond. SUSAN. mounds. We never liked noise but especially
the noise of battle, and we return to our tranquil
theme. Rural objects are generally still, but
more so than usual on Sunday. There is sgme thing poetical in the lowing of herds and in the
The Sabbath in its Poetical Aspects. browsing of flocks, and in the milk-maid's song,
and in the sound of the deer-bell. But on the
" Less fearful on this day the limping hale
"Less fearful on this day the limping ae sacred day the hum of rural labor seems to cease.
Stops and looks back on man, his deadliest foe." A, t he
Grahame. Avis inertice appears to seize the plough, the
mill, the hay cart and the bee house, and lay its
A spring morning had come. It ushered in spell on the picturesque hill and dale. Sounds
the day of rest and Ringwood had never looked there may be, for the ringdove will coo-the lark
as quiet or as handsome before. The kirks will sing-the bee will hum and the sheep ring
round about were all closed, a thing which some- its bell, but these are sounds in harmniony with
times happens in the country when our pastors the day. Poets must, by necessity, possess some
are away. As the hours into which day is di- descriptive power, and many of them have emvided were chasing each other off, the writer got ployed that power on the objects to which we
to ruminating upon what the Sabbath had done have just alluded.
for poetry and what poetry had done for the Sab- Theimagination is often aroused by the churchbath. The Sabbath presents itself periodically going bell. Its chimes inspire animation and deto the poet, and invites his eye on a range among light. In Scotland dissenters are not allowed to
its tints, whilst some of the poets, grateful for ring people to kirk, and dissenters in England
the materials it gives, have sung its sweet repose. are debarred firom the same privilege. But why
The writer is aware that he here comes again not augment the melody and add as much as
into collision with the Utilitari-ians, to some of possible to that of the established peals? This
whose schemes he cannot be reconciled. The intolerance is at war with the best feelings of
rail-car is just as swift on the Sabbath as on any our nature, and turns churches, founded on policy
other day in the week and so is the steam-boat. and law, into sectarian institutions. When SelThe canal is just as noisy on Sunday as on kirk was on the island of Juan Fernandez he
Monday, and the mail-boy carries as much lum- heard the beating of the surf: but, according to
ber on that as on any other day. But in this con- Cowvper, he heard nothing that called him to
nection it would be inappropriate to treat this church. He was a lonely offcast-the comrade
matter in its gravest aspects. The science of of goats: but became a good Utilitarian before
Theology has lessons of its own, nor shall we leaving his strip of land. We do not recollect
attempt to supplant it in any one of its offices. that Burns has said much of the steeple: but we
It is our wish to speak simply of the lights in know that his Cotter's Saturday Nightis a charmwhich the Sabbath sometimes affects the imagi- ing poem. How sweetly does he arrange the
nation. prelimitnaries to the Sabbath, and depict the
We have been often impressed by the silence home joys of the peasant. What pure Parnasof the sacred day. This,is one of the features sian breath stole over that performance, and
in its face which Grahame, the Scotch poet, has anointed the rustic temple which his imagination
clothed with special interest. The gates of cities reared in an Ayrshire cottage. And sacred sounds
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