COLUMBUS. Written in her sixteenth year.) WHAT must have been the feelings of Christopher Columbus, when, for the first time, he knelt and clasped his hands, in gratitude, upon the shores of his newly-discovered world? Year after year has rolled away; war, famine, and fire have alternately swept the face of that country; the hand of tyranny hath oppressed it; the footstep of the slave hath wearily trodden it; the blood of the slaughtered hath dyed it; the tears of the wretched have bedewed it; still, even at this remote period, every feeling bosom will delight to dwell upon this brilliant era in the life of the persevering adventurer. At that moment, his name was stamped upon the records of history for ever; at that moment, doubt, fear, and anxiety fled, for his foot had pressed upon the threshold of the promised land. The bosom of Columbus hath long since ceased to beat-its hopes, its fears, its projects, sleep, with him, the long and dreamless slumber of the grave; but while there remains one generous pulsation in the human breast, his name and his memory will be held sacred. When the cold dews of uncertainty stood upon his brow; when he beheld nothing but the wide heavens above, the boundless waters beneath and around him; himself and his companions in that little bark, the only beings upon the endless world of sky and ocean when he looked back and thought upon his native land; when he looked forward, and in vain traversed the liquid desert, for some spot upon which to fix the aching eye of anxiety; oh! say, amidst all these dangers, these uncertainties, whence came that high, unbending hope, which still soared onward to the world before him? whence that undying patience, that more than mortal courage, which forbade his cheek to blanch amid the storm, or his heart to recoil in the dark and silent hour of midnight? It was from God - it was of God-His Spirit overshadowed the adventurer! By day, an unseen cloud directed him-by night, a brilliant, but invisible column moved before him, gleaming athwart the boundless waste of waters. The winds watched over him, and the waves upheld him, for God was with him - the whirlwind passed over his little bark, and left it still riding onward, in safety, towards its unknown harbour - for the eye of Him who pierces the deep was fixed upon it. Columbus had hoped, feared, and had been disappointed; he had suffered long and patiently-he had strained every faculty, every nerve; he had pledged his very happiness upon the discovery of an unknown land; and what must have been the feelings of his soul, when, at length bending over that very land, his grateful bosom offered its tribute of praise and thanksgiving to the Being who had guarded and guided him through death and danger? He beheld the bitter smile of scorn and derision fade before the reality of that vision, which had been ridiculed and mocked at; he thought upon the thousand obstacles which he had surmounted; he thought upon those who had regarded him as a self-devoted enthusiast, a visionary madman, and his full heart throbbed in gratitude to Him whose Spirit had inspired him, whose voice had sent him forth, and whose arm had protected him. ALPHONSO IN SEARCH OF LEARNING. AN ALLEGORY. (Written in her eleventh year) EARLY one morning Alphonso set out in search of Learning. He travelled over barren heaths and over rocks, and was often obliged to ford rivers, which seemed almost impassable; at last, completely exhausted, and at a loss what road to take, he sat down desponding by the side of a rapid river. Soon a passenger approached with whom Alphonso entered inte conversation, and at length asked him where he was going. I am, replied the stranger, seeking Fame, and already by her trump has my name been sounded in her courts. She has promised to immortalize my name; follow me, and you shall richly reap the reward of your labour. I also, answered Alphonso, have a road to pursue, which leads to Fame, but it is through Learning that I must reach her courts, and then shall I enjoy the fruits of my toil, in proportion to the hardships with which I have acquired it. Can you tell me where she can be found? You see, replied the stranger, yonder hills which rise one upon the other, as far as the eye extends; far, far beyond them, whose every precipice you have to climb, Learning resides. Her temple is pleasant, but few there are who gain it; many, indeed, have gone beyond these foremost hills, but stumbling, they have been dashed to pieces on the rocks, but still they have had the reputation of having reached her temple, and their names are recorded in the roll of Fame. Thus saying, the stranger proceeded on his journey, and left Alphonso in doubt whether to pursue the dangerous road of which the stranger had warned him, or to follow him to more easily acquired fame. At last Wisdom came to his assistance, and he resolved not to give up his search after Learning. He proceeded therefore, and had reached the foot of the hill, when he was met by another person, who inquired whither he was going? I am in pursuit of Learning, replied Alphonso. What! do you intend climbing yonder rugged and tiresome hill? I do, answered Alphonso. Indolence is my companion, said the stranger: I found her in yonder valley. I toiled not for her, and without toil, I enjoy ease; on the other hand, Learning cannot be obtained without labour; go with me, and you shall enjoy life. Alphonso, partly fatigued with his long walk, and partly discouraged by the rugged appearance of the hill, consented. After walking on sometime in a beautiful valley, Alphonso began to discover that his new companion was flat and insipid, that he had exhausted all his little fund of knowledge in the beginning of their journey, and that he now scarcely said anything. Thus continuing dissatisfied, not with the path, but with the companion he had, they entered a beautiful meadow, in which there was an arbour, called the arbour of Indolence, and there they lay down to rest; but before Alphonso slept, a warning voice sounded in his ear, "awake, for destruction is at hand." He heeded it not, and with his senses slept his conscience. When they arose to pursue their journey, a tempest gathered; thick clouds were in the heavens, all was black. Night's sable mantle was thrown over the horizon, and only now and then a flash of lightning, attended with a dreadful thunderbolt, showed them both the dead waters of oblivion; near them was the path which slides the unhappy deluded mortal down to its deep and noisome bed. Alphonso's conductor, who had before appeared certain of being on safe ground, trembled and turned pale when he found himself in the fatal path. Alphonso was on the brink! He receded; his flesh grew cold, his eyeballs glared, and his hair stood on end. Presently he heard a low plashing of the dead waters of oblivion; they closed with a sullen roar over the unhappy sufferer, and all was silent. This is the end of the careless votary of Indolence, thought Alphonso, as he turned from the dead waters of the lake. Let this be a lesson to me! He stood in deep perplexity some time, not daring to turn back, and he knew it would be certain death to proceed; but suddenly the clouds dispersed, the air was calm, and all was silent; he blessed the returning light, and with new vigour, passed on his way in search of Learning. He was overjoyed, when he found himself out of the fatal vale of Indolence. Again he viewed those hills which so discouraged him when they met his eye before, but now they appeared to him with a far different aspect, as he traced over them the path to Learning's happy temple. He began his journey anew, and as he proceeded, the ascent was easier. When he reached the top of the hill, a few faint rays of the bright sun of Learning warmed his heart, and though faint, it was sufficient to kindle the slumbering fire of hope in his bosom. After he had reached the valley below, he saw a person crossing on the opposite side, with a light step, and an open ingenuous countenance. Alphonso stopped him, and inquired, why he did not ascend the hill before him? Because, said the stranger, "I seek Truth, and she dwells in the simple |