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Article THE ASYLUM. ← Page 6 of 12 →
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The Asylum.
Tlie following Address , written by Brother J . Lee Stevens , for the occasion , was then spoken by Brother George Bennett . WHEN I was yovmg , m boyhood's early spring , Ere emulation falter'd on the wing—Ere hope to prudence had her ear
inclin'dOr fancy ceased reality to blind—How I aspired my compeers to outpace , And with my seniors run the stirring race ; How long'd to leave the youthful and secure , And risk the perils of the more mature .
Selecting him in manhood's class who shone As the most favor'd—the most happy one—From whom of joy there was withholclen nought , I thus his life apostrophised in thought . *—* ' Behold him , at the concert or the ball , All eyes attract , ancl ev ' ry heart enthrall—The young approach him with admiring love—The watchful aged praise him or
approve—The fairest give him glances warm ancl bright—The wisest listen to him with delight ! Again , behold him , at tbe altar ' s side , Wedding a peerless , young and loving bride . Whose maiden blushes seem to prelude this As a sure advent of unceasing bliss ! See , commerce tempt him next to mend his state , Ancl boundless wealth on wealth accumulate ; AVhilst honor , with a chaplet for his brow , Ancl eager homage , comes to crown him now !"
Alas ! how impotent is human pow ' r To scan the future by the present hour ! Pleasure , love , honor , fortune , his may be For years ou years , yet he be doom'd to see Pleasure diminish—love itself decay—Honor abandon—fortune fade away—Until agedfriendless and unknown
poor , , , He walks a mourning wreck through life , alone ! Such was his fate—my boyhood ' s envied one—For , ah ! misfortune frown'd upon his path—Death pour ' cl around the vial of his wrath , Drop after drop ; and there were none to share Even his woes , or save him from despair !
Yet he , the happiest one of earlier years , Had often wiped away affliction ' s tears—Had often , with Masonic love and zeal , Stretch'd forth his hand a Brother ' s wounds to heal , Had often proved a parent to the child Of orphanage—had often too beguil'd VOL . vii . a a
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Asylum.
Tlie following Address , written by Brother J . Lee Stevens , for the occasion , was then spoken by Brother George Bennett . WHEN I was yovmg , m boyhood's early spring , Ere emulation falter'd on the wing—Ere hope to prudence had her ear
inclin'dOr fancy ceased reality to blind—How I aspired my compeers to outpace , And with my seniors run the stirring race ; How long'd to leave the youthful and secure , And risk the perils of the more mature .
Selecting him in manhood's class who shone As the most favor'd—the most happy one—From whom of joy there was withholclen nought , I thus his life apostrophised in thought . *—* ' Behold him , at the concert or the ball , All eyes attract , ancl ev ' ry heart enthrall—The young approach him with admiring love—The watchful aged praise him or
approve—The fairest give him glances warm ancl bright—The wisest listen to him with delight ! Again , behold him , at tbe altar ' s side , Wedding a peerless , young and loving bride . Whose maiden blushes seem to prelude this As a sure advent of unceasing bliss ! See , commerce tempt him next to mend his state , Ancl boundless wealth on wealth accumulate ; AVhilst honor , with a chaplet for his brow , Ancl eager homage , comes to crown him now !"
Alas ! how impotent is human pow ' r To scan the future by the present hour ! Pleasure , love , honor , fortune , his may be For years ou years , yet he be doom'd to see Pleasure diminish—love itself decay—Honor abandon—fortune fade away—Until agedfriendless and unknown
poor , , , He walks a mourning wreck through life , alone ! Such was his fate—my boyhood ' s envied one—For , ah ! misfortune frown'd upon his path—Death pour ' cl around the vial of his wrath , Drop after drop ; and there were none to share Even his woes , or save him from despair !
Yet he , the happiest one of earlier years , Had often wiped away affliction ' s tears—Had often , with Masonic love and zeal , Stretch'd forth his hand a Brother ' s wounds to heal , Had often proved a parent to the child Of orphanage—had often too beguil'd VOL . vii . a a