Twenty years are now complete since America burst the shackles of
despotism--pleasures sat smiling on every cheek upon the review of our
glorious revolution.--Every freeman’s heart seemed inspired with
enthusiastic ardour to imitate those brave veterans, who forsook the
dear ties of family connection to defend their country’s rights, who
sacrificed their lives in the glorious cause of liberty. The return of
the day was commemorated with heartfelt joy; and amongst a number who
were to celebrate the birth of Independence, was one (a female) who had
promised herself the pleasure of joining with them. But, alas! how
fleeting is the happiness we fondly picture to ourselves. At one moment
we appear to have arrived at the very summit of earthly bliss, and at
the next we are plunged by cruel fate into the lowest abyss of misery.
O! ye who are sporting in the joys of youth, who are figuring to
yourselves the many happy days you, no doubt, expect to see for years to
come! who have never taken into consideration that solemn truth that you
are born but to die; that your life is like a vapour; that the present
hour you can scarcely call your own--it is you I now call upon to read
this with attention, to consider that like yourselves MARIA was in the
full bloom of youth, health, and beauty--yes, she was in possession of
all these, but one hour before her dissolution, and bid fair to live as
long as you--Sudden was her departure; in the space of a few minutes how
changed the scene!--She whose conversation just before, was wont to
inspire every hearer with emulation, lay stretched before our eyes a
senseless corpse.--Reflect, kind reader! O seriously reflect on your
visionary state of happiness! you are formed of the same materials! it
is the same air your breath!----yes! and a similar narrow cell you must
also inhabit, and that perhaps shortly too!---It is impossible for you
to say that you expect length of days, because you are in full
possession of health, as the very next moment may prove how deceitful
your expectations were.
O shade of departed innocence, where is it thou dost now inhabit?----art
thou one of those that surround the dazzling throne of Nature’s God, and
employed in adoring the great I AM? It was surely for some wise purpose
that Jehovah snatched thee from us. Perhaps he saw the evils to which
thou wouldst have been exposed by a longer stay, and therefore thought
it expedient to translate thee to a better world.
O death! O thou cruel leveller of man! O thou fell tyrant of our race!
O thou king of terrors! why couldst thou not for once have deviated from
thy accustomed mode of procedure? Why couldst thou not have passed this
fair flower and attacked the couch of feeble age? Methinks thy haggard
cheek was never bathed with the tear of pity, or here certainly thou
wouldst have relented.
O thou great Supreme! O Lord of life and glory, teach us to be resigned
to our loss! may we never murmur at the dispensations of thy Providence,
but may we learn in every trial to be content---and when death shall
summon us hence may it be to never-fading worlds.