THE CHIME OF THE BELLS, FROM THE GERMAN OF FREDERICK STRAUSS, Author of Helon's Pilgrimage, &c. BY HERMANN BOKUM, BOSTON: PUBLISHED BY WILLIAM PEIRCE, 1836. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1835, BY WILLIAM PEIRCE, in the Clerk's office of the District Court of Massachusetts. INTRODUCTION. "It appears to me," says Frederick Strauss in his preface, "that a similarity may be traced between the recollections of the life of a clergyman and the chiming of bells; it is for this reason, that I have made use of this metaphor. in general, it may be said, that recollections are most easily retained, when connected with sounds; the recollection of any object, then, which refers to churches is likely to be awakened in the mind by the sounds of those churches, i. e. by the tones of their bells. Indeed the life of a clergyman is but the sounding of a bell, a call upon the congregation to assemble in the presence of the Son of God, who speaks the words of eternal life. The sounds of bells invite to festivals. In this way these narratives unpretending and unassuming are only designed to invite to Him who can make the whole life one festival." And in another place of the preface he remarks: "They are recollections of youth, they were written in that period of life and are in harmony with its feelings; and of the youth of a clergyman, because I wished to contribute my share to exalt a vocation which deserves to be exalted." The translator has to acknowledge his obligation to a friend for the version of the poetical passages occurring in this volume, which contains but the third part of the original work. A few local references and some reflections, suggested by unimportant circumstances, peculiar to the Germans, he has omitted. The last chapter, entitled "The Celebration of Spring," appeared originally in the Religious Souvenir, then edited by the Rev. Dr Bedell. Frederick Strauss is at present court preacher and Professor of Theology in the Berlin University. But although he is now called to a far more extensive sphere of action, and the one to which these recollections refer, he will not be displeased, it is hoped, with this tribute which the translator wishes to pay to the success of his early labors. If he may judge from his own experience, the hearts of many, who peruse these pages, will be impressed with the beautiful and elevating influence of the "poetry of religion," presented in this volume. Harvard University. H. BOKUM. DOMESTIC DEVOTION. "Bring hither the pleasant harp, with the psaltery," said the venerable father to his daughter-in-law, and rose in his arm-chair to receive the instrument of kings. All the children endeavored to anticipate his wish, but the daughter-in-law had first approached the harp, and removed the veil from it. "Awake up my glory," resumed the father, "my heart is ready, so that we may sing and praise. For a long time, indeed, I have not heard the hands of the domestic stranger touch the cords to accompany our song and praise." It was the first evening of a visit which we had made to the paternal house. When children are once presiding over a household of their own, they have then become in regard to their parents, what the father just called them, domestic strangers, strangers since their roots are now fixed in another soil, and yet domestic, since these roots have branched out under ground, as it were, and are connected with the trunk by an invisible tie. But whether the paternal house yet actually exists or not, we sometimes feel a peculiar longing to be filled so to speak, with the spirit of our home, and anew |