The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1822-09-18
SUNSET AND SUNRISE.
concluded.


In moment the old man was alone :;
for, recovering from the torpidity of
fear, his master had flown off like an ar
row, and now with soft footsteps was
stealing along the corridor towards the
door Of his wife's apartment. But as he
stood within few steps of it, composing
his countenance and strengthening his
heart, to behold his beloved Anna lying
exhausted, and too probably ill, i'll in
deed-his own mother, like a shadow,
came out of the room, and not knowing
that she was seen, clasped her hands to-
gether upon her breast, and lifting up
her eyes with an expression of despair,
exclaimed, as in petition to God, "Oh.
my poor son! my poor son what will
become of him!'' she looked forward,
and there was her son before her, with
face like ashes, lettering and speech
less. She embraced and supported him
---the old and feeble supported the
young and the strong. 81 am blind,
and must feel my way; but help me to
my bedside, that may sit down and kiss
my dead wife. | ought 10 have been
there, surely, when she died"
The lady was dying but not dead. II
was thought that she was insensible; but
when her husband said, :: Anna, Anna -
she fixed her hitherto unnoticing eyes
upon his face, and moved her lips as
though speaking, but no words were
heard. He stopped down and kissed
her forehead, and then there was a
smile over all her face, and one word,
(" fareweIl!'' At that faint and loving
voice ne touched her lips with his, and
he must then have felt her parting
breath; for when be again looked ON
her face, the smile upon it was more
deep, placid, steadfast, than any living
smile, AMI mortal silence was on her
bosom that was to move no more.
They sat together, he and his moth
er, looking on the young, fair, and beau
tiful dead. Sometimes be was distract
ed, and paced the room raving, and with
black and gloomy aspect. Then he
sat down perfectly composed, and look
ed alternately on the countenance of his.
young wife, bright, blooming, and smil-
ing in death, and on that of his old moth
er, pale, withered, and solemn In lie.
AS vet, he had no distinct thoughts of
himself. Overwhelming pity for one
50 young. SO good, so beautiful, and so
happy, taken suddenly away, possessed
his disconsoIate soul; and he wonld have
wept with Joy to see her restored TO life,
even although he were to live no more,
though she were utterly TO forget him
for what would Tat be to him, so that
she were bat alive He felt that he
could have borne to be separated from
her by seas, or by dungeon walls /; for
in the strength of his love he would
have been hsppy, knowing that she was
a living being beneath heavens sun
shine.-But in few days is she to be
buried And then was he forced to
think upon himself, and his utter desola-
ton: changed in few hours from too
perfect happiness, into a wretch whose
existence was an anguish and curse.
At last he could not sustain the sweet,
sad. beautiful sight of that which was
now lying stretched upon his marriage
bed; and he found himself passing a.
long the silent passages, with faint and
distant lamentations meeting his ear,
but scarcely recognized by his mind M
til he felt the fresh air, and saw the
grey dawn of morning. Slowly and un-
consciously he passed on into the woods,
and walked on and on, without aim or
object, through the solitude Of awaken
ing nature. lie heard or needed not
the wide ringing Of all the happy birds ;
he saw not the wild flowers beneath his
feet, nor the dew diamonds that glitter
ed on every leaf of the motonless trees.
The ruins Of lonely hut, on the hill
side, were close to him, and he sat
down in stupefaclion, as if he had been
an exile in some foreign country. lie
lifted up bis eyes, and The sun was rls-
ing. so that all the eastern heaven was
tinged with the beautifulness of joy
The tnrrets of bis own ancestral map-
sion we're visible among the dark UNI
bragg Of its ancient grove; fair were
the lawns and fields that stretched away
from it towards the orient light, and one