The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1825-05-18
Gfeanings.
"7Acre are ogiie' Of guests as ueu as dishes"
From an English Journal.
THE DISAGREEMENT.
A SKETCH.

On fine day III the month of June,
a funeral procession issued from the
park gates of Woodley Hall, in the
county of Gloucester. Tie poor in
habitants of the neighboring village
lowered about the train with mute re-
verence; paying the last sad testimony
OF respect and affection 10 one, who had
been endeared TO them by MANY acts
OF kindness and solicitude. They were
following to its cold home the corpse
of Eliza, wife of sir William Fanshaw.
Never was there lovelier summer
day than the one appointed for this
dismal ceremony. The trees looked
proudly in the lustiness oftheir young
green; the dark blue of The Sly was
unspotted by single cloud and the
sun shot out his sultry strength, making
the birds wanton and noisy with the
exuberance of their Joy.
Alas 4! what was all this glory ofna-
ture 10 the sad company who were
moving along the road, thinking of the
tomb and the premature death of that
young, beautiful, and virtuous one
whom they were conveying thither
How could they enjoy the quick carols
OF the birds, when the death-hell, gain
ing in strength as they proceeded,
smote their ears and startled their Sc
cret sorrowiDg with its measured and
obstinate recurrence The glad CO.
lor of the grass and of the leaves was
not III harmony with their mourning
garments; and the vital sun could
scarcely be rejoiced in, shining as it
did on their tears and on that dark
slow moving hearse.
The service for the burial of the
dead is not easily endured by even an
unconnected auditor: so oppressive is
the obscure and gloomy imagination
in which it is written. What ;heu
'nust our monrners have felt (their loss
being unexpected and soreiy afllicting1
when the priest, meeting the dull cof-
fin at the church-pOrch, walked on be-
fore it, repeating his solemn words ?
Then the agony of grief burst forth in
sobs aud mysteries; and then did the
dreary thought arise, that there was
nothing but corruption and mortiGca-
ton in the world.
But we are slaves of circumstances
for these ideas, which seem to lie down
immoveably in despair, were soon lif:
tied into happy aspirations on the swell
of the organs sounds; and the Gotta
gers who stood moodily in the church
yard while the service continued, were
also relieved by the music, and blest it
as it trembled out into the sunny air.
When the lady o. whom |! write was
stricken with illness, which was only
week before her death, she begged her
husband to bring her the gold chain
and lockct enclosing her hair, which he
he had given her before their marriage.
This she hung round her neck, and So
laced her weary and painful hours
with contemplating it, and, by force of
the association of ideas it excited, liv-
ing again in times gone by. One
levening she beckoned sir William. who
was sitting in her chamber, to her side,
and said: -"Reach me your hand, my
dear husband. | am growing much
worse. | feel perilouS sinking in my
frame, and death is in my Thoughts
If this be nothing more than womanly
timidity, bear with it, dearest, for my
lsake, and give me courage by staying
by my side through the night"
"Be comforted, my love-" replied her
husband. "This weakness is common
enough. You will be better in the
morning and in the mean time shall
not stir from your bed. You will talk
to me in different manner when, after
you have had good sleep, | shall
show you the cheerful sunlight stealing
on the dawn. | see even now your
eyes are closing compose yourself
therefore, dear one, and sleep"
The chamber was hushed; and the
patient lay still, and seemed in so pro-
found Il repose, that her breathing was
not heard. The curtains were softly
adjusted round her bed; and sir Wal
liata, happy and full OF favorable omens
in the i,lea that his wife had at length
a remission of pain, took book, and
fixing as much attention on il as he could
command, wore the night away. Every
thing within and without confused in
deep stiffness, broken only towards the
morning by the pleasant sounds of
awakening nature, which might be