Litchfield enquirer., 1834-01-16
ADAM AND rvE-AN PROLOGUE.


 heaven, our first parents were driven from the beautiful garden of Eden, they wander ed in guilt and shame from the seat of their innocence and happiness. Eve fingered behind, afraid to look her companion in the face, and Adam cast on her glance of mingled tenderness and reproach from time to time. They walked wearily along, aud though the air was sweet and balmy, the flowers as fair, the grass as green, and the birds sung merrily as in the paradise from which they had just been expelled, the sense of their transgreSsion took from them all heart to enjoy the beauties of natnre.- They remembered their disobedience and weRt.
 Thus sprinkling the grass and flowers with their tears. they came at length to a little fnurmuring stream that danced along aerrily among the moss-grown rocks, sl,a- ded by a whispering grove, among whose branches ihe birds were re airing their little l elannorous brood, whose chirpipgs were ever and anon heard over their heads.
 | am tired said Eve, and they sat down by the side of stream.
 . For the first iine since they yielded to the temptation of the serpent, they looked each other in the face, and were struck with l the changes they observed. The cheek of Eve had lost its bloom, and the careless, sprightly vivacity tllHt always accompanies the consciousness of innocence, had given place to sunken eyes, dishevelled hair, and brow contracted with the furrows of a guilty conscience.
 'Thou art sadly changed, my love- said Adam; and pity gave place to resentment at the curse she had brought upon his head. tie took her in his arms, kissed her cheek, and laid her head in his bosom.
 Eve looked up in his face, and through the tangled locks that hung over her eyes, l and the tears that streamed fron, them, ob- served the changes few hours of guilt had planted on his open, manly brow. i, ] Wilt thou ever forgive me, Adam ? said she, in voice tremulous with emotion. l have lost thee paradise.' -u.--. 1 But thou hast given me another in thy dear arns,' cried Adam, while he pressed her closer to his bosom. At that moment, a bird which had been in search of food for its young, after llutter- ing little while over their heads to look i,t the intruders, dropped ilto its nest, and ] they heard the gay humming of the little callow brood, rejoicing in the bounty of their parent.
 Shall we ever enjoy the delights of pro- viding for little brood ike this 2 said Eve, looking up in his face tenderly.
 Why should we not, my love ? he re- piled.
 .' Then-even then we shall yet be hap py! Love shall make us amends for the loss of paradise, and the anger of the angel of the flaming sword and the virtues of our children shall atone for the transgres- sions of the parent. We shall yet be hap py; look no; so pale and sad, my beloved See how bright the great light shines yon- der in the blue world hark how the young birds twitter, and the old ones sing to them So will it be with us. l will watch over our little ones, and chase away the flies, and sing them to sleep, while thou shalt go and bring them food. Cheer up, my be- loved; come, kiss my lips, and once more bless me-
 Adam was for moment bcguled of his sorrows, and the recollection of his guilt was lost in the delights of love. But as they sat thus deceiving themselves with the hope that worldly pleasures can supply the absence of innocence, or overpower, save for single moment, the siingiDgs of con- scious guilt, on sudden, the serpent that had beguiled Eve, crawled- quietly from some unseen haunt where he had hid him- self fand listened. His scales of thousand changeable lustres. glowed and gIi,tered as he wound himself gracefully along, and there was fascination in his eye that riv- eted whoever looked upon it. Eve shrunk from his approach; though she could not help admiring the beautiful seducer. But Adam turned from him, and bade him be- gone.
 Why should ! begone7' he answered, in voice of ineffable sweetness. What have I done to thee, that thou shouldst drive me away!'
 Thou hast lost US our happy home. and called down upon our heads the anger of heaven, said Adam, and he was about to stamp on ihe serpent with his foot, but Eve interposed, exclaiming,
 'Forbear, my beloved Didst ihon not just now say, tha. for the paradise thou hast lost. thy poor handmaid had given to thee another quite as fair2 Remember, too, the cheerful birds and their tender young. We have opened new sources of happiness, for which we are indebted to .L ... ..0.,lI,e