Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1840-09-17
Miscellany.
LAST DAY OF EVE.
BY Miss MARY ANN CuEsrrp

4
| This composition obtained for the au,bor-
sss aprize of a gold medal from the Trustees
OIL the Nntgers Female Institute in the city of
New York, of which Institution she is a nm
pill
| 1t was the evening twilight. The mother
of mankind was placed by her descendants in
! front OF her tent reclining on rude coucb -
| The western wind famed her pale cheek am,
played amidst her gray locks. Near her sat
her husband. Eve turned her eve upon him
Win look OF sadness, yet of deep affection.
and as she saw his wrinkled brow, bent form.
ana head OF snowy Wilderness, seemed to cali
to mind other days.
lnwardly she reproached herself. uAbt
not thus was it j saw him, when first oiyen
to him by our God. Where has vanished
that manly form-where is the elastic step
where the eye that beamed with brichtness-
where now the rich and mellow voice. Alas.
how changed! And it was who tcmpted
VINO destroyed hlm.-l, the wife-the cher
lshed companTon-I babe him eat. and now
what is he, who but for me had known neither
pam nor sorrow, nor age. And what remains
OF her on whose beauty he then uazed with
unsated pleasure! A trembling. wrinkled
form. Just sinking into the grave. Where is
now that paradise with its rich fruits-tbat
baimy air, which brought On every breath a
tribute to each happy sense-those ravs which
warmed but never scOrched! And sadder.
sadder still, where is now that bllssful inter.
course with Him who made rs rich in tho
happiness of living? His voice is no lon~er
In our ears-driven from bliss-from scenes
so vely-the earth cursed-sin, sorrow. and
death, the inheritance of our Children
Our mother was overcome NV tho r,,cI . e
reductions. Her eyes, long dry. found
new fountains, and her aged form shook with
deep emotion.
III may be that Adam had been indulrinp
In musings not unlike, for he was startled
as II from reverie, by the emotions of his
wife. The old man placed himself beside
her-she laid her hand upon the bosom which
had SO often soothed its throbbings. ..What
ails thee, Eve!'' ""'
On my husband, how canst thou show
kihdness to her who has done all this ?-Tbou
vast young and knew only happiness, and all
around was formed to delight our every sense.
ana VINO should have strengthened thv viz
Tue, 1ell, and dragged thee with me, the mart.
ner of my sin, to this depth ofruin. And af.
Ter few years of toll and anxiety. we are a.
Dout to lay these worn out frames in tie
dust. ''' VIC
But Tor SIN, we had lived in perpetual
youth and feared no change. The Threatened
death has worked slowly but surely. and now
his work is nearly done.''
Inc hrst to sin, it was meet tbatI should
first return to the dust Had the Guilt and
the curse been only mine. might endure il.
out see thee now, and compare thee with
what thou then vast, as it seems to me but
yesterday
"a few days will lay thee low. Let our
Gnlidreh lay us side by side in the cold earth.
= ! hno" not why It Is, yet it seems to me
.iefe VIII be pleasure in the mutual dissc!u-
lloh OF our bodies, as if there were something
of consciousness in the lifeless dust It'll
OF comfort as is now left in life, vet | cannot
endure the thought that | shall utterly cease
to be- ''''o
Adam thou mast often given words of con-
ISOLATION: Is there aught can cheer me now.
l am to bid thee FAREWELL
hou seest yonder Sun--HOu wilt aUain
see him rise and settle is bidding me last
adieu.''
..Sense shall soon cease forever, and no
light shall again enter these eyes,
The old man wiped away the tears that
Tell on She wrinllled brow of his partner. A
| sudden light was on his coun.enance as ifa
new lamp had been lit up in his soul. Eve
saw 1t, and 1t brought to her CLEAN ofhope;
she gazed on his face as if death had lent
new powers to her faded vision.
First OF women, (said Adam,l claim no
pfe-eInnence Ill gult--together we snned-
.oge'ner we have borne the punishment. But
there is redemption-ihere is hone"
Nv hist thinking Of the fearful chance.
which betokened to my heart that It's partner
was about 10 be taken away, heavenly LIGHT
oeamed on my thoughts, and taught me to
understand the visions which have often yisi-
ted me on my couch.-We shall not die.
mere is costly ransom provided. We mus:
sleep under the cold earth, but we shall rise
again In the freshness Of youth which we first
enjoyed; and purified from all sin, we shall
walk IN our Eden seven times more beautiful
than when We first rovcd amidst its fruits and
flowers
''And there will be the ten thousands who.
lnherIting our evil natures. will have found
powerful Pbysician-and there will be that
mighty Physician, whose presence shall wake
ten thousand harps to melody
This earth too, so long, so oriev ously
cursed for our sin, will come forth more than
purified from every stain, ard in more than
its pristine YOUTH
"Thou wilt 60 little before me to the
grave, but we shall rise together with the
glad shout of gratitude, and with us millions
! on millions Of our posterity rmsomed from
the CURSE
Adam paused---his eye fell on the face of
his wife--a smile seemed to play in the
brightness of hope upon her pale lip, but the
heart had ceased to beat, and that sleep had
fallen on her which the trump of the archan-
gel only shall disturb.
THE Exploring Expcdition.-It is stated
that the Finconnes, Porpoise and schr. Fly