, 1840-06-06

purest love, and the shadow of daen on,
holy memories rested like the vino ofdoa,i
upon ner brow. first met her in the pres
ence OF the mirthfuI. She was indeed
creature to be worshipped-her brow wa
Saiiandeu by the young years sweetes
,io"ersmher yellow locks were haucin!
beautifully and low upon her bosom--anC
she moved through the crowd with such
iloa'ing, unearthly grace, that the bewilderec
Sazer looked almost to see her faint away in the
ar' like the creation ofsome pleasantdream
one seemed cheerful and even CAV; vet
sa" mat her gaiety was but the mockery o.
her ieeiinSs. She smiled. but there was
something IN her smile which told that IFS
mourniul beauty was the bright reflection OF
a tear--and her eyelids at times CLOSING
heavily down. as if struggling TO repress the
tide OF agony that was bursting up from her
hearts secret urn. She looked as if she
could have lett the scene Of ~festivitv and gone
out beneath the quiet stars, and laid her fore.
head down upon the fresh green earth, and
poured out her stricken soul, oush after gush,
till 1t mingled with the eterna! fountain OF
life and purity.
Days and weeks passed on. and that sweet
gIrl gave me her confidence. and | became
to her as a brother. The smile upon her lip
was talnt. the purple veins upon her neck
grew visible. and the cadences of her voice
became daily more weak and tremulous.
On a quiet evening in June, | wandered ont
with her IN the open air. 1t was then that
she hrst told me of The table of her passion,
and oil the blight that came down like mildew
upon her life, love had been a portion of her
existence. lis tendrillS had been twined
around her heart in lis earliest years, and
when they were rent ava it left a wound
which flowed till all the springs Of her soul
were blood. 81 am passing away said she.
sand it should be So" The winds have passed
over my lie. and the bright bud of hope, and
the sweet blossoms of passion. are scattered
down. and he whitening in the dust. And
yet | cannot go down among the tombS with
out a tear. 1t is hard 10 take leave of friends
who love me: it is very hard TO bid fIrewcIl
10 those dear scenes with which ! have held
communion from childhood. which from d .v.
To dav-haS caught the color of my life, and
SymPIthiScd with its JOYS aud
That little grave. where | have so often
strayed with my baricd love. aud where.
al times, even now, the sweetest tones OF his
voice seem 10 come stealing around me. till
the whole air becomes one intense and mourn
iuI melody: the pensive star in which my
fancy can still picture his form looking down
upon me, AMI beckonin- me on Ia his own
6rl5 ht home-every flower and %riyuIet. .ap
S"t j isi[ghh. close my eyes upon them fOr
ever.
have lately heard that the beautiful girl
of whom | have spoken is dead. The close
of her life was cain as the falling OF a quiet
strea'n-Ceniie as the sInkingo OF the breeze
that fingers for 4 time around n bed Of wilher-
ing roses, and then dies as if 1t were from
very sweetness.
1t cannot be that earth is mans only abid-
ing place. 1t cannot be that our life is 4
bubble cast up BY the accent of eternity 10
float n moment upon the wave, and then
sink into darkness and nothinTnrsS. Else
why is it that the aspiration which leaps
like angels from the temple of oar hearts are
forever wandering abroad unSltisied. Why
is ii that The rainbow and cloud come over
US with 4 beauty that is not Of Garth, and
then pass off and leave us To- muse upon
their faded loveIineSs?-Whv is it that the
stars which hold their f~es,ivity around the
midnight throne. are set so far above the
reach Of our limited facu!ties-Corever mock
ing us by their unapproachahle glory? And
finally, why is it that bright firms of human
beauty are presented to our view AMI then
taken froJu us, leaving the thousand streams
ofour affection 10 flow back in cod ard alpine
torrents upon our heartsl We are born for
4 higher destiny than that Of earth. There
is a realm where the rainbow never fades
where the stars will be spread out before us
like the islands that slumber in the ocean
aud where the beautiful being that here pass
before us like visions, stay in our presence
forever. Bright creature of my dreams in
that realm | shall see thee again. Even now
thy lost image is sometimes with me. In
the mysterious silence of midnight, when
the streams are glowing in the light OF the
many stars, that image comes floating upon
the dreams that linger around my PILLOW,
and stands before me in its pale dim lowell
ness. till its own quiet spirit sinks like a spell
from heaven upon my thoughts, and the grie.
of years is turning to dreams of blessedDes:
and peace.