Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1850-10-30
From Pefcrson's National Magazine.
T He EARS OF LIFE
By MRS. L. L. HERvEY.

e above her kneeS, nay, SaIhercd up ana 1h
ded about her bosom, and only withheld
,, from dropping on her young limbs by tn
little hands that clasped and buckled then
fast in front. stood child of some seveI
years old. ~ g-4f ~.
Bred from hcr birth in the very lap Of III
great ocean, for her moher's dw cling wa
cutting in the side Of the chalk cliff. liz
lie Katey loved the kindly waters with ih'
love of fost4.. hid. Never were the sur
ges too rough, never we're the shinin:
depths too ireacherously CLASSY for her da
ring feet. -a -.- 1873 l-4.a
On this particular day, ss she srortee
with The waves, il chanced lhat as she
danced backward further and further into
the sea, singing careless chant of heI
own, an outbreak Of some childish emo
| lion shaping ilsef into spontaneous melo
dy-her eye was suddenly attracted tc
some object standing out bright and spark.
ling from the hle chalk Of The cliff. Al
I first she thought it was a grey gull. or a
foolish suilemo, lha, had taken lis stand
on the ju'riug rocky ledge. She could
plainly discern two wings waving on the
air and fringed with numerous beautiful
tints exactly like those masses of sea foam
touched by the sunlight. with which she
had so often sporied. Uphorne by The
fairy pinons 1oA,ed form more lovely
than anything the child had ever seen.
What could il be
As she asked herself this question, alb
sorbed in her new wonder, the child al.
lowed her garments TO drop from her hold.
No sooner were they released from her
clasp than the wind filled them like a sail
and away Noa,ed liule Ks'ey, far, far out
upon The bosom Of The great waters.
One moment her afTrgh'ed gaze turned
toward home. She heard her mothers
shrek from the cabin in The cliff and min.
Cling with iht piercing cry, she Ianc:ed
she heard, too, the old echo so often given
back 10 her wild shout by the heights over
head. Then. as drowners do, she saw, as
the heavy tides rolled over her and pressed
upon her shut lids, green fields cleaning
far away-bright lands she might never
touch. Next, the giddy waves seemed
whi,ling her round and round, and the en-.
gulphing waves choked her, till she
swooned.
With returning consciousness the first
object that met her eyes was the same
fairy.like at which she had been gazing
when the sea flowed over her.. On looking
around she found that she WIS lying in a
small cave or hollow of the cliff, midway
up the steep. The floor on which she was
stretched was many-colored mosaic.
formed of the fan.shelIs from the beach
below /; the roof she could not see, for the
wings of the fairy being now bending
above her completely arched it over, SO
that all that met her uplurned gaze was one
beautiful downy net- work, glimmerlng with
opal-like and ever-yarying rays, like those
upon the ocean foam, as she had seen it at
eve when sunset lay along the sands.
+" Where am % was the first question
of the bewildered child. .-..1
'sIn the cave OF the fairy Cliffelds,"
was the answer. "Be at peace, sweet
sporter, between earth and the sea - con-
tinued the fairy; :" live here, and be equal
ly happy between the white wall and the
cloud. Here shall no struggles await, no
mortal sorrow overwhelm you. Until you
learn to pine for your natural home, this
shall be your dwelling but once lament.
shed but one human tear for the world you
have left below, to swell the salt waves al.
ready overriding the chalky barriers
stretched lar and wide to impede them, and
you must hence forever" ..s...-
q" Whercfore!" cried the child, in still
greater amazement. Aa'o-s-
I" | will tell you" said the fairy. "Know
then. oh sleeper in the sea what it is that
makes yonder waves so salt that our fairy
lips turn away from il in loathing. That
salt is the taste Of woe, the gathering Of
mortal tears into one great urn Of The deep.
Hitherto, YOU have played with and made
pastime Of sorrow it has never yet struck
home 10 your heart. The tears Of millions
have flowed over your head this day, bu,
your pulse ,hrobs still, and the smile dam.
ces on your lip. Your life is secure till
you shall add your first real tear to swell
the vast heaving tide that rolls on for ever
and ever. Then beware! Ii will no long
er be in my power. or 10 the power OF any
Of my race 10 save you. Thenceforward,
yonder bitter waves shall have dominion
over you. Perchance il will be your fate
to drink deep Of ihem, till your soul shall
be sick with loathBg AYE even Of liie."
10 The fairy ceased. The child pondered.
Few moons rolled over that vast sea be-
fore q change fell upon The chAd. Each