Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1852-05-08
NUMBER IS.
q will live and die in this memory. :

Gie lItcu htf lace 10 MS, ana her arms TO LIS
neck, and they cluDg together in long and pas
sionate embrace. Their lips did not separate, but
we're pressed close together, until he felt her form
cold, and her clasp relaxed and he laid her gem
tly down on the old seat, bowed over her mo-
ment in PRAYER, and was gone. I heard him say,
take care of her W, and so | strove to
recall the life that had left her lips, and cheeks
and eyes. 1t came slowly, and she awoke as we
wake in the morning after death has entered our
charmed circle, with oppression on the brain,
and swimming swollen. senselessness of soul.
AT length she remembered all; and raised
herself with half articulated exclamation of ag-
ony broken by a sob and then fell on her knees
by the bench, and buried her face in her hands,
and remained thus for nearly an hour.
When she arose. her face the face of
an angel. 1t wore that same exalted look until
she died.
think she took cold that night; she was never
well afterwards. and The next winter she passed
at the south, returning in the spring very fragile,
but very beautiful.
Joseph s. was sen abroad by one of the
boards of missions of the; urch. but his health
failed, and he resigned his commission, while he
travelled through the Eastern world.
Three years fled with their usual swiftness-
To Sarah D, they were very slow and
painful years, yet she happy in her quiet way.
and no one dreamed of the strange tryst she was
longing to keep the other side of the dark riv-
er which men shrink from. She grew feeble daily,
the summer and autumn advanced, and in De-
cember she evidently dying.
One day her mother had been out of the house.,
perhaps making calls; she returned at evening,
and among other incidents of news which she had
learned, she mentioned to Sarah the death of her
old friend, Joseph s.
The fair girl was reclining in large arm chair,
looking out through the closed window at the
snow on the ground and the pure moonlight
which silvered it. There was no startling emo
tion visible her mother mentioned the fact,
which to her was the most solemn yet most joyful
news the world could give for now, how much
nearer was their meeting! l saw smile fash
across her face, as the joyful news reached her
ear; | saw her forehead raised to receive the ca
ress which | knew she felt She was silent for
many minutes and then spoke in feeble yet very
musical accents, and boyishly wept aloud. Then
she smiled and looked at me with finger appraised,
and said
'.Wat a little while longer, dear W
And then after a moment she said, "MotherS
is the very deep? ,"
g Not very dear; why do you ask !"
g Because if it were deep, thought it would
be difficult for old Mr.. Smith to find our lot in
the grave yard. Are all the head stones covered,
mother ?"
"What is the matter, Sarah What if they
are covered 90
. = Mosncf, GEAR, II is useless 10 conceal IL from
ourselves, or from one another. You know, and
l quite we'll, that | dying. | have not
wished to live, only for one thing-I did long for
life, and l dreaded to meet death alone But
now l shall not W will tell you what T
mean when | am gone Yes, gone, dear mother;
1 shall not be here any longer. This chair will
stand here, and father and you viii rise and walk
about and visit, and 60 in and out and sleep
and wake again, and on, day after day, and [
shall have no part any longer in your cares and
joys, dear mother. :" As she uttered the last two
words, she put her arms around her mothers
4 neck and kissed her fondly, and sank back into
her chair again. | sat at her feet, watching her
matchless features. A smile was fitting across
them, now there, now gone, yet each time it APP
peared it fingered longer than before until it be-
came fixed, and so holy that grew bewildered
as gazed, and strange tremor passed through
my body.
i The breath of peace was tanning her glorious
check Her head was bowed a very little for
ward, and tress, escaping from its bond, fell by
the side of her pure white temple, and close to
her opened lips. 1t hung there motonless No
breath disturbed its repose She slept
angel might sleep, having accomplished the mis-
sion of her God.