Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1852-06-17
The Ladder of Roses.

The beautiful Angel Of sleep folded its
wings over the ELL III, and all became silent.
The flowers dropped their fair heads, closed
their satin leaves and fell asleep beneath The
kind rays Of the stars. No sound was heard,
save the voice of the evening breeze, whis-
pering TO the leaves. The nIoonbeams stole
over The earth, aud kissed Ilie sleeping flow
ers gently, that they might not waken Them /;
then softly elded through the open lattice Of
The poor mans home.
The beautiful beams shed their silvery
light upon the couch of young girl, wlI1
slept sweerIy upon her humble bed after the
wearIsome loll ofihe day was over. What
was the maiden dreaming about? Alb, She
heard ln her dreams, ss.t, low music, such
as she never heard III waking hours she
thought she was in beautiful garden, from
the midst ot which arose ladder thai
reached even TO The skies, and was lost in
the snowy clouds above. Aud 10. II was u
Ladder of Roses, of beautiful tints, twined
wllh each other and as The wind waved
them 10 and fro, there came forth from The
leaves this heavenly music.
A voice called to hei from above and as
she looked up, she beheld, standing among
The clouds, an angel form tIanscendantly
DeaullIui, WHICH UCChObOu sung W uCi
Come up here. thou Earth child come up
through the roses 10 tins beautiful cioud-
home.'
The maiden hesitaled a moment, then
sprang up the ladder, and the roses waved
and sent forth perfume and silvery music
Up, up, went The maiden, longing 10 be
clasped in the arms Of the Angel above but
hidden thorns beneath the rose leaves,
| a IL, h.. Il E,r
lher. Then The Angel wePr, and as her
tears fell upon The roses. they changed tn
pearl-'lrops aud rolled away.
The girl saw the tears and was re-assured,
and up, up, she went, forcing her way
through The lhorns and roses. Still sang the
voice, and the ray OF golden sunshine fell
among the roses. Hal: way up the beauti-
ful ladder, the maiden stopped and looked
back, and lo amid The flowers AT the bottom
oil the ladder, there knelt another Angel with
clasped hands, whose fearful eyes besought
the maiden to 70 slill higher.
The gill was about TO ascend once more,
but TIE thorns pricked her feet, and an invis
ible hand held forth Colleen cup, while Q
voice whispered. Drink, and thy pains are
over
The maiden reached out her hand, bul
she saw that The Angel above smiled nc
more, and her sweet voice was huslled.-
The music of the leaves was sad and seemed
10 he far off. She looked below; the second
Angel had turned away, und stood sorrowfu
ly with her white wing, dropping. Joy
Joy She pushed aside the cup from heI
lips, and needless Of The lhorns, still clam
bered. The clear music Of the leaves saue
forth joyously; the Angel below SMILED and
waved her snowy wings. Exhausted, bul
happy, the Earth-chlld slept in lis Cloud
home upon the kind bosom of its guardian
Angel
The girl awoke, and saw that the radiant
sunbeams were stealing through the lattice
upon the sanded floor. She arose and
dressed herself, and commenced her daily
toll. "A wearisome day would it have been,
but for the thought Of her beautiful dream.
and the perfume Of flowers, and the golden
sunshine that stole in beside her as she
toiled away. At noon the maiden carried
her fathers dinner into the field, and as she
sal down beside him, beneath shady Tree,
she told him her dream. When she had
finished, the old man wiped his wrinkled
brow, an,l tear STOOD in his eye as he said
Nina, my child, thy dreams are beau:i-
full the Ladder Of Roses is the pathway to
happiness but hensath the flowers thar
send forth their perfunled music. lie lhorns
Tho cares and suffering Of this lifsr-which
makes US afraid 10 do our duty. The 6rsl