Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1852-02-10
ADAM AND EVE.
BY ]. X. PAULDINGS.

The following apologize is one of the most
beautiful things we ever saw from the pen OF
our distinguished and accomplished country
man. We earnestly recommend it to the peru
sal of the refined and delicate reader:
When, by the just wrath of offended heaven
our first parents were driven from the beautiful
garden of Eden, they wandered in guilt and
shame from the seat of their innocence and hap
piness Eve fingered behind afraid to look her
companion in the face, and Adam cast on her q
glance of mingled tenderness and reproach from
time to time. They walked wearily along and
though the air was sweet and balmy, the flow
ers as fair, the grass as green, and the birds
sung merriy as in the paradise from which they
had just been expelled, the sense of their trans
gressions took from them all heart to enjoy the
beauties of nature. They remembered their dis
obedience and wept.
Thus sprnkling the grass and flowers with
their tears, they came at length to a little MUIR
muring stream that danced along merrjly among
the moss grown rocks, shaded by whispering
grove, among whose branches the birds were
rearing their little clamorous brood, whose CHR
ippings were ever and anon heard over their
heads.
IL am tired" said Eve, and they sat down by
the side of stream.
For the first time since they yielded to the
temptation of the serpent, they looked each 9TH
er in the face, and were struck with the change
they had observed The cheek of Eve had lost
its bloom, and the.careless, upright vivacity that
always accompanies the consciousness of inno-
cence, had given place to sunken eyes, dshevel-
led hair. and brow contracted with the burrows
of guilty conscience
"Thou art sadly changed, my love-" said Ad-
am, and pity gave place to resentment at the
curse she had brought upon his head. He took
her in his arms, kissed her cheek, and laid her
head in his bosom.
Eve looked up in his face, and through the
tangled locks that hung over her eyes, and the
tears that streamed from them, observed the
changes few hours of guilt and misery had
planted on his open, manly brow.
"Wilt thou ever forgive me, Adam?" said she
in voice tremulous with emotion. 81 have lost
thee paradise"
"But thou hast given me another in thy dear
arms" cried Adam, while he pressed her closer
to his bosom.
At that moment, a bird which had been in
search Of food for its young after futterng a
little while over their heads, to look at the in
truders, dropped into its nest, and they heard
the gay humming of the little callow brood, re-
oicing in the bounty of their parents.
"Shall we ever enjoy the delights of provid-
ing for little brood like this" said Eve, look
ing up in his face tendery
"Why should we not my love :" he replied.
"Then-even then we shall yet be happy -
Love shall make us amends for the loss of a
paradise, and the anger of the angel of the fla
ming sword; and the virtues of our children
shall atone for the transgressions of their pa
rents. We shall yet be happy; look not so pale
and sad, my beloved! See how bright the great
light shines yonder in the blue world, bark, how
the young birds twitter, and the old one sings
to them! So will it be with us. will watch
over our little ones, and chase away the flies,
md sing them to sleep, while thou shalt 60 and
bring them food. Cheer up and once more bless
me-"
Adam was for moment beguiled of his sor-
rows, and the recollection of his guilt was lost
in the delights of love. But as they sat deceiv-
ing themselves with the hope that worldly pleas
ures can supply the absence of innocence, or
overpower, save for single moment, the sting
ngs of conscious guilt, on a sudden, the serpent
that had beguiled Eve, crawled quietly from
some unseen haunt where he had hid himself
and listened. His scales of thousand change
,ble lustres, glowed and gittered as he wound
himself gracefully along, and there was fascin-
alton in his eye that rveted whoever looked up
on it. Eve shrunk from his approach she
,ould not help admiring the beautiful seducer.
But Adam turned from him and bade him be-
gone.
"Why shall begone he answered in voice
IF ineffable sweetness "What have ] done to