Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-10-12
WEDNEsD WfEisDD OCTOBER a. 1888:

for tbs future. He was young. and So full IF vi
ta1ty, every pulse of his heart beating gladly an!
the. coming five years were more precious toshin
than all the past. esf&s gs Es:s sYess1
/ ]s "If we both live, Ben, God will have US in hi
holy keeping she said in answer to his parting
words, but as he pressed her convulsiyely, to hi
beating heart. he replied-ca,,0 szigs9 7.'r
.., "God will be merciful to US who love So dear
ly, Alice, darng.'' .sy . :. 7,x5. zer ..o~o.,
g. She knew it; but she knew also that God die
not always answer the. prayer, falling from the
hopeful, ips.5 Sweet Alce!a Adown the, future
she looked trembllngly, and as she saw the fra;
gile form and spiritual face. vita white lilies braid
ed in the soft brown hair, her eyes grew dim with
tears, for she knew not whether twas a bridaior
burial, for close beside the alter wasthe grave.
/ yafdr as.4u2n on fsed 9qRh - gaE..1 afa51 nj
t., They were not wanting who wondered at Ben
Bolts choiee, and thought it strange he should
take Alice May in preference to thel,tairest 'and
eakhiest. Some there were who held their
heads lofty when they passed her but cher heart
was away on the blue waters, and she nheededait
not. - ,rgeag ;sss9t) "a $4,000
How she watched the days ia their passing &
She noted how the summer waned-44-ho the
fields OF waving grain grew golden, in, the sun
light-she heard the glad voices of the,treapefs;
and when the leaves were falling, the merry
children were nut-gatering in the woods; then
tire noseless snow fell and lay on the hill side as
in the olden days, until the genial spring-tide sun
melted it away and the violets and harebells dot
ted the Relds-so passed year. She was IgroW-
ing farer and more beautiful too brilliant for any
thing earthly. Once she kneltrat the alter in the
little church, and listen to the words uniting Her
with the Savior's redeemed onaearth, but it was
only an outward form for her heartshad long been
in the keeping Of angels. Again she watched the
waning of the Summer days. and when the soft
winds swept over the ssityerygrye fields, she
thought of the ocean afar, with its broad waves.
All through the Winter days she grew more spr-
itual in her beauty, and the slender white hands
were often folded ON her breast, as she prayed for
knew she dying. s,.g.. ...s.t ha..exs
1t did not startle her., for she had felt it long
ago, that the fair green earth would hold her
pulseless heart, it had left the cloister of girl
hood. Life was sweet and beautiful, but in her
sinlessness, death had no agony, save her sorrow
for those left in loneliness. 1t was only a little
way to the land Of rest and her feet had never
grown weary; yet,she longed to look once more
upon the flowers. and have them braided in herr
hair; and so she fingered tillthevoice' of Spring
was heard Oh the hill tops.--
/ One morning when viewlessl hands were gath
erng back the misty curtains of the night, and
the stars grew dim in the glory Of early morn,
sweet Alice stoedon the threshold of Paradise,
and the golden gates were, opened to- the fair
meek girl. There trembled ION her Hips prayer
for Ben Bolt, and her aaothers giving radiencefto
the fair, dead face, and they braided Spring low-
ers in her wary brown hair H3t1gi9 sd ~ arond
The Church-bell chimcd softly to the few wears
earth had claimed the stainless soul of lice May,
as they brought the coffin into the little old
church. How beautiful she locked in her white
buriel robe too fas and sweet for death; too holy
had there not been a resurrection beyond Close
beside her, stood the friends OF her girlhood gaz-
ing that young face, if they would fain call
her back to life, and its sweet love. So they laid
sweet Alice TO seepin theZold church-yald, and
those who had looked coldIy on her, took to their
hearts sweet memory of the early
dead. .3a q
. There was agony too deep for utterance when
the strong, ardent-hearted man, whose guiding
star had been the love of that sweet girl, came
back to find the cottage home desolate, and Alice
sleeping beneath gray stone in the hurch-yard.
"a But God and Time are mercful, and, as years
passed away, he came to think of her as garland
ed in the golden fruitage of the Eden-land. -
This was the memory that his friend sang Of, as
they sat in the summer twilight, years afterward,
and talked of the faces that had glimmered and
taded in their early pathway, how, Of all the glad
hearts childhood had clustered together only they
two were left. Some slept, in the. tremulous
ocean; some in the jungle depths; others in the
forest shade, and beneath the waving prairie
grass. Some there were who slept peacefully.in
the green old churchyard, and among these the
fairest and best was .'Sweet7 Alice."y Ah, he,
could never have forgotten that. 3a~z3 sd1 a. .-sI
He had heard from the lips of that desoate
mother, ere she wentto sleep beside her darling,
how patient and holy Alice had grown; how she
had passed calmly away in her sant-like beauty
leaving messages that fond, yearning heart on
ly could dictate. Down in his heart; deeper than
any other earthly thing had he lain them; cher
ishing their beauty and greatness. Many time
had the spirit form Of Sweet Alice risen before
his eyes, in all the beauty Of that far off land he
saw but IS dimly, aud he knew when the thing
we call life had merged into Immortality, he should
meet her again.
Years afterward, they laid Ben Bolt to sleep by
the side of Sweet Alice.
The quantity of water consumed daily in Lon