Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-03-24

..n Ho s'sa - Z - ''
n The merchant withdrew his eyes from his
ledger, as they wese laid upon the desk
There was a large Fpackage-so stamped
with foreign postnsrks--sOme bulky. with
money enclosed d'-sinseribed in every variety
ofbusiOess hand 'ssshing and from among the
broad yellow and brown envelspei; seePed out
Que mdtIi smslIef, Of pure white. and directed
in ladys delicate characters. He took il mp.
1t seems familiar ;.ya cannot say that l
know the haud-wha. name!' He turned the
sheet-'LiIly Leigh
AS if the waves.M time had reversed their
motion, came rolling in upon him spsinglide
: Of memories; panoramas Of youths own color
ing-mountains green to their very tops-f5r-
ests full of sequesteFed hooks, and purling rills
and uatraceable siabyriuths ;--Orchards blush
= ing with. peach blossoms wide-reaching
: meadows 'sfedbrods. clover and white vii
lage eWb0somed in, trees, passed before him,
moving to music unheard, Of late, except in
dteahs ;--music Of. glancing feet and flute-like
q laughter, ahdsShe hearts rtterances of affec-
tion. Lilly Leighy In those days the pretty
ALTERATION was OfteD upon his tongue; it had
atrippi6g melody that made him. repeat it
again and again, while she was yet stranger,
and after his ear had become accustomed to. the
SQUAD, he loved to eOnjsre up, by its repetition,
che vision Of those arch or earnest eyes, that to
mere acquaintance said so little, to friend,
SO much; or the fascination of the smile that
circled her mouth like guldeR ripple upon
waters. Joyous sptite though she was, there
were now and then flashes of poetic gems, and
glimpses of thought-mines that betrayed the Sc
crets of her inner world They were kindred
minds-thcrefore, friends. But why this let
= ter! He read. The first Iige baGished the
color from his cheek--concern changed fast TO
surprise-,O deep, deep grieEto remOrse-
and more than one laSge tear blurred the page,
ere il was concudedr
They have told nae that I must die; il may
: be iedsy-it may not, be for weeks-butthat
[. mydime upoa' earth is;Sery, very short They
broke it to me carefully. lest dread of Death
should hasten his approach. They did not
know that to me he haslOug been in sight not
as he appears generally to the young-a speck
upon the horizon, terrorless in his remoteness
and uncertainty; but, sleeping or waking, for
three years. he has never LEFT my side. have
not courted his presence, of that sin | am
g,iiltlesi, although sorsly tempted: / did not
abare my bosom 10 the Stroke, but did not re-
coil from his iron clutch. l lament over my
wasted life and mis-drected energies yet do
not pray to live. Heaven is opening before
me-earth crnmbIing under my feet = strange
that my half-released soul so clings to its
earthly loves. 1t will not let them GO. /
would not be forgotten z cannot bear 10 think
that my memory will decay with my body.
would have it kept fresh as the sods that will
close over my form-not watered with tears,
bat with the dews Of peaceful remembrance,
and frightened by Hopes sunlight. To one,
my spirit turns with irrePressible longings-I
would once more look spOn your face
DO you remember one summer afternoon
that we spent together fn the beech-woOd -
The spot is before me now-the inleracing
bOughs-the shaded pool, dark, unless one
stood directly above it, and then. far into its
depths might be seen shising pebbles and snow
white sands; the fringe tree bowling TO kiss its
image on the CLASSY surface; the moss-grown
bench of stone have you forgotten these,
The only sound save the ripple Of the stream
was your voice as you read mournfuI story of
temptation, of persecution for truths sake
"The Forest Sanctuary" leaned against
the SCARED stem of the old beech. Tears now
and thea stole down my cheeks, but was hap
py; dreamed as / had no right to dream-that
this, our sanctuary, was ours alone. thought
how welcome would safferins and exile be,
with love to console and guide. Passing love-
ly was the woven tissue, and like the beaded
gossamer at morning, a single touch destroyed
it forever, You put BY the book and spoke.
Still listened unawakened. You told Of tri-
ais that had visited even your young heart, and
Fancy sprang forward to the anticipation of
the precious privilege 'Of comforting that heart,
in every distress the Future had 10 store
Then came the history of sister-your twin
spirit-''Young, loving and beloved
had faded with the spring flowers, and was
laid to rest amid the summers hIoom--aboye
whose head the maghoIia's petals were not
more stainless than her soul, nor more fragrant
than her opening heart. wept because your
voice grew unsteady and sunk beneath the bur-
den of emotion, and you thanked me for my
sympathy. had ''gone farther into the holi-
est recesses Of your heart," you said, ssthan
any one else had penetrated, since Emily died
would i take her place AS sister YOU
loved mel must return brothers love.'' |
could have shrieked q the words tore through
my brain, but sat, shocked and paralyzed.-
Blackness curtained me on every sideAI saw
no more the sun nor tile distant bright fields,
or the glossy foliage Sbo,e-ali Of light and
beauty was gone My eyes were drawn tt
the pool-so still and SeeP-and thought o
the Dead Sea that had swallowed up ms
dreaH-land. Its saltskaves dashed up to ml
lips; but l. beat thep back!a wild longing
crept over me; ihe ss2ds asd pebbles were The
only bright things left one could sleep SC
sweetIy with the water for . winding-shest
sleep and never awdke to misery 4 0ace