The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1854-04-03


open, and slender white fingers pointing to
the words, falling SO musically from her
lips
And there shall be no night there and
they need no candle, neither light Of the
sun; for the Lord God giveth them light,
and they shall reign for ever and ever'
She looked tremblingly upward in the
moonlight for close beside her knelt the
manly form of Ben Bolt. There was told
sweet story of love and hope, not the less
sweet for being the language of every human
heart, and the tiny hands of Alice were fold
ed in his as she said very low and sweetly-
i" If I live, Ben, when five years more have
past, and you return second time"
She did not finish tit was never finish
ed
So they plighted their troth that calm,
holy Sabbath evening" and the buoyant
heart of Ben, in its gushing sunniness, pic
tured radiant hopes for the future. He was
young and so full of vitality-every pulse
of his heart was beating gladly, and the
coming five years were more precious to
him than all the past.
eff we both live, Ben; God will have US
in his holy keeping she said in answer to
his parting words; but as he pressed her
convulsively to his beating heart, he re-
piled
''God will be merciful to us who love so
dearly Alice, darling
She knew it, but she knew also that God
did not always answer the prayer falling
from the hopeful lips. Sweet Alice Adown
the future she looked mblingly, and she
saw the fragile form and spiritual face, with
white lilies braided in the soft brown hair,
her eyes grew dim with tears. for she knew
!, not if it was bridal or burial, for close be-
: side the altar was the grave yard.
There were not wanting who wondered at
) Ben Bolts choice, and thought it strange he
should take Alice May in preference to the
fairest and wealthiest Some there were
who held their heads loftily when they pass
5 ed, but her heart was away on the blue
5 waters, and she needed it not.
l How she watched the days in their pass
: ing, She noted how the Summer waned-
how the fields of waving grain grew golden
in the sunlight-she heard the glad voice of
2 the reapers; and when the leaves were fall
: ing, the merry children went ut-gathering
$ in the woods; then the noiseless snow fell,
and lay on the hill sides as in olden days,
5 until the genial spring tide sun melted it
I away, and the violets and harebells dotted
e the fields-so passed year.
e She was growing fairer and more beauti-
J, lul-too priliidHC lof any lnlnS eaftnly.-
Once she knelt at the altar in the little church,
e and listened to the words uniting her with
), the Savior's redeemed on earth, but it was
n only in an outward form, for her heart
had long been in the keeping of angels
S Again she watched the waning of the Sum
Y mer days, and when the soft winds swept
k over the silvery rye fields, she thought of
/, the ocean afar, with its broad waves. All
IS through the Winter days she grew more
y spiritual in her beauty, and the slender white
hands were often folded on her breast as she
n prayed for those who would soon be left des-
olate; for she knew she was dying.
y 1t did not startle her; she had felt long
er ago, that the fair green earth would hold
lie her pulseless heart, ere it had left the cois-
y ter of girlhood. Life was sweet and beau
le tiful, yet in her sinlessness, death had no
er agony save her sorrow for those left in lone
he illness. 1t was only very little way to the
N land of rest, and her feet had never grown
d, weary yet she longed to look once more
m upon the flowers, and have them braided in
it her hair; and so she fingered till the voice
er of Spring was heard on the hill-tops
m One morning when viewless hands were
gathering back the misty curtains of the
y, night, and the stars grew dim in the glory OF
r early morn, sweet Alice stood on the thresh-