Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1854-09-13

| her greatest earthly bliss was in his brigh
eyes and plaintive voice, they sat, on al
evening, in their small, neatly furnished apart
ment, singing together one of the sweet song:
of their father-land. Then her heart bound
ed into exstacy; and heaven was audibly
| thanked, because it had not left hera childless
widow in q stranger land, but blessed her with
a guardian spirit to cheer her widowed years
and guide her declining steps down in quiet
| to the grave.
| Her only anxiety was for his conversion. Foi
this she prayed earnestly, continually. And
often, in the still twilight of the evening, TAX
| ing her boy by the hand, had she conducted
him along the narrow streets to the secluded
abode of Prytheus, to obtain for him the
prayers and blessings Of the holy man.
1t is easy to conceive how nimbly such q
lad, ct the bidding of his fondly-loyed moth.
er, would fly fearless along the dark alleys on
so good an errand and how he would return
again quickly, with the comfort-sshe's most
weli.''
But, for the present, We must leave the
mother and her boy, and return to the dim
lighted chamber of Prytheus.
He is reclining back as usual in his seat, his
eyes closed, and his arms folded across his
breast. The snowy locks are smoothed back
behind the ears. The lofty and projecting
forehead has a few more wrinkles on it the
heavy brows are a little more arched the
cheeks are slightly paler. and the lips rather
more compressed-while about all the fea-
lures there is greater .fredness than is wont,
and something Of more anxious interest
playing about them.
The uispn has made a deep impression on
his mind and his thoughts are of it. Was it
n dream-e fancy sketch-an illusion of the
ssteeming BRAIN Or had he, in reality, been
favored with one of those flights into the
third heavens of which he remembered hear
ing Poul speak, on his last visit to Rome
At any rate, thought he, if these strange
things be not indeed realities-they strongly
SAVIOR, at least, OF another stafe-that afar in
the regions above there are other worlds and
other existences, more beauteous and blessed
than our own. So must think-so believe
even though dreams and visions alone reveal
ed it.
And what is that mysterious something with
in, that thinks, and remembers, and wills ;
that looks out upon the past, present, and
future and then, spreading it's ethereal
wings, bounds away in moment through
air, and clouds, and storms, and on into the
very depths of the skies, and gazes upon the
glories and reads the secrets of other worlds ?
Can this be made for annihilation No! the
earth cannot crush it F.; the grave cannot hold
it time cannot measure its duration.
But the souls Under The Altar most strangely
and deeply affected him. AS to who they
were and whence they came, he had no doubt.
And the meaning of their loud cry, he had
understood from his guide.
But the fact that they were to remain there,
till their brethren and fellow servants should
be killed as they were, for time, greatly per-
picked him. How had they been killed And
he thought long and earnestly.
All! now, thought ne, 1 recollect; ssthey
were slain for the testimony they heidi that
is, nsartyred And they are resting there, till
their company is swelled from the earth, of
such as are to pass through the same bloody
seas, to their crown.
May be, too, our unfortunate Emperor is to
have hand, unwittingly, in the bloody work.
Here Prytheus rose quickly from his seat
and, fetching deep sigh, began walking to
and fro, thinking of the conversation of his
noble friend, and other incidents of the night.
ITO be Continucd.l