Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-05-31
CBaite gittraturt.
From Arthur's Home Magazine for Juno.
THE THREE TAPERs.
AN ALLEGORY.

Little ANA was playing on soft grassy
slope at the entrance Of cave, full Of dark
arches that seemed to grow broader and
higher as they receded into the suoterranean
dinness before her. Other children were
playing with her among the many pretty
flowers that grew around, and watchful eyes
and careful hands kept the weeds and thorns
from troubling them and the white, warm
sunbtams Of morning glided over the slope,
1afeitfs Ike the soft fingers Of tie chldreA,
among the flowers.
Little ANA was so happy in her baby
sports that she had never thought Of looking
within tho cavern, until one day she heard
sweet voice close beside her, whispering
Go into the cave, Anna, and see whittier
il will lead thee y. ..
Who speaks to me 2 said the little one,
as she looked around, expecting TO see very
lovely face joined to so sweet voice. She
saw no one but the same voice answered,
am thy life-ange, and will go with
thee
And she felt herself lifted up, as if with
wings, and borne onward.
The descent into the cave was still green
and Aowery, and light from the sunny en-
trance poured far within. So ANA fitted
lightly along till the vista suddenly opened
wider from lofty, vine-wreathed arch, and
she paused to look onward with doubt and
wonder. She saw her path wind through
the arch, and then lose itself in a thin mist
which c!ung to the sides Of the cave, out Of
which strange, new objects loomed up every
where. How should she find her way through
the mistl
As she looked and wondered, smiling
maiden approached her, lifting taper which
threw the colors Of the rainbow upon every
object within view. Vines with golden boss
oms and purple fruit clung to the rocky walls,
and crystals hung from the roof, glittering
with different hues at every movement. Of
the taper; and the mist rolled itself away
in a rich, bright cloud, that rested in the dis
tanco, seeming TO promise something bright
er beyond.
Anna looked up into the maiden's face.
How beautifully = she murmured to her
self II must be my lfe-angelP
But the maiden was silent. She only if-
ted her torch with smile, and pointed for
ward
A bright ray Of rainbow light fell upon
some blossoms not far off.
L will have them,' said Anna, for l never
saw any so splendid BEFORE
And she ran on to gather them. But
they seemed to lose their beauty when in
her hands, and some hidden briars that grew
up with them scratched her so badly that
she cried out with the pain
'Don'Gcry so. know where there are
prettier flowers, said some one to her, in a
gentle tone. And ANA saw little girl,
whom her cries had brought to her side,
trying TO disentangle her dress from the
briars, and holding out hand to lead her
away.
My name is Lii and am going thro
the cave too, if l can find the way. So LEI
US 20 togther.'
ANA was very glad to have q playmate
and companion so they went on happil!
together, and the maiden glided before them
gliding everything with the rainbow.ligh
Of her taper.
Presently they came to a stream whicl
had long been seen sparkling in the distance
As they bent over 1t, they saw that it wa
full Of dazzling gold-fshes, darting abou
like living jewels in the water. So tn
children stopped TO watch them, and ANA
who always wanted to grasp at every brigh
thing she saw, stopped down and plunge
her hand into the water to catch them. Blu
they darted away quickly enough, and Anna
in her eagerness to obtain them, fell int
the stream.
Lii, who had stepped across, for it wa
only narrow rivulet, drew her out, we
and sobbing, and her white robe drippe
with mud
who would have thought it {? she mu
mured in the torch-light it seemed |
run bright as gold, and pure as crystal
aud now see how dirty l am Lii, 1 al
ashamed to walk with you now. hay
had enough of this cave. l want to 80 bac
TO the children / used to play with in IL
sunshine
And as they sat upon the bank to res
and looked back to the path by which the
had come, a venerable man appeared, WI
also bore a taper but its light was biz
and pale, and cast no ray onward, while
seemed to brighten, the farther backwal
il shone, until il blended with the sunlg gl
ut the entrance Of the cave
Sec how bright it looks, though so f
away. can almost recognize the litt
ones among the lilies. Let US go, Lii; Il
good old man looks sad, but l think
knows where my life-angel is, and will lei
me to her
No, no, ANA, we cannot return. T.
old man looks mournfully at us, because |
knows we cannot return. Aud see he
brightitis, now that we have turned aroun
know Of a fountain, quite near, where y
can wash the mud from you robes, and
will be we'll again
So ANA and Lii arose, aud went to I
fountain among the rocks. The stream Il
fed it came from an opening high up in I
cavern roof, 50 high that only one CLEAN
the sky could be seen. ANA was we;
and sad, and she complained Of the dal
ness and the rough rocks; but Lii said
her
sYou can hear the fountain play. N
look up, and you will see that there is ligh
And ANA looked up at last, and saw
pure spray sprinkling her soiled garner
and beside the fountain maiden, oh
more beautiful than the one with the r;
bow torch and she, too, held "a taper {