Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-07-04

pYT. A. ALDRIcH.
Have YOU not heard the Poet tell
How came the dainty babe Bell
Into this world of ouTs2
The Gates of Heaven were lefl ajar:
With folded hands and dreamy eyes
She wandered out of Paradise!
She saw this planet, like star,
Hung in the depths of purple even
Its bridges, running to and fro,
O'sr which the white winged Seiaphs 90,
Bearing the holy Dead to Heaven!
She touched bridge of flowers-those feet,
So light they did not bend the bells
Of the celestial asphodels!
They fell like dew upon the flowers!
Aud all the air grew strong sweet!
And thus came dainty babie Bell
Into this world ofours
She came and brought delicious May!
The swallows built beneath the ewes:
Like sumbeams in and out the leaves.
The robins went the livelOng day:
The lily swung its noiSelesS bell,
And o'er the porch the trembling vine
Seemed bursting with its veins OF wine!
o earth was full of pleasant smell,
When came the dainty babie Bell
Into this world Of ours!
O babe, dainty babe Bell
How fair she grew from day to day!
What woman nature filled her eyes,
What poetry within them lay
Those deep and tender twilight eyes,
so full of meaning pure, and bright
AS if she yet stood in the light
OF those oped gates of Paradise!
And we loved babe more and moro
o never in our hearts before
Such holy love was born;
We felt we had link between
This real world and that unseen--
The land Of deathless morn!
And for the love of those dear eyes,
For the love Of her whom God led forth
The mothers being ceased on earth
When babie came from Paradise
For love of him who smote our lives,
And woke the chords Of joy and pain,
We said. Sweet Christ our hearts bent dov
Like yiOlets after rain
And now the orchards which were once
All white and rosy in their bloom
Filling the crystal heart of air
With gentle pulses of perfume,
Were thick with yellow juicy fruit;
The plums were globes OF honey rare,
And soft-cheeked peaches blushed and fell!
The grapes were purpliug in the grange;
And time wroughtjus as rich change
In little babie Bell
Her Petit form more perfect grew,
And in her features we could trace,
In solteued curves, her mothers face;
Her angel nature ripened too.
We thought her lovely when she came,
But she was holy, sanity now,
Around her pale and lofty brow
We thought we saw ring of flame!
Sometimes she said few strange words
Whose meanings lay beyond our reach!
Gods hand had taken away the seal
Which held the portals OF her speech!
She never was a child to us;
We never held her BEINGS key!
We could not teach her holy things;
She was Christ's self in purity
1t came upon us by degrees;
We saw its shadow ere it fell.
The knowledge that our God had sent
His messenger for babie Bell!
We shuddered in unauguaged pain,
And all our thoughts ran into tears
And all our hopes were changed to fears
The sunshine into dismal rainl
Aloud we cried in our belief;
80, smite US gently, gently, GOdi
Teach US to bend and kiss the rod,
And perfect grow thro' grief! y
All, how we loved her, God can tell
Her little heart was eased in ours
They're broken casliets-babie Bell!
At last he came, the messenger,
The messenger from unseen lands:
And what did dainty habie Bell?
She only crossed her little hands!
She only looked more meek and fair
We parted back her silken hair;
We laid some buds upon her brow,
Deaths bride arrayed in flowers
And thus went dainty babie Bell
Out Of this world ofuurs