Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-04-25

heard-waye answering the doleful song Of
Its brother wave. There was no boat or skiff
to be seen, but above the dark hills of the
distant coast a star glimmered bright as a
gem. She knew Death was bound for the
other side of the river, and how she was to
cross, became a great question. | reckon it
was Faith and Hope that helped her down
the bank of the stream for she went down
into the cold, dark food holding to the tips
OF the weeping willows fingers that hung
down and swept the brow of the angry food.
The waves bore her across the roaring
channel ; and on the other side, where she
had seen the shining of the little star, she
came to a great field surrounded by a stone
wall and closed by an iron gate. 1t was not
so dark there as it had been in the forest of
the yew and the cypress for there was a i
star In the heavens above, and the star was
shining.
She was met at the gate by an old man
with a kindly face and a spade in his hand.
Where is DEATH" said the mother; she
stole my child"
" Death has not yet come" said the keep
err OF the toRb s " he is either riding on the
wind or the river. But how came you here?
Who assisted you 2"
Then the mother told the history of the
vision, the woman in the lark robes, the for
est OF yew and cypress, the thorn bush, the
river and the shining star. The God Of
the sparrow helped me-" said she : but
tell me, good man, OH tell nae, where is nay
little Mary 2"
81 cannot teR," said the old man looking
up to the star that was shining. "Many
flowers OF the hearthside dropped and with.
cred last night, hut Death has not vet come
with his hook and his sheaves. He will come
soon and then l will transplant them into
ms garden. Ii you wish you may walk thro'
the garden and the field"
And she went through the garden, and
there met with an old withered woman with
sunken mouth, wrinkled brow and whitened
locks; She spoke to the weeping mother:
Thou knowest, mourner, yet 1 will tell
thee, that the sons and daughters of men
nave each O vital tree or flower. You see
them IN the forest, in the field and the mead
ow. They look ike trees and flowers but
you should believe they have beating hearts
IN their leaves and stems-iittle hearts In
the flowers like the hearts of little children.
go into the field of Death among the flowers
HE gardner has transplanted, and mayhap
thoH mayst find the one for whom thou mourn
est. But when found, there is something for
thee to do In order that thou mayest reclaim
IL. NOW, what wilt thou give me to tell thee
that secret 2"
Il am poor" said the mourner, land
nave nought to give thee, but l will be thy
servant to serve"
" That would not enrich me, or make me
beautiful" said the old woman i" but thou
shalt give nae thy long. black, glossy, flowing
har. OH 1T Is so beautiful It " i'll make
nae handsome as thou art. 1 must have it ;
ana thou shalt take my gray locks for THY ra-
ven ire 'ses, and give me the roses blushing
on thy cheeks for my unsightly Wrinkles
Dost thou agree to this, monrner ?"
Take them-takethem, !" said the mother,
and show me nay child and tell me what |
must DO. Anything for my lost treasure
and she changed her glossy tresses and the
cheeks roses for the wrinkles and the hair Of
gray.
Ihe two Their went into the field of Death,
and 1T was a strange field. There were IL
iaes and Jacinthas, and hyacinths and the
beautiful peony; water plants and roses
cactus and geranlum woodbine and m yrtle
lilies and lavender morning g%leries and the
daHodll-some of which were fresh in the
early bud and others dropping with a With
cred leaf.
There were palm trees, willows, plantains.
cypress, cinnamon and oaks-sweet scented
herb and vine. Every tree and flower had
Its name, and was the representative of some
person living on the earth. You may well
guess, then, that some Of them were curious
trees ana curious growth. There were knottv
trees, gnarled vines, and flowers with thorns.
Sometimes grand trees were planted in pots
zoo shallow for their roots, and so thew be-
came stunted and then again there were
MOVERS dropping down and giving out no
odors, though planted in a rich soil, and gel
den moss for their sheltering.
Inc mother went about ameng the flowers
Tor she said it would be q flower that repre.
scented her child. She bent over them and
listened to the beatRg pulses of their little
hearts in the pith.
" This is Ry Aower-qny child!" she ex.
claimed as she reached her hand towards a
little blue bell with its head bent over on its
slender stem towards a sister daisy
Don't snatch the flower" screamed the
old woman" but sit down and wait until
Death comes, and then forbid him to touch
1t; and threaten if he does, to pull up the
daisy by its side. This will frighten him
tor ne is very sensitive about the flowers, be-
cause they are In his keeping and he is re-
sponsible. Now, | have told thee what to
do, and / must hasten away. | will not tell
thee my name, mourner, but I am condemned
to walk these lonely grounds till Times flu
neral pile is lighted, because / once in the
madness OF grief, cursed the star thou seest
shining in the blue field above. 1 ana old
and ugly, and the darkest hair soon whitens
on my head. l change it often, as | have
with thee but soon, soon these locks, now
SO glossy, will be crisp and gray. Curse not
the star thoa seest shining, but look to it
often and glorify its brightness"
And the old bag went away chanting a
sorrowful dirge.
And the mourning mother kneeled over
the flower and looked up to the star that
shined SO brightly in the far off blue.
Soon the sweep of the wind was heard rush
ing through the great field, like a rolling
storm of grief. And death was riding on
that wind. He stood before the weeping wo.
man and said -
:" left thee in thy cottage among the noun
tains. How hast thou found thy way hither
before my swift coming ?"
am a mother" was her only answer.
Death reached forth his hand to pluck the
little blue bell over which the mother kneeled.
and she grasped his bony hand and sinewy
arm IN the wildness Of her grief. But death
was like a giant and wrenched himself loose
from the frenzied grasp.
Mortal darestthou to struggle with me ?'
The God of the little star that shineth
Ger thy field is more powerful than thee. D
said the mother in her grief.
am dis messenger fulfil His decree.
lie has commanded me to take up these flow
ers and trees and transplant them in his gar
den in the skies, in a land unknown TO thee. y
Give me back my little Mary, or I will
pull up this daisy" said the mother in her