Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-10-17
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Unseen Angels.

twilight was deepening into night still,
beautiful, holy night. The warm, rosy lights
that had played about the west, fickered and
faded, and went out. The shadows that Skin
tod the old forest, heightened, and blended
together, and crcpt out further and further,
till they lay still and hushed over every thing
and the night wind stole out shutting the rose
and swinging it to sleep in its green cradle,
making the shadows dance and culver, and
tho young leaves whisper dreamily, as if the
Fays held carnival among them. One by
one the sentinel stars came forth, and from
the far-of walls of sapphire kept their watch
over the jewellers Of earth. Into every boz
som their radiant eyes looked down, and the
secrets Of all hearts were open to them
Childhood, with its passionate dreamings,
all glory clad manhood with the memories
of blossoms crushed, and idols broken, DASH
ing back the Past that walks like a phantom
in the footsteps, and wildly calling on the
Future; and old age, with palsied heart and
hushed pulse, knceling calmly at the graves
Of his youth and manhood, waiting the beck
oning Of the whitebrowed angel that NOR
tails call death.
In a quiet chamber, where the curtains
waved gently TO and fro in the wind, as it
shook out the odors from the notwithstanding
flowers, and bore them into the room, a young
girllay ~dying-passing slowly through that
strange transition, by which this germ of
Immortality within bursts from its cement
Of clay and expands into the beauty of an
amarauthine flower. 1t was but common
lot that was upon her. We have all marked
it often, and know how the sleep steals over
the body, shutting the eyes that will never
again look through tears, stiffening the gen.
tie lin that will never again culver to some
storm that shakes the hearts strings, setting
a seal Of peace on the brow where the hand
Of sorrow will never more be laid. We have
marked, too, how sometime, just when the
soul is passing, it seems to look back from
the Spirit-land, and utter some thrilling word,
that will dwell forever in the hearts that
catch the sound.
/ have said our sister was dying. We
deemed her already dead, yet we feared to
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the angels should bear her from our sight
She looked so like a glorifed seraph, seemed
so free from blight ofearth, she surely needed
but white pinions to make her as the sinless
ones. But suddenly, as we gazed, what s.;
change came over her Slowly the white
lids lifted, her face glowed with such o hea
venly radiance as if the freed Spirit, al
bathedi in the glory Of the upper temple, hat
come back to it's tenement again. How
eagerly we listened will she not speakto us
and with hushed hearts we watched for bu
assign or token. l shall be with you whel
the stars brighton. This was all she said
and her lips were silent forever.
Years have passed since that sister fade
from our sight, and the moonlight that frs
slept upon her grave now falls upon other
that have gathered around it. Under tn
green turf by her side, we havethrice 'burie
our dead out Of our sight Two with brigh
sunny hair, and untamed laughter in thei
eyes, and one with white locks like a crown
of glory about his brow. We have so oftel
looked into eyes that death was darkenini
that we have ceased to say farewell, and onl
whisper as we were wont to do around tn
hearthstone, good night And ever as tn
night comes over the hills, we remember tn
words Of our early called-'I shall be wit
you when the stars brighten Who sha
say she is not with us? When the beautif'
arc passing from our homes and hearts, lea
ing US only hooking memories of the love
and lost, who shall say that, as unseen angel
they never hover round us?-for many
weary form had long since found the de-
shelter of the grave, had no white wings ia
ned it when it TAINTED with life's fever. MAJ
an eye had closed in despair, had 1t L
sometimes seen, through its night of de
desolation, how loving eyes looked down up
it. Many a slender foot had stumbled o
its rough pathway, but for invisible han
that guided L it gently over the dark places
We 500 dimly through the mists and vapors,
Amid these earthly damps.'
But if we might for a moment, lift the V
from our eyes, we should find that heirs
mortality are not the only jewellers here
Oh, heaven is not far off, but very, very ne
and the angels are all about us.