Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-07-07
From the Journal Of Commerce
BARIE BELL.
The Poem Of a Little Life That Oas but Three
ApriLs Long.
BY I. b. ALDRiCH.

ApFuS Long.
BY I. b. ALDRicH.
Have you not heard the Poet tell
How came the dainty babie Bell
Into this world of ours?
The Gates of Heaven were left aiar
VIII folded hands and dreamy eyes
She wandered out of Paradise
She saw this planet, like a star,
Hung in the depths of purple even
Its bridges, running to and fro,
Ger which the white-winged Seraphs go,
Bearing the holy dead to ueavenl
She touched n bridge Of howers-those feet,
So light they did not bend the bells
Of the celestial asphodelsl
They fell like dew upon the flowers!
And all the air grew strangely sweet
And thus came dainty babie Bell
Into this world of ours!
She camc and brought delicious May!
The swallows built beneath the caves
Like sunbeams in and out the leaves,
The robins went, the liyo-long day
The lily swung its ~noisless bell,
And Ger the porch the trembling vine
Seemed bursting with its veins of wine!-
O., earth was iull of pleasant smell,
When came the dainty babie Bell
Into this world Of ours!
o babie, dainty babie Bell!
How fair she grew from day ID day
What woman nature flied her eyes,
So full of meaning pure, and bright
ASST she yet stood in the light
OF those oped gates of Paradisol
And we loved babic more and more
o never in our hearts before
Such holy love was born
We felt we had a link between
This real world and that unseen
The land of deathless morn!
And for the love Of those dear eyes,
For love of her whom God led forth
The mothers being ceased ON earth
When babe came from Paradise!
For love of him who smote our lives,
And woke the chords of JOY and pain.
We said, Sweet Christ our heart bent dow
Like %violets after rain
And now the orchards which were oncO
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 purplingii in the grange;
And Time wrought just as rich a change
In little babie Bell!
Her petit form more perfect grew,
And in her features we could trace,
In softened 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 a ring Of flame!
Sometimes she said a few strange words
Whose meaning 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 with unlanguaged pain,
And all our thoughts ran into tears!
Aud all our hopes we're changed to fears -
The sunshine to dismal rain!
Aloud we cried in our belief -
80, smite us gently, gently, God!
Teach us to bend and kiss the rod,
And perfect grow thro' gricf!!'
All, how we loved her, God can tell:
Her little heart was cased in ours
They're broken caskets-babie Bell.
At last he came, the messenger,
T.. The messenger from unseen lands:
And what did dainty babie 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 Of ours