The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1855-08-15

with the blessing of her smile. She was
as graceful as form seen in dreams, and
she moved through the scenes around her
as you have seen the angelic visitors of
your slumber move through clouded as
semblies, without effort, apparently with
some superhuman aid.
1.-THE child of wealth, she was fitted to
adorn the splendid house in which she was
born and grew to womanhood. 1t was
grand old place, built in the midst of a
growth of oaks that might have been there
when Columbus discovered America, and
seemed likely to stand a century longer.
They are standing yet, and the wind to-
night makes a wild lament through their
branches that sounds mournfully above
her grave.
General Lewis was one of the pleas
antest, old-fashioned men, now quite gone
out of memory, as well as out of existence.
He loved his horses his dogs, his place.
and his punch. He loved his nephew
Tom, wild, uncouth, rough cub as he was;
but above horses, dogs, or house, or all
together, he loved his daughter Sarah,
and loved her too.
Yes, you may look at me as you will,
Phil Philips, loved Sarah Lewis and, by
all the gods, love her now as loved her
then, and as / shall love her if / meet her
again where she has gone.
| Call it folly, call it boyish, call it an
old mans whim, an old mans second
childhood, care not by what name you
call it; it is enough that tonight the i'm
age of that young girl stands before me
2 beautiful in all the holiness of her young
z glad life, and could bow down on my
knees and worship her now again.
"Why did say again? For forty
$ years l have not ceased to worship her.
If l kneel to pray in the morning, she
e passes between me and God. If Iwould
read the prayers at evening twilight, she
a looks up at me from the page. If would
worship on a Sabbath, morning in the
church, she looks down on me from some
unfathomable distance, some unapproach-
able height, and pray to her as if she
were my hope, my heaven, my all.
Sometimes in the winter nights fee
gers are feeling about my heart, as if te
grasp and still it. 1 lie calmly, quietly
and 1 think my hour is at hand; and
through the gloom and through the mist'
and films that gather over my vision, SEE
her afar of, still the same angel in the dis
! tant heaven, and l reach out my arms to
: her, and l cry aloud on God to let me go
find her, and on her to come to me, anC
then thick darkness settles on me.
"The doctor calls this apoplexy, ant
says shall some day die in a fit of it
What do doctors know of the tremendou.
: influences that are working On our souls
> He, in his scientific stupidity, calls it {
disease, and warns me against wine ant
: high living; as if did not understand
: what it is, and why my vision at such time
} reaches so very far into the deep unknown
: 'fI have spoken of Tom Lewis, he
{ cousin. Rumor said he was the old man.
;. heir in equal proportion with the daugh
Il ter; for he had been brought up in tn
family, and had always been treated as
: son. He was good fellow if he wa
\ rough, for he had the goodness that al
: who came within her influence must have
. "I have seen her look the devil out O
y him often. I remember once when tn
= horses had behaved in way not to sui
T. him. and he had let an oath or two escap
!. his lips preparatory to putting on the whip
!, We were riding together down the avenue
y and he raised the lash. At the momen
= he caught her eye. She was walking VI
!. from the lodge, where she had been to Sc
81 a sick child. She saw the raised whip
and her eye caught his. He did not strike
y The horses escaped for that time. III
= drove them quietly through the gate ant
o three miles and back without word Q
anger.
. "Did I tell you was her cousin also
!. On her mothers side. Not on the Gen
;. erals. We lived not far off, and lives
= much Of my time at his house. Tom ant
= myself had been inseparable and we di
y not conceal our rivalry from each other.
E Tom said /, one morning why can
: you be content with half the General
, fortune, and let me have the other half!
!, oa" Bah! jerry said he, 'as if that woul,
7 be any more even, when you want Sara
= , with it. In Heavens name, take the hal
:. = of the money, if that's all you want
"'Can't we fix it so as to make an eve
! division, Tom? Take all the fortune, AM
= let me have her, and I'll call it square
"'Just what was going to propose t
= you. Be reasonable now, Jerry, and &c
= out of the way. You must see she doesn'
care copper for you 81
d ~ twirled rosebud in my fingers tina
: she had given me that morning. and re
= piled: @1s :
S, "'Poor devil! I did not think 20,
l. could be so infatuated Why, Tom, Their
is no chancellor you under the sum- Blu
IS go ahead; find it out as you will. Tn
e sorry for you.'a i - s4os stss s
- A hundred such pleasant talks we uset
j. 10 have, and she never gave either of u
II one particle more of encouragement thai
o The other. She was like SIS er to u.
thofh and neifIrer darad t,raa L fbe. 9 .,alI n