The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-08-13
RAVENNA, THURSDAY, AUG. 13, 1857.

with longing love. twas the face Of Phi
R, who hadswon her pure young heart
But will not intrude on the sacred memory
of that love which is the property of but few
now living. Phil is dead itoo. On tn
tenth day of sickness she slept heavily, AM
awoke in her right mind. But alas! for th
dear ones around her, il WIS but too eviden
she was near to Heaven. Her eye was. clea
and full of joy, as, if she had been, as N
doubt she had, with the angels.
Old MI Thompson, the clergyman VIII
baptized4ots all, and had buried our fathers
and had loved US faithfully since the days 0
our first lisping, stood by her bed, and sh
smiled joyfully as she saw him.
"Ab, Mr.. Thompson, | used to wonde
whether should die with you all around me
and this is exactly as wished it. 1t seem'
strange, too, that am dying. ldon't exact
ly believe it. Phil, am Ldyingr"
"God forbid, Annie"
"Ali! that tone, Phil! You mean to say
God alone can save me, for all hope of mar
is gone. Don'tgrieve, ,though-don't grieve
Why, it isn't hard to die. love the deal
earth well enough to stay here-and the
flowers and birds, and the brooks, and the
old seat down by thesbank of the stream; but
don't feel so, very sorrowful to leave them
as / used to think would. And l do love
mother, and Ned, and Rlr. Thompson, and
and-and you, Phil!" >"
And her voice, which had been low but
cheerful, suddenly trembled, and she was ST.
lent. .'.t r.,.as. -.-.a 81.
At length she continued in tone of cheer.
fulness: "Phl, 60 sometimes and sit on the
old seat down there by the stream, and put
your arm along the back of it, and look up;
and if you don't feel my kiss, it will be be.
cause angels kisses can't be felt; for if God
will let me, I'll come there and take the
seat which / have so often sat in, and lay my
head nyour shoulder. Mr.. Thompson, I'm
going to Heaven at last in advance of you,
started u long way behind, but ! shall be
there first after ALL" ...
The good old man, to whom this part oi
the sentence was addressed, ootbed aloud;
but at length recovering composure, he knelt
at the side of her bed, and his long white
locks fell over the counterpnne as he COM
mehced prayer of carnestness. ! stood
still at the foot of the bed, and watched the
face of our angel girl.
AS he spoke. of Heaven, her eye lighted;
/ kaad as he begged of God to spare her to us
yet little longer, | saw her hand steal along
until it reached Phil's head, aad her tiny fin.
gers were among his thick locks hair, and
the next moment her hand was in his, and
he rose, ard, sitting by her side, gazed into
her face with unutterble love; and as the
sublime words of hope escaped the lips OF
the clergyman, saw her move, as if to say,
kiss me, rhil;" and he stopped down to
her, and, with her arms around his neck, and
that last loving kiss upon her lips, she went
forth by the unknown path that oil must
tread. -a5 =
Strong in her simple faith, and leaning
confidently on he. Saviour, she, who was the
fairest of our children here, has long ago
become, cannot dJubt, one OF the fairest 0!
Gods children there. j"
Peace be with her On her grave violets
bloom; and | have seen children, who have
wandered over the hills in search of flowers
all day long in vain, refuse 10 pluck those
which bloomed holly over al! that was earth
ly of Annie Gray.
Peace be with her! In chat sunny
land, whereof dream in summer Sabbath
mor45Eg dreams, t,trust one day to meet her.
There the voice that was low and plaintive
as the night wind here has renewed its tones
in thrilling melody. There the sound of the
sorrowful discord is hushed; for, as she left
US, those sounds died away, family, scarce
heard, then gone forever; and she did not
hear them when she came back, as she did
at times, to keep the tryst with Phil. She
heard, then, no sounds but the beating ofhs
heart. :. -
One summer morning, ten years after
wards, she called him suddenly, and his spirit
sprang forth at the call. The bonds of earth
were broken. No one knew whereof he
died.