Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-11-30
4utt's GUrrtr.
For he Spirit IF tho Age.
To Mrs. E. n. H., of Raleigh.

To hrs E. n. H., OF kalelgn. |
nY LIMA LEN.
Thy bridal day vas Air and bright, my fri'nai
The sun low fingered on his western bed
A 10th 10 leave this fair and lovely world
In silent darkness, on ihy bridal eve. 4
I stood not BY thee In thai sacred hour
when ~joyfslly, but still with earnest fO"r'
rhoa p,vOs, thy young and gentle heart
Into another's keeping.
Bu. o,hors saw thee stand in all thy beauty
Aud In thy earnest Joy before the nam OF God,
Before high heaven and IN sight of man
TOok'ss . solemn vow To love through life
Thy chosen ons and make his life as blest,
As bright, Is beautiful - love and truth
Can make Q life on earth.
Thy hair fen smoothly on thy placid brow,
And in Thy soft blue eyes there shone
The light Of dariler days, and yet thou vast
A fond and earnest wonap, Vowing to thy God
To be to him thy strength. q true and loving wifs.
Thy sweet, low voice treEblsd as thou didst speak
The sacred word that made thee all anoihsr'a
A fathsr blessed thoe in that fearful hour
A mother, who from childhood's earliest days
Guided thy feet Alright In wisdOm's ways,
Looked on with fearful eyes. She could rot,
All unmovsd, give thee, her eldest child
Unto another heart ~forllife. Sisters dear
Stood By, aud saw thee place thy trembling hand
Into his ovn, who would forever claim it.
Thy little brothers looked with wonder on,
As thou, the eldest Of tho little flock,
Wont forth Tor lifo to bless another'S home.
1 loved thee in thy childhood days,
When BY the silver streams that play around
Our swu sweet homo, We wandered day by day
And gathered up Hfo's fairest flowers to dock
Our youthful brows. Long cirsling years have
passed.
Since then and changed orr childhood song
Into a saddor strain. left thee in thy native homo
A gay add gladsome girl. Ger thy sunny heart
Rude care meier awept, changing thy early song
Into wild discord-tAs echo Of departed joys.
Again I saw thee-
Thou hads, q fairer face. Thought sat dove-likc
On the pure white brow, and in thy mild bluo eye
There was a softer light like t~wilights parting
hour,
so OAlm and beautiful It seemed to me
A habd-And not thine aun-had gently touches
Tho harp Stripgs oithy lore, and forth,thers cam
Suoh strains OF music son, asne'or were
Hoard before II was the masic Of 6rst love,
And now thou art q trusting bride,
The light and Joy Of him who 10 to be
To deaths dark hour thy guide, thy strength. Oh
all.
Ga thy bridal day, thore came to me
A vain and restless wish Ito know If all
Thy life should DO as calm, as blest, as bright
As thy own bridal day.
70 do not know. Tho future lieth far beyond
The dark unknown, and from Its solemn mystsri
There cometh forth no light to show US what
Our future life shall DO.
ButnAy tkS future only hide from thoe
Tho brightest joys that life can ever give,
BY hours, days and years, as ssemeth best to H
Who rulolh all in love.
May blessings rSat on thee, thou fair young bril-
As onward to lifo's close, thou ~linger'st by his 81
May care no'er como and make thy clear blue .
Grow dim, and..fado wAh constant weeping;
May God direct thy wandering stops, my frier
ThrO' scenes Of bliss, down to the 'dreamless gray
And than when Ger tho darkest waves of death
Beyond the river may'st thou Rnd with him
Eternal bliss forever.