The weekly Anglo-African., 1859-09-03


''And l shall live, and move, and dwell
in that, and be, when all l know is not 7"
He kissed her glowing cheek, and hush
ed her questions with words of new prom
Use.
And Eola drank in with eager thirst
those promises: Minew she murmured;
=" mine the great boon now! have found
that which shall outlive all time land /
live in It'll Mine the great gift of immor-
tality p And her own words lulled her
into peaceful slumber, as she lay resting
in his arms.
She dreamed, and her vision was of a
garden, where each bright flower seemed
to outvie in beauty its gay compeers; birds
of dazzling plumage, insects with golden
wings, fitted from flower and shrub, and
filled the air with their gay songs and
dreamy cummings.
But strange, cold blight came DER the
scene: the flowers withered, the bright
birds dropped their colored pinions, and
their glad songs were mute Slowly all
faded from her straining sight-naught but
misty void remained-while voice spake
words of sad meaning:
"Child of the Ocean spirit of the
deep trust not to Aeeting earth for per-
manence Mark we'll this passing vision,
and lay it to thine heart. Where are the
flowers and birds, and all that gave life
and beauty to the scene2 faded-gone-
and lost. Thus shall it be with all hopes
rising from earth and earthly bliss. Child
of the Ocean! thou art in misty dream,
following cheating phantom, which lures
thee on to bitter woe and disappointment"
With a sob, she woke, and flung her
arms around the neck of him who held her,
"Thou dost love me still2" she cried,
"and thy love shall last2 Oh! l have
had dream, dashing the cup of happiness
from my lip, and offering in its place bit
ter draught of sorrow. But thou wilt love
me ever2"
And again he answered her, " Forever,
dear one, ever" And the days passed on,
each hour giving birth to some new joy,
until, as in her dream, her path of life was
studded, strewn with flowers; and the mu-
sic of her own glad heart rivaled the mclo-
| dy of the birds of song
But the dream was metaphored more
closely, for the dull blight came-came as
| it had come in the vision, marring the
beauty of the scene.
The love of him she loved so well grew
cold; the dull blight came in that; his
words of soothing kindness ceased, and
frigid courtesy, or scarcely that, usurped
their place-there fell the blight again.
She sought to chase the growing mist far
from her, but it crept on and on, shrouding
her in its damp, death-like GOODNESS.
Her cheek, her bright young cheek, be-
came pale and wan with grief, and her dim
eye betokened naught but sorrow, and he
the idol she had worshipped with her
warm young heart-cared neither for the
pallor nor the sorrow.
There, in that hour of woe, back to her
despairing mind, stealing DER her smarting
senses, came low and gentle whisper:
"Child of the wave, thou hast built thine
house upon the sand, and it has fallen
around thee; thou hast placed thy hopes
in the heeting things of earth, and in mer-
cy those hopes have been destroyed.
Z lIou hast but tasted of the fate of all
mundane creation-change.
She listened and as the angel spoke,
she stretched her arms towards heaven to
Him who must endure when all things else
are gone, crying, Take me to thyself, en-
shrine me in thine own imperishable love,
let me dwell there, in that which can, and
shall, and will endure, when this world
with its false and cheating hopes, is gone"
And with clasped, outstretched hands,
with thoughts and hopes of Heaven spring
ing in her heart, and warm and fervent
prayers on her lips, she turned her eyes
upwards.
Then came glorious band, who, with
their balmy wings, waited the damp and
noxiouS mist away-wafted her woe far
from her; waited her earthly hopes, regrets,
back to her earthly home.
Once more her guide lowered above her.
" Blest child of Heaven now p he said,
learn the one great truth: " life--eternal
life, such as thou wouldst have, can be
foundin this great love alone; love which
dwells in every thorn and brier of mans
tangled path; love which, scourging that
it may repay, draws the sad heart bleed
ing to Him who heals it with the balm of
his free salvation"
He ceased: and the sky became one beam
of glory. The dull earth sank beneath
the feet of Eola On the clear air she
rose, borne by the gentle breath of angels
wings, through the ethereal azure of the
sky,
Farewell, We earth, she sighed; fare
well We palaces and scenes, which promise
so much brightness to the craving heart,
and cheat it with that promise. have
tasted of your sweets, and they turned to
bitterness in my mouth. have quaffed
the cup of your false-named delights, your
wild, intoxicating pleasures, and turned
from them with loathing to the draught of
Heavens deep well of crystal purity
that living water which quenches thirst for
ever. Farewell, beings of earth who
strive, and toll, and run the active race of
L