The Oxford intelligencer., 1860-07-11
From the New York Ledger
Scripture POem-Ey n. =. willis.
DEATH OF RACHEL.
GENESIS yXIU)

TWAS sunset, where Jerusalem should be,
In ages yet to come; the golden glory,
Even as 'twere n sunset of to-day,
Kindling the fir-trces upon CALVARY,
And ZIox and MoaIAn-hils whcreon
The darkness Of CnRIsTs agony would fall
When eighteen centuries should pass, tho nov
Lifting their nameless SUBMITS to the sky
Points in a lone horizon, which, as yet,
Encirclcd but evcntless morn and eve.
And iourncying to behold, once more on earth,
His fathers face-tow'rd Hebron, where abode
Isaac his flther-JACoB hither came;
And southwark from Mount Olivet at noon
lie stayed his people. And, with camels all
Left knecling in the shade, that pilgrim tribe
Gathered together a. the hours wore on
Sad. with hnshcd yoiccs-for within the tent
Whose curtained folds were tcndcrly withdrawn
That she might look once more upon the West,
Law she to whom that sunset was the last,
RAcnrL the beautiful. Beside her slept
The child newborn, whose light of lie, thus
given,
Had been to her the dark ming other own
Deaths farewell calm upon her senses falling
With the spent anguish Of the mothers pangs.
And, as the glory orthc West cwpalc,
The father Of the child in sorrow born
Rose from his PRAYER The love that was to be,
In its sweet secrets, by the cprophcts writ
Told Of in scripture. rs the first so fond
In the wog Is history--!h, faithful love
Woke for Il life with but the one first look
Upon that face 50 marvelou,ly fair
When JAcon met his RAcnrL at the we'll
This was the loyethat sent that voiccless prayer,
With its sad plea unuttcrcd but in tears
Thourht-wingel alone, unto the of God:--
Yet. all in yainl Oh, mystery ofpraycr!
When he whom angels wondcringly had seen
To wrcstle with his God and to prevail,
Asked now the lifc-blood for his heart in vain!
When suppliant, such as JAcon might lift up
Ills face from earth in agony of woo,
And. trembling look upon the face beloved,
To sec ifon that altar Of his hope
Life in Gods mercy. were rckiudling now
Yet; death still dark ming o'crit!
As she lay
Pale in her beauty, with her child newborn
Lying beside her. RAcurI, who should be
Best known Of women for mothers love
Best loved ofwomcn IN the days when men
Saw as the angels. for God walked with them
Rachel the bcautifll-once more the light
Bcamcd through the raven fingcs Of her lids
Andhcr lips stirred once more. The lang'iid look
! l.. /. 4 . l.,
Twas hard to die with life just made SO sweet!
What though. with Deaths nearlning gof the veil.
She saw, beyond the threshold Of the grave,
, Scrarhs awaiting her, hcrncw-born child
Would be shut back hy the rcturnlcss door
Through which She thithcrward must pass alone,
And oh the JOYS lost to a mothers heart
In looking on her infant child no morei
That rosy mouths first lisping Of a word
Music that were more ravishiug TO her
Than the refrain ola chcrllbic hymn
Wonld not be hers 10 hear! The vcntIring step,
As the fair boy should first unlooSe his hold
Upon the stcalyi1g Of his nurses knee
To run into his flther's outsprcad arms;
The little hands first bending Of the bow;
The kindiing ofhis eve with ardor first
At the swift courSing ofthc hunters steed;
The beauty Of the youth 50 1.-the and tall
IS he should liken to the father more;
and then. a. clrlcd the beard upon his lip,
Manhood and love would ripon at his heart
Without one memory Of the mothers face
Slow mould'ring in the grave, unseen Of him!
Such was tho mingIing Of the bitter cup
Held now unto the mothers lip to drink;
And, with the struggle oflife's yielding pulse,
RAcTIEL gave way 10 sorrov. One loud wall,
As On her couch convulsively she rose
And took the sleeping babe into her arms
One pressure to her bosom offhat son-
Dear to the world. her mothers instinct knew.
Though It was vet unwhi~pcred out Of Heaven,
That he should be progenitor Of Christ
One Wild shFill uttcrancc from the mother heart
-CHHD OF ~ SORROW BE TIE CALLED" she sid,
"BENONI BE HIS xA,iE r'-a11 Rachel. died
The following Is Aunt BctSy's description Of
her milkma1: "He j. the rnesnest man IN the
world she exclaimed lie skins bis mix On
the TOP. and then turns ID over and SKINS The
bottom"
y didn't dare ten you. wife, before we were
married that rrly teeth are false. I could get
along with you wcll enough. husband II your
teeth were the only false thing you carry IN your