The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1860-09-26

Those lines Of the song Lucy sang last
night will Iun in my head
wv hat llLes, dear Z
Ellie repeated, IN a voice which she
| TILED IN yaiu to make steady:
They rowed her in across the rolling foam,
The hungry, cruel foam,
The cruel, craving foam,
To her grave beside the sea"
Try and think Of something else
i have been trying for long, ana
cannot
Ellie started, few minutes after, as
the cave gave back the rich totes OF Ar,
lhurss voice, rs he sang the beautiful
| hymn
| Jesus lover of my soul
Let me to thy bosom hy,
While the waters nearer roll,
| While the tempest still il nigh,
"llidc me, D my Saviour hide,
Till the storm of life be past,
! Safe into the haven guide
On receive my soul at last w
! lie sang steadily through tie verses,
and E'he thought the words had never
! before seemed so beautiful as they did
uO" DOOlLt'l Nuu COlll!OIleu, she nhTu'
ly knew how, she leant lack weuriIy n
! gainst the rock, for she vas thoroughly
worn out by the long day spent in scramr
bling among the rocks. Unlike Arthur,
! she did not realise tie hopelesSncss OF
| their situation. She knew they were in
danger, but Ellie had ciiId's simple
faith IN Gol, aud having asked Him to
take care of her auL Arthur, she felt Sc
cure in llis projection. Her heavy eyes
gradually closed, and in little while her
! head fell on ArlhuI's shoulder, and
she was fast asleep.
Poor lttlc Ellie 7 said Arthur to him.
! self, rs he drew hcr cloak closer round
her what mercy 1t is that she can
sleep so peacefully !
Hour followed hour, and Ellie slept on,
! while Arthur listened 10 the monotonous
| ripple of the water, and the shril cry OF
the sea bird as it flew by 10 seek lrs nest
among tie cliff. The cave was now
quite dark, and, from the sound Of the
waves, he was expecting to feel the tide
| break against hlm every moment. when
moonbcam came floating in along the
water Arthur's heart died within him
as with it came the remembrance Of VII
lies words, uttered in the morning, and
forgotten till that moment-'lt is full.
moon 10 night, and there will be a
springlide.' A sprng,ide All hope was
gone now, and lie knew that n hllle la
ter the cave would lie full. He held the
see!ing Ellie in a despairiug clasp, and
counted the precious moments that yet
remained.
Arthur had thought Of death before
He had often dreamt Of falling on some
glorious battlefield, and being borne TO
! his grave to the sound of martial music.
leaving an honoured name behind him :;
but it was a very different thing rushing
forward to meet death amid the roar OF
cannon, the lrumpets blast, and the
shouts Of the battle, to awaiting in dis
NAL cave among the rocks, like con
demned criminal the day Of his execution
imprisoned by the rip?ling waves as Sc
curely as the felon by the massive walls
and iron bolts Of his prison.
Time wore on, but Arthur grew calm
er as the tide rose higher. His defiant
| feelings had died away, and he felt how
vain it was to struggle against Gods will;
and though his dreams of earthly glory
had faded, would the welcoming songs (
the angels be less sweet. his golden
crown less bright on that account =
While he was thus thinking, little rip
pie passed over his foot, and though il
was what he had been expecting. he re
coiIed as il struck by sudden blow
Ellie still slept ; she did not feel the large
tear that fell on her brow rs he bent over
to catch the murmured words that she
uttered in her sleep. She was dreaming
of home she said Willie's name, and
laughed aloud. Arthur shuddered in
voluntarily as the cavern walls echoed
back the light laugh with hollow
sound. Was it right to let Ellie sleep on,
dreaming so unconsciously, with death
and eternity so near And yet, bow to
wsken her, and tell her that all hope
was gone Arthur could not find cour
age to do it; he smoothed back, with a
trembling hand, the heavy hair from the
brow Of the little sleeper, and let The
time slip on, while be listened to her
quiet breathing. How could she sleep
souDdly Was il, indeed, the sleep He