The Oxford intelligencer. (Oxford, Miss.) 1860-18??, 1861-02-13

NJ y. ?. Wills.

Covered his face in silence, as he turned
From the imploring looks Of famished men,
In the still streets Of Zarephath. The years
OF famine, when the sky should be as brass,
And the earth turned to sshes-as foretold
By him, for the idolatries Of Baal- f-ss
Were measuring in woe their days accursed-
Morning hopelessness and night despair,
And from the brook at Cherith he had come,
Fed until then by ravens at the brook; ann
But now, obedicnt to the Word that said
ssGo hence and dwell in Zarephath, to be
Ny witness in their midstr And, day by day,
He walked amid the multitude accursed,
And looked on their unutterable woe
Sadly, but with the crrand Of his God
Remembered in his silence Twilight fell,
And, to the humble dwelling where was kept
For holy charity the prophets room,
The house which bore the blessing of the meal
Never decreasing, and the cruise Of oil
Watched by the angels that it should not fail,
Elijah turned his steps. The narrow door
Swung with the lifted latch, and there, as wont,
Was spread the table with its frugal neal
As yet untasted, but spread first for him,
BY the poor widows selfforgctting thought.
Kind was the care, that eve-but yet, not all
OF the accustomed welcoming was there.
The gentle voice to bless him as he crossed
The threshold; the humility tina. knelt
To take the sandals from his weary feet;
The hand to break the bread and pour the oil;
And that which had grown sweet, as day by day,
II helped to vile the burthcn from his thought,
The Joyous childs awaiting his caress,
And, with his infant eagerness Of play,
Aiding his mothers service to their guest
These were not there! flushed was the low
rooted roo,nl
The prophet and bis sadness were alone.
Night came, and the unalterable stars
Shone on the famine And the prophet knelt
By the low easement, and looked out on heaven;
And prayed That they beneath that humble roof
Who had been wont to kneel beside him there
The widow of Zarephath and her SON
Might, from the curse, be spared. But, as the
words
Fell from his lips, there rose sudden cry
From out the inner chamber where the boy
Had since the MORN lain siek-a sharp, wild cry,
As of hearts first yielding to despair
Delirious in the utterance Of its voc
And forth came she for whom the prophet pray d,
Bearing the lifeless burthon in her arms,
And stood and looked upon him. "What hare /
To do nth tiee' despairingly she cricd
I" Why hast thou come to me, H0u Nan Of GOdf
IL IL TO call ,ng secret sin once more
To my remembrance, that my son is slain"
And, as she sank upon her knees and pressed
Her face upon the child's, the prophet laid
His hand upon the closcenfolding arms
Yelled in the falling tresses of her hair;
And, in the scarce-lost cadence of his words
Just uttered unto God, he calmly said:-
'sGiue me thy son !" AMI, silently, she raised
Her wildered eyes, and looked upon his face
Loosing her dead to him, with wondering trust
A hope born in her heart, she knew not Why
And, to the little chamber in the roof
Where he might lay the child upon his bed,
And be alone to wrestle with his God,
The prophet bore him from her sight
At his souls altar, by the humble bed, And
there,
Whcremorn and eve he knelt-alone with Cod
Elijah fell upon his knees and prayed.
He prayed for her whose mercies unto him,
While he sojourncd in Zarephath, had been
Shared with the angcls-ministering wings
Bringing unseen the widows meal and oil
For her who hoped, in silence and in fear,
Since she had been thus chosen of tho Lord
To give his servant bread, that, of her sin
Wept DER in secret, she had been forgiven.
OF all the dwclIcrs in the land accurscd
She only, in his sojourn had been blest;
And should the curse now fall on her beloved
Child of her sorrow-should her son be slain
And when, with holy agony and tears,
Elijah had sent up his prayer to God
He rose, and stretched himself upon the child
And said :-"Oh Lord, my God I pray to thee
Let tie chilTs soul come unto him again.
And the Lord heard Elijah's voice. And 10
The parted soul returned unto the child!
And he awoke, as from gentle sleep,
And smiled as il in memory of dream.
And, lifting him once more, the prophet drew
The loved one closer to his heart and came
From his lone chamber to the lower room;
And gave him to his mothers arms, and said-
"Seel thy son ipcthr' Lesson sweet to read,
In the inspirings Of the Holy Book
That the one home to which the blessing came,
When famine had made desolate the land,
Was this-the humble one wherein was kept,
With hospitablc care the prophets room
The widow shelter to the man of God
Staying the wasting of her meal and oil
Sweet is the lesson that the prophets prayer
For the poor widow, while beneath her roof
Turned even Deaths dark shadow from the door!
But oh! the sweetest lesson of it all,
Is the bright proof, that, in the eye of heaven,
The 'sin as scarlet may be white as snow
That, Of Zarephaths tribe, the chosen one,
First to have honor at the hand of God
She who should meet his prophet at the gate
And, with the angels, minister to him
That she was oae, Who tho she feared the Lord
Had still a troubled memory at her heart
A woHAN WHO HAD sINNED AND WAS FORGIVEN
SCIENTIFIC RIFLE SHooTIxo.-It should
IN these days-of sanguinary portent afford
some little consolation to know that che xii.