Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1863-08-17
August II, 1868.

withd q weapon, and the wild wretch with
in HI 2 leap of the path that led out Of
the irA 1sure.
81 the beast rear up and place4his wes
paws 81 1lllia's shoulder grew dizzy
the glh rocks whiried before me-I Shrek
ed-IFne# no more-I must have lallen-
An a. of torment was crowded into few
. momg,s there. Lreckon it was trance
spectfs the most horribe-sights the most
revolEi anguish the most excrucating-
imbe@ y--poserty angs--storms-- graves
had -de ath--- eorpses gaunt and grim,
blood asfnggling, and hell seemed painted
in c9 sfsoa pile with colors glaring and
sombfk n q terrific diorama whirled before
my b4 ildered vision. heard sharp crash
and 1goke to consciousness with the hairy
monsT rolling and struggling over me. A
hot liaIId flew Ii my face-I brushed it with
my had--it was blood and the panther was
writhig in.death at my feet 4 little cloud
: of bld smoke was floating away over the
tops d the rocks and Oh the cliff aboye stood
aneis sbor and friend. Waldron's rifle
had sl'ee. mel All this time Lila had sat /
unmoI I'D and unterrifca with her blue eyes /
gain calmly up towards Heaven.
/ sSana TO her side and took her hand |
from lie cold recls and held it in my arms. |
Her eye was yet blue as it ever was whenwe
sat iare together, talking Of the future and
its pr'mises to us, but her cheek was blood |
less aid her lips were curious blue. |
press d her cold check to my bosom and
shoot the ice from her long tresses, kissed
her old, sta hands till it seemed my heart
WouN break, and washed them with hot
tears. and begged her like child to wake
and InRo, and tell me she was happy again.
toll her / thought the sun was shining
dow1 through the green boughs of the old
cedar tres over the seat Bob built for us,
and begged her to go there with ne and talk
of loveand listen to the singing of the birds
in tie hedge by the. meadow @s
1tbooned that .Lillia would never aaakei
and e9e me. How could she?
Tic Eilia Of earth was gone-gone?
Tff ifGia of Heaven was at rest
~ = 80 tSAt aaE she had been slpgng in IN
The next day the preacher and two of our
good neighbors laid off a bdrying ground in
sight Of the school-house in a.little dell, and
kind old man was, appointed sexton and he
dug nice grave there for Lillia. That was
the firstt A nice coffin was made by the
Carpenter, and good women Smoothed Lii
lia's hair and laid her in it. They told me
that the panther had not left mark. upon
! my lost one, and thanked them for telling
me that and blessed God tool
THAT day the sun shone out and the old
| trees looked as if they had dressed them-
! selves for great ballin the forest, SO bright
/ ly they shone with the ice cleaning cn their
tall crests. Such was the day when they
laid Lillia in the new grave yard.
They carried her down to the dell and I
followed after them. There was the little
grave geady for its tenant, and they let her
down softly without suffering the coffin to
crate harshlY against the sides, as have
Sometimes heard with child. | stood at
the "head" of the grave watching the coffin
going down with its treasure, and my heart
went down with it. (Don't yow ha0U 1t
did p
Wei they buried her thus in the deE, the
FIRST, as have told you before, and love
the old sexton yet for selecting the softest of
the red earth to-pour gently on her c5f1in, so
as not to make that horrid rumbling sound
of big clods on the boards, that make the
heart ache TO hear. And then, when all
thou htlhe had finished his task, he took his
spade aid vent away down the dell to wherq
q Iitte Hll hastenedpaway, and brought a
basketball Of green sods that the frost had
left, ard laid them one by one on the mound
: with lis hands; and when he was DONE Lii
: liza hal a green grave in the winter time
: He VS. DONE and turning to look a: lie h'
said, 1poor sorrowin' lad,," and he brushec
/. big ear from bis eye with his hard hand
! Cod old sexton ! love thy memory still
} fer thu lovedest Lila too, but aot as-I did
r Lila was the first victim of the dram
: shop " the 1.-TWO A'lls," and the first t.
sleep n the grave yard in the den, but no
! the l:st Soon her father. was laid there toe
n and y5lng. Jones, .and neighbor Wilson, an'
d Strnger, and Waldron, that shot tie pan
q ther nat crouchcd at the side of poor dea
Q Lillia These were the dramshop's trophies
p SO tht the little pen of poles that the oil
"a exto1placed ozer Lillia's grave was tor
= away md he buried these there too, oil gen
- erous md noble hearts, and then built e nca
- fence round than all, and then the neigh
= lo~~ llsrIa1 bi.r 4bnTa