Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1873-10-10

iuict oiScp, suV oNes0N Ns's 'ANy
kiss her once again That done she
turned to the old MAJ with lovely
smile upon her face-sucb, they said, as
they had never seen, and never could
forget-and clung with both her arms
about bis neck. They did not know that
she was dead at first.
And now the 1.-THE bell she had so
often heard by night aud day, and lis
tened to with solemn pleasure almost as
a living voice-rung its remorseless toll
for her, so young, so beautiful, so good.
Decrepid age, and vigorous life, and
blooming youth, and helpless infancy,
poured forth on crutches, in the pride
of strength and health, in the full blush
of promise, in the mere dawn of life
to gather around her tomb. Old men
we're there whose eyes were dim and
senses failing grandmothers who might
have died ten years ago and still been
old-the deaf, the blind, the lame. the
pa sled, the living dead in many shapes
and forms, to see the closing of that
early grave. What was the death it
would shut in, to that which still could
crawl and creep above it.
Along the crowded path they bore her
now; purely as the uewly-fallen snow
that covered it, whose day on earth had
been as feeting. Under that porch
where she had sat when heaven in its
mercy brought her to that peaceful spot,
she passed again, and the old church re-
ceived her in its quiet shade.
They carried her to one old monk
where she had many and many a time
sat musing. and laid their burden softly
on the pavement. The light streamed
on it through the colored window-a
window where the boughs of the trees
were ever rustling in the summer, and
where the birds sang sweetly all day
long. With every breath Of air that
stirred among those branches in the sun
shine, some trembling, changing light
would fall upon her grave.
Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to
dust. Many young hand dropped its
little wreath many stifed sob was
heard, some-and they were not few
knelt down. All were sincere and truth
ful in their sorrow.
The service done, the mourners stood
apart and the villagers closed round to
look into the grave before the pavement
stone should be replaced. One called to
mind how he had seen her sitting on
that very spot, and how her book had
fallen on her lap, and she was gazing
with a pensive face upon the sky. An
other told how he had wondered much
that one so delicate as she could be SO
bold how she had never feared to en-
ter the church alone at night but had
loved to linger there when all was quiet,
and even to climb the tower stair, with
no more light than the moons rays steal
ing through the loopholes in the thick
old WALL
A whisper went about among the old
est that she had seen and talked with
angels; and when they called to mind
how she had looked and spoken, and her
early death, some thought it might be so
indeed. Thus coming to the grave in
little knots and glancing down, and CIV
ing place to others, and falling off in
whispering groups of three or four, the
church was cleared in time of all but
the sexton and the mourning friends.
They saw the vault covered and the
stone fixed down. Then when the dusk
of evening had come on, and not sound
disturbed the stiffness of the place
when the bright moon poured in her
light on tomb and monument, on pillar,
vale and arch, and most of all Git SEEM
ed to them) upon her quiet grave = in
that calm time, when all outward things
and inward thoughts TEEN with assur-
ance of Immortality, and worldly hopes
and fears are humbled in the dust be-
fore them-then with humble and SUBJ
missive hearts they turn away, and left
the child with God.
o. 1t is hard to take to heart the
lesson that such deaths will teach; but
let no man reject it, for it is one that all
must learn, and it is a mighty, universal
truth. When death strikes down the
innocent and young, for every fragile
form from which he lets the painting
spirit free, a hundred virtues rise, in
shapes of mercy, charity and love, to
walk the earth and bless it with their
light. OF every tear that sorrowing NOR
tails shed on such green graves, some
good is born, some gentler nature comes.
In the destroyer's steps there spring up
bright creations that defy his power, and
his dark path becomes a way of light to
heaven.-Old Curiosity Shop.