Middletown transcript., 1873-08-23
Selett Storp.
From the southern Literary Messenger.
HENRY NORMAN AND MARY
NEVILLE.
NJ ISo. COLLINS M'cAnE

Aud they glide above our memories,
Like shadows over streams
The melody OF Summer waves
The thrilling notes Of birds,
Can never be SO dear TO me,
As their remembered words -P-rs B.'9ia''n.
,Twa. Summer evening-bright-
balmy and beautiful Prodigal Of birds
green leaves aud sweet howers--a period
when all the softer aud more tender sym
pathics of our spirits harmonzIng with the
surrounding beauties Of sweet nature, make
us feel our heavenly parontagc; aud ''nng
ina,ion, catching its c0loriug- from the
beautiful present. pictures the bright aud
hallowed inheritance Of the spirit, when,
freed from the imperfeetions Of humanity,
j, shall rise to the enjoyment OF the saint ;
everlasting rest.
Two Young beings stood beside muir.
murmuring stream. that wound It's way
through valley, ovcrhuns and surround
ed with the rich foliage Of mingled trees
and vines Onc wa. IT n tall manly sntm;
hi. lofty brow wore the marks which na.
ture had there cns,ampei 10 challenge al.
miraton. Intellect bc,mcl from his dark
expressive eye aud as his firm but mus.
cal voice was heard above the rirp'ng 81
the stream, it required no diviner OF mys.
tcries to tel! tha, his mind was Of that or
der, which. however few may equal, alt
are bound to admire.
The other was palc young girl OF about
seventeen; aud while her long black halr
fell in clustering ringlcts over her meek III
beautiful profusiou. and her taper wh'te
finger rested trcmblingly upon the arm OF
her c1mpln;nn. ani her large lark eye wn'
raised meaniugy up 10 his face. strange
prophecy might have stirred the spirit ni
the gazrr, to mourn that one - spirituality
lovely was destined 50 soon 70 lie down
and make her cold bed amid the ef.rn
graves Of the churchyarl, shr White st'rg
OF which might be seen malc,''y rising
amid a distant cluster Of trees.
The youth seemed To be earnestly en.
gagged in conversation with the fair being
who leaned upon his arm anil the tIllaw.
ing sentences might have been caught y
the listener:
YES Mary sad he in answer 70 some
question proposed hy the fair listener. the
road 10 fame is now farly open heilre ne,
md in a short time. with the blessings u
kind heaven, shall clasp yon to my breast
as the brightest jewel it could wear My.
nav. do not look upon me so sadly. or saa
will make me suppose you do not feel that
interest in my advancement thought You
did"
The latter part of his speech was utter.
ed half playfaly. half seriously. as be put
back a stray ringlet that had wandered
over her forehead. aud kissed her pale
brow with delicate iersor
You wrong me. llenry; | an wish You
success she replied. Ah truly do
but selfish thought erossri my mini
while yeu were speaking thought the
day will arrive when Henry will have wan
his laurel when the proud and the great
aud the noble will listen to his words oil
wisdom and his tones of deep eloqnente ;
but poor Mary will not be with him to
share his triumph The cold. cold grave,
Henry. will ere then be mine
18th God - replied the youth, 'do not
madden me with such a thought Has
no, the hope that you would one day be
mine ehecrea me in my darkest hours oi
gloom aud dependency Have | ne'
toiled over thu pages OF almost Obsolete
volumes, glcanin. knowledge from iheli
moulicrius leaves. have | not risen with
the dawn, still striving 10 strengthen the
foundations of mind have not left the
beartle-s crowd. where folly held imnor.
tai spiri,s enthrailea. in order to mhstei
science, knowing that the day would romt
with its rich reward for patient toll t--ane
IL = IL \ .;..tt mi ten
cy with which to welcome you to the DO
som, whose idol even from childhood yo,
have been =
II know it all. Henry; and could N,
disease be arrested. could those cold feel
iugs which sometimes. even in my hnrpies
moods, cluster around my heart be re
moved. could even, Hope, the cbarmer
whisper one consnlatory sentence, nigh
express myself otherwise bu, | do no
wish TO deceive you. II seems hard,
know that one so young us should be sum
moned to prepare for that dark journey 81
early; when all around seem to WOO nm
win the spiri. back to earth; when th
birds sing so sweetly-and the Hover
bloom iu their rich beauty-aud the skie
smile SO blandly-and the green leave
wave and rustic so invitingly in the coo
brecxes Of evening" know il seems hard
very hard 10 give them up; to close the eye
to their beauties. and more than all this
yea infinitely more to be compelled to par
from tho first beloved ono. 40 gifted. $
noble, so brave, SO gen,le--it is hard hard
hard. Yet. Heavenly Father, bow |,
thy will"
Henry Norman bent bis manly hea'
upou his bosom and wept. He had dread
cd the confession to his own soul. that di
sease was wasting the lovely flower befor'
him but now that the truth came upor
him, no. hurriedly. nor passionately. bu
calmly from the victim herself, the cher
ished hopes Of his bosom withered beneath
the torture Of the disclosure, and the ago.