Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-09-06

ner now; purely as the newly-fallcn
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 pea =
full spot, she passed again, and the old
church received her in its quiet shade.
They carried her to one old monk
where she had many and many time
sat musing, and laid their burden softly
on the pavement The light streamed
on it through the colored Window
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
sunshine, 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 stiaed sob was
heard, some-and they were not few
knelt down. All were sincere and
truthful 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 enter
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 there 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
giving 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 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 seemed to them) upon her quiet
grave-in that calm time, when all out
ward things and inward thoughts TEEN
with assurance of immortality, and
worldly hopes and fears are humbled
in the dust before them-then, with
humble and submissive hearts they
turned 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 is mighty, uni
versal truth. When death strikes down
the innocent and young, for every fra
gile form from which he let's the pant
ing spirit free, 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
mortals shed on such green graves,
some good is born, some gentler nature
comes. In the dcstroyer's steps there
spring up bright creations that defy
his power, and his dark path becomes a
way of light to heaven.-Old Curiosity
fh0p.