Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-02-25

| posed TO cover with marble noor, SHOOK
bis head and frowned and the young man
and the Lily deemed IL almost enough to
blight the spot and desecrste 1t for their
airy tomple, that his dismal figure had
thrown its shadows there. lie pointed 10
some shattered stones, the remains of a for
mer structure, and to flowers such as young
girls delight to nurse in their gardens, but
which had now relapsed into the wild sim
plicity of nature.
"Not herew cried old Walter Gascoigne.
"Here, long ago, other mortals built their
| Temple of Happiness. Seek another site
| for yOurs!'
"Whatp exclaimed Lilias Fay. "Have
any ever planned such a Temple, save our
ielves?"
Poor childv said her gloomy kinsman.
"In one shape or other, every mortal has
dreamed your dream"
The he told the lovers, hoH-not indeed,
an antique Temple-but dwelling had
once stood there, and that dark-clad guest
had dwelt among its inmates, sitting forev.
er at the firesidc, and poisoning all their
household mirth. Under thisLype, Adam
Forester aud Lilas saw that the old man
spoke of Sorrow. lie told of nothing that
might not bo recorded in the history of al
most every household; and yet his hearers
felt as If 10 sunshine ought TO fall upon a
spot where human grief had left SO deep a
stain or, at least, that no joyous Temple
should be built there.
"This is very sad" said the Lily, signing
"Well, there are loveier spots than this"
said Adam Forester, ingly,-"spJts
which sorrow has not blighted."
So they hastened away, and the melan-
choly Gascoigue followed them, looking as
if be had gathered up all the gloom of the
deserted spot, and was bearing it as a bur-
den of ineslmable treasure. But still they
rambled on, and soon found themselves in
rocky dell, through the midst OF which
ran a strcamlet, with ripple and foam, and
a continual voice OF inarliculate joy. 1t was
wild retreat, walled on either side with
gray precpices, which would have frowned
somewhat too sternly, had not profusion
of green shrubbery rooted Itself into their
crevices, aud wTeathed gladsome foliage
around their solemn brows. But the chief
joy of the dell was in the little stream,
which seemed like the presence of a bliss
full child, with nothing earthly TO do save to
ba bible merrily and disport itself, and
mako every living soul its playiellOw, and
throw the sunny CLEANS Of its spirit upon
all.
Here, here is the spot!" cried the two
lovers with one voice, as they reached
level space on the brink OF small cascade.
"This glen was made on purpose for our
Temper'
"And The glad song of the brook will be
always in our ears" said Lilias Fay.
"And its long melody shall sing the bliss
of our life time," said Adam Forester.
"You must build no Temple here r. muir
INJURED their dismal companion.
And there again was the old lunatic on
the spot where they meant to rear their
lightsome dome, and looking like the en-
bodied symbol of some great woe that, in
forgotten days, had happened there. Aud,
alas there had been woe, nor that alone.
a young man, moro than a hundred years
before, had lured hither girl that loved
him, and on this spot had murdered her,
and washed his bloody hands in the str9am
which ran so merrily. Aud ever since, tho
victims death -shrieks were oflen heard to
echo between the cliffs.
"And see I" cried old Gascoigne, ais the
stream yet pure from the stain of the muir
derer's hands2"
"Methinks it has tinge of blood" faint
ly answered the Lily; aud being as slight
as the gossamer, she trembled and clung To
to her lovers arm, whispering, "let us flee
from this dreadful valer'
"Come, then," said Adam Forester, as
cbeerfully as ho could, 1--WE shall soon find
ahappier spot"
They set forth again, young Pilgrims on
that quest which millions, which every
child of Earth has tried in turn. Aud were
the Lily and her lover 10 be more fortunate
than all those millions7 For long time,
it seemed not SO. The dismal shape of the
old lunatic still glided behind them and
for every spot that looked lovely in their
eyes, he had some legend of human wrong
or suffering, so iniseraby sad, that his aud
itors could never afterwards connect the
idea OF joy with theplace where il had hap
pened. Here, heart-broken woman,
kneeling TO her child, had been spurned
from his feet here, desolate old creature
had prayed to the Evil One, aud had re-
ceived iendish malignity of soul in an
swer to her prayer; here, newborn in
fant, sweet blossom of life, had been found
dead, with the impress of its mothers fn-
fiers round its throat and here, under
shattered oak, two lovers bad been struck
by lightning, aud fell blackened corpses in
each others arms. The dreary Gascoigne
had gilt TO know whatever evil and la
mentable thing had stained the bosom of
Mother Earth, and when his funereal voice
had told the tale, it appeared like proph-
cy of future woe, as well as a tradition of
the past. And now, by their sad demeanor,
you would have lancied that the pilgrim
lovers were seeking, not temple of earth
ly joy, but a tomb for themselves and their
pOsterity.
"Where in this world" exclaimed Adam
Forester, despondingly, "shall we build
our temple of Happinessf"
"Where in this world, indeed r. repeated
LiliaS Fayi and being faint aud weary, the
more SO by the heaviness of her heart, the
Lily dropped her head and sat down on the
summit of knoll, repeating, "Where in
this world shall we build our temple?"
"Ah have you already ask ed yourselves
that question ?" said their companion, his
shaded features growing even gloomier with
the smile that dwelt on them ''yet there is
place, even in this world, where ye may
build it,"
While the old man spoke, Adam Forres-
ter and Lilias had carelessly thown their
eyes around, and perceived that the spot
where they had chanced to pause possessed