New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-03-26

it be go, because it must bel" I in
wardly exclaimed, 'bat Gods earth
no place for lamentation and mourn
ing" Was it not joy enough to hol'
in my hand these lines which she ha,
written; and is not the hope of shortl
seeing her again greater happines
than I ever deserved? ''Only hold you
head always above the waterw say al
good life-swimmers; but when you cal
do o no longer, better dive down at ono
than let the water run continually int
your eyes and throat! If it is hard for u
in the Ii tile misfortunes of life, always t.
bear in mind Gods providence, and if W
are afraid, and perhaps with cause, il
every battle to step out of the common
ness of life into the presence of the Di
vine. still life should appear to US, if no
q duty, at least an art. What is uglie
than a child that has been unruly ant
CRU mbles at every loss, at every pain
Whereas, nothing is more beautiful thai
a child to whose fearful eyes the sunshin,
of joy and innocence quickly returns lik'
a blossom that trembles and shivers in
spri ng shower, yet blooms again ani
vie Ids perfume when the sunshine drie:
the tears upon its cheek.
Soon happy thought came to me how
1 could, in spite Of fate, spend these two
days with her. For a long time had
wished to write down the precious
words which she had spoken, the many
beautiful thoughts which she had confided
to me. And thus the days passed in the
re membrance Of delightful hours spent
together, and in the hope of still more
delig htful future. I was near her, and
with her, and lived in her, and felt the
nearness Of her spirit and of her love
more than I had ever felt it when held
her hand in mine
How dear are these leaves to me now
how often have I read, reread them-not
that had forgotten word she had ever
said to me; but these leaves were evidences
of my happiness, and something looked
at me from them like the glance of a
friend, whose silence says more than
words. Remembrance of past happiness,
remembrance of past suffering, si1sntly
burying oneself into distant p6st, where
all that surrounds and binds us vanishcs;
where the soul throws itself down like a
mother upon the green grave of her child
that has been sleeping there for years;
where no hope, no wish disturbs the ST.
lent, helpless resignation-this we may
call sadness-but there is joy in this
sadness which only those know who have
loved and suffered much. Ask the mother
what she feels when she fastens the veil,
which she once wore as bride, upon the
head Of her daughter, and thinks of the
husband who is no longer with her. Ask
a man what he feels when the girl whom
he loved and whom the world tore from
him, sends to him after her death the dry
rose that he had given her as youth
both may weep; but their tears are not
tears Of pain, nor tears of joy; they are
tears of sacrifice, with which man dedi-
Gates himself to the Divine, and sees the
dearest thing he has pass from him, be-
ievirg in Gods love and wisdom.
But let me return to remembrances-
return to the living present of the past!
The two days passed so quickly that
trembled as the happiness of seing her
again came nearer and nearer. The first
day l saw the carriages and horsemen al
rive from the city, and the castle become
animated with merry guests. Flags
streamed from the roof; music sounded
though the courts. In the evening the
lake was enlivened with gay gondolas,
the songs Of men sounded over the waves,
and 1 could not but listen, for I thought
that she, too, from her window, listened
to these songs. On the second day all
was still busy, and not till the afternoon
did the guests prepare for separating.
Late in the evening saw the Hofrath's
carriage returning alone to the city. 1 |
could restrain myself no longer. knew
she was alone; knew she thought of me,
md wanted me with her. And should I |
et another night pass without even press
ing her hand; without telling her that the |
separation was over, and that the next |
morning would awaken US to new bliss? |
saw light still in her window, and why
should l be alone-why should l not, for
moment at least feel her sweet pres
snce? | soon stood at the castle gate,
md was going to pull the bell, when sud-
len]y paused and said; No! No weak
less. You would stand before her abashed
ike thief in the night. Tomorrow ap-
pear before her like hero returning from
he battle, and for whom she now winds
he wreath of love that she will place upon
lis head tomorrow,
The morning came, and was with
ler-really with her. o, speak not of
pirit as If it could exist without body.
complete life, consciousness, a joyful
ense of being, can exist only where spirit
nd body are one, an embodied spirit, a
piritualized body. There is no spirit
Without body; it would be ghost;
here is no body without spirit, it would
70 a corpse. Is the flower in the
eld without spirit? Does it not look
orth from divine will, from creative