Los Angeles daily herald., 1876-06-01
The Night Vigil.

| IL Is seven OcfOck ~ H- cOOl 8uO
pleasant an evening AS the last of May
ever fell upon. stand beside IN
open window, while gentle breeze
softly stirs the plain curtains and oc-
casionally filings in rose leaf from
| the vines that cluster round the door
and over the window. There comes
floating to me from the distance the
cheerful sound of evening bells, aud
above that still hear the tones Of Q
glad young voice across the way, sing
| ing out now and then in burst of
pure Joy. In the West cloud-laDd has
gathered her phantoms into the fast
deepening twilight, and In its thick
| ening shade one bright particular star
looks in upon me with steady glow.
| So true have you and l been to each
other all these years, little diamond
friend, but tonight your shining con-
stancy affords no consolation. You
have watched over the deep sleep of
my beloved ones, and no. see, here
is yet another coming to share your
| projections; in the far corner there she
lies. motionless and clayey cold. I
watched with her through the cloudy
rings and vapors of death. My heart
felt the clinging beams of her love,
aud rushed into the uncertain mists Of
the sea of eternity where she had
plunged, and vaiuly searching there
chilled itself; but when the mort !
cords brought back the reluctant soul
there was no certain memory of the
CLEAN of another world. To her, the
pain, the exquisite bliss of dying; to
me, long, weary years Of waiting.
True, as the poet says,
"Brief Is the work of death:
Blu life--the spiri, shrinks to see
How full, ere God recalls the breath,
The cup of woe nas be-"
Alas! for me. The damp dews Of
death had settled on her brow; her
| hands were clasped fer the last time
| above a pulseiess heart. They shrived
her clean; they braided little white
roses through her pretty brown hair;
and they bade me watch, watch, and
pray If could.
Dear, dead friend! There reaches
me from the past memories of the days
of chiluhood's shimmering gladness,
when We together fought our mimic
battles of life. And later on in years,
when together We turned from the
beautiful joys of our young souls;
when sad misfortunes came;
when the dark nights of earth
drpped the dank dew from their black
mantles and spoiled all our hopes.
An unkind destiny brought US many
sorrows, but oui paths We're together,
and undismayed We bore them all.
Tonight as the lone, still hours creep
II l<>xr nd fxxe
thy presence as the thick shadows
come aud go. Where art thou? Is
thy joy so deep, thy bliss SO perfect
that thou canst not stoop to soothe my
woe? Alone 1 step forth into the
deepest shadows aud vainly endeavor
to trace thy footsteps. Watt me but
the faintest thread and will follow
thy soul; only an echo of thy voice
and will find thee. Now, now the
sweet, suasive tones of q near spirit
encourages me to draw near these thy
earthly remains. Happy,
happy; my soul exults, my thoughts
expand. Dear, sweet friend, feel
thy presence near; faint view Of thy
form, now, but breath separates
us. My whole being is ready to leap
the dividing line-but, oh, these
clouds, these clogs of earth! Thou art
gone. Twas hut the whisper of my
hopes; twas but fancy, feverish de-
lirium. Since tbs faded the heart
beats and bruises itself. How feeble
will my feet prove to walk alone! The
dark night draws on; and oh, little
star, before you fade quite away, shift
your sweet light and learn the place
where she is to lie; the place that we
will mark with blooming, whitish flow-
ers; where we will bury her and heap
cold clods upon the unfeeling remnant
of humanity; and there, star, you
shall watch the despised worm eat its
fill from her tender flesh, and nestle
close to the grinning skeleton; you
shall see above her old time friends
meet and sing, part and weep, grow
old and die; watch while @ons roll,
while every recognition of once ami
mate beings passes away; and, watch
with me to, yet little while before
you close out your sweet light and part
yourself from me. See! the dawn
breaks first over yonder cross, above
the church-yard graves. 1t lights
them up in wondrous beauty; beauty
that is warm in the crimson and gold
of glory; beauty that warns my de-
jected heart with promise ,f
strength, and glow that subdues and
softens sorrows and abstracts its Bit
| teTest stings, while it breathes peace
and harmony to the waywari soul.