Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-02-11

Lily drooped her head and sat down on til
summit of q knoll, repeating. Where il
this world shall we build our temple ?"
"Ah have you already asked yourselve
that question ?' said their companion, hi
shaded features growing even gloomier witt
the smile that dwelt on them "yet there i
a place, even in this world, where ye ma,
build it,
While the old man spoke, Adam Forres
ter and and Lilias had carelessly thrown
their eyes around, and perceived that tn,
spot where they had CHANGED to pause pos
sessed quiet charm, which was enougl
adapted to their present mood of mind. |
was small rise of ground, with a certain
regularity of shape, that had perhaps beer
bestowed by art and a group OF trees
which almost surrounded it, threw theil
pensiye shadows across aDd far beyond, al
though some softened glory of the sunshine
found its way there. The ancestral man
sion, wherein the lovers would dwell togeth.
er, appeared on one side, and the iyieC
church, where they were to worship, on an.
other. Happening to cast their eyes on the
| ground, they smiled, vet with a sense o
wonder, to see that pale lily was growing
at their feet.
We will build our Temple here" said
simultaneously, and with an indescribable
they, conviction that they had at last found
the very spot.
Yet, while they uttered this exclamation,
the young man and the Lily turned an ap-
prehensiye z lance at their dreary associate,
deeming it hardly possible that some tale of
earthly affiiction should not make those pre-
cincts loathsome, as in every former case.
The old man stood just behind them. so as
to form the chief in the group, with his sa-
be cloak mutlling the lower part of his Wis
age, and his sombre hat over-shadowing his
brows. But he gave no word Of dissent
from their purpose A., and an inscrutable
smile was accepted by the lovers as a token
that here had been no footprint of guilt or
SORROW, to desecrate the site of their Temple
OF Happiness.
In little time longer, while summer was
still in It's prime, the fairy structure of the
Temple arose on the summit of the knoll
amid the solemn shadows of the trees, vet
often gladdened with bright sunshine. 1t
was built Of white marble, with slender and
graceful pillars supporting a vaulted dome ;
and beneath the centre of this dome, upon
pedestal, was a slab of dark-yeined mar
bic, on which books and music might be
strewn. But there was a fantasy among the
people Of the neighborhood, that the edifce
was planned after an ancient mausoleum,
and was intended for tomb, and that the
central slab Of dark-yeined marble was to be
inscribed with the names Of buried ones.
They doubted, too, whether the form Of
Lilias Fay could appertain to a creature Of
this earth, being 50 very delicate. and grow
ing every day more fragile, 50 that she look
cd as if the summer breeze should snatch
her mp, and wait her heayenward. But
still She watched the daily growth of the
who now made that spot his continual
haunt, leaning whole hours together on his
staff, and giving as deep attention to the
work as though it had been indeed a tomb
In due time it was finished, and day ap-
pointed for a simple rite Of dedication.
On the preceding evening, after Adam
Forester had taken leave of his mistress, he
looked back towards the portal Of her
dwelling, and felt strange thrill Of fear
for be imagined that, as the setting sun
beams faded from her figure, she was ex-
haling away, and that something Of her
ethereal substance was Withdrawn, with
each lessening gleam Of light. With his
farewell glance. u shadow had fallen over
the portal, and Lilias was invisible. lli-
foreboding spirit deemed it an omen at the
time and so it proved for the sweet
earthly form, by which the Lily had been
manifested to the world, was found liieless,
the next morning, in the Temple, with her
head resting on her arms. which were folded
upon the slab Of dark-yeinei marble The
chill winds of the earth had long since
breathed blight into this beautiful flower.
50 that a loving hand has now transplanted
blossom brightly in the garden Of Para
disc.
Bat alas for the Temple Of Happiness
In his unutterable grief, Adam Forester
had no purpose more at heart than to con-
vert this Temple Of many delightful hopes
into a tomb. and bury his dead mistress
there. And 10 4 wonder Digging a grave
beneath the Temple : marble floor, the sex
ton found no virgin earth, such as was meet
to receive the maiden's dust, but an ancient
sepulchre, in which were treasured mp the
bones Of generations that had died long
ago Among those forgotten ancestors was
the Lily to be laid. And when the funeral
procession brought Lilias thither in her eoi
I'm, they beheli old Walter Gascoigne stand
ing beneath the dome Of the Temple, with
his cloak of pail, and face Of darkest gloom
and wherever that figure might take its
stand, the spot would seem a sepulchre. lie
watched the mourners as they lowered the
coffin down.
" And so,'' said he to Adam Forester,
with the strange smile in which his insanity
was wont to CLEAN forth, " YOU have found
no better foundation for your happiness than
on a grave :"
But as the Shadow of Affection spoke,
vision Of Hope and Joy had its birth in
Adam mind, even from the old mans
taunting words, for then he knew what
was betokened by the parable in which the
Lily and himself had acted and the mys-
tery Of Life and Death was opened to him.
d" Joy joy!' he cried, throwing his
arms towards Heaven, d" on a grave be the
site of our Temple and now our happiness
is for Eternity"
With these words ray Of sunshine broke
through the dismal sky, and glimmered
down into the sepulchre while, at the same
moment, the shape of old Walter Gascoigne
stalked dreaIily away, because his gloom.
symbolic Of all earthly sorrow, might DO
longer abide there, now that the darkest
riddle Of humanity was read.