The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-09-15
A DISEMBODIED SPIRIT.
From Macmillan's Magazine.

a DISEMBODIED SPIRIT.
From Macmillan's Magazine
A strange stiffness and darkness, Rrny,
black twilight everywhere. broken only BY
q whitentss beneath; yet the darkness and
stiffness were nothing to me save as condis
lions that existed. but in whichI had no
concern. passed out Of the room, though
no door opened for me, and down the stairs.
dream; they went by sad and silent, not
even seeing me. In room beneath where
Pickering candle burnt, were two human
beings, the one q babe sleeping in it's cot;
stood by its side for a moment mot knowing
what made me stay, but saw the ehild's
face and felt strange comfort at the sight. 4
The other was a man sitting by q table, his
arms stretched out across, and his head
resting down upon them. He did not move
or stir, his face was hidden, but I knew chat
he was bowed down BY sorrow. and there
was something that drew me to his side that
made me long to comfort him, to say pity
row and sleep, how long were thought and
waking. But the longing was underlined,
and had no power to shape itself into acrion,
and stood silent and still. Then i put
out my hand and touched his shoulder. He
did not raise his head, but for the first time
he moved, his frame was suddenly con-
vulsed, and he sobbed bitterly. And SO
the night passed, he weeping and ! watch
ing and stealthily and cruelty the morning
light crept in at the staring, uncurtained
windows.
was in the upper room again; knew
not how, nor how long after, for
me. looked round the room; it was
ito Of
was bed, and on it the outline of a human
form covered by sheet. There seemed
some dim memory hanging about the room;
but that was all, for consciousness
returns but slowly, and knowledge rLmains
but of few things, and only Of those beings
that have made mark upon our souls that
even death cannot efface. The door opened,
and the man who had been weeping below
entered, and suddenly remembered and
knew my husband. His face was sad and
pale, his eyes were dim, his head was bent.
but he raised it for moment as he enter
ed, and looked nervously round the room.
held out my arms to him, but he passed
me by, taking no notice; called him by
his name, but he did not hear me. He
went upto the bed, and, kneeling down,
took the handkerchief from the dead face;
step by step I went forward to losk at it.
1t was my own!
"Ah! no, no, nor shrieked, 1T is not
I! am here beside you, my husband! Oh!
my loye-my love it is not I! lam here!
Look at me, speak to mel am here!" but
the words died away, and he. did not hear
them, and knew that sound had gone
from me forever. And still he knelt by
the dead, giving it dear names, and show
longing for all that.was given for love of
me, and yet not to me; stood looking with
strange fear and shrinking at the white face
and the still lips and the closed eyes-at
that which had been my own self and was
myself no more. But still he knelt there
calling it me, and crying out to that which
heard not, and saw not, and was but watt
! ing for the black grave to hide it.
AT last he covered the face with the
handkerchief again, and rose and left the
room. I could not follow him, and waited
in unutterable longing to weep, but having
no tears: to speak, bat having no words; to
die, but finding that time and death had
passed by-that to death had paid tribute
and yet remained.
I looked round the room, and slowly
there came dim memories of many things
of pain, and sorrow, and parting; of pain,
that death had conquered, and that lay for
ever vanquished in that still form: Of sor-
row, that death had left, and that only one
soul could conquer soul still living with.
in human body. knew the room now:
twas the one I used to sleep in and had
called my own; they had covered the furni-
ture with white, and yet around and about
my things my hands had fashioned hands
that never more might stir single leaf OF
move one atom from its place. Suddenly,
in corner OF the room, saw the uncover
ed looking glass. and wondering. remem-
| n. on foo ri,,rr ch,1,
strange terror. I went forward, and stand
ing before it, looked and nothing.
All else saw in the room, the shrouded
furniture, some fading flowers in vase,
the outline of the dead woman lying on the
bed-everything; but of me that stood be-
fore it there was no sign, no trace nothing
nothing. And still, scarce believing, and
holding cut my hands to it in my agony,
stood before it, but the vacant glass gave
no sign, no trace; showed nothing nothing.
Then l understood-then realized-tha,
sight and sound knew me no longer, and
that the eyes loved were blind to me il
while time should last; and time, thai
heaps dust on all things, would
heap it up higher and higher between the
memory Of my face and him. But did he
not feel my presence? did he not know
ut was by him, until, at last from out O
the worn body, the soul should slowly if
itself into that which is but one step high
or in the uniyerse?-tiu meeting should b
again, and sorrow and parting no more
For as the clay letters fall, dear
and the earthly chains one by one give way
o,1r souls shall draw nearer and nearer, I'M
tin slowly the mist shall clear and we shall
see each other once more face to face, and
out of the darkness Of human pain shall
come everlasting light. How the knowledg'
of this would help you! how it would com
fort YOU to know that though sight ant
sound have gone, yet there is one thlnt
that links the worlds together memOr..
that binds the mortal to the immortal! 70
love that is stronger than life shall b.
stronger than death, and, passing on, shal
look upon death--the love that came to ii
from without, and shall pass out with III
into that which ever has been and shall be
unto which no end is. Througl
all the long days which followed wa
with him, through allhis lonely hours an,
passionate grief. stood by him when b.
slept, and whispered loving words int.
his ears, and he heard them and was com
fo,ted. And we travelled back togethe
along the dream road to all that had beer
J in the far-off time, and the remembrance
IF old sweet DAYS came before his sleepin.