The Yazoo sentinel. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1878-1916, 1885-05-07
Those Bellsi
BY WILLIS H. COOKE.

Oh, those bells those bells Their
sound steals through the drowsy sum-
mer air, q soft, monotonous music,
which, to many heart, no doubt,
would speak peace and repose
To mine they bring dreary sense Of
desolation, dull, aching pain that none
can realize but those who but for one
brief, bright period Of life have lived in
tho sunshine Of perfect happiness, pro-
found contentment and peace, then to
look out upon world In which the very
sunbeams seem sorrow laden---a world
from which all Joy appears to have fed,
and from which q thousand bright an
ticipations and joyous hopes have gone
out forever-aye, forever
1t is early autumn now, and the val
ley upon which / look out as l sit by
the open window is clad In the richest
luxuriance. Meadows are all aglow with
flowers, and woods are gently rustling
their ruddy foliage at the foot Of hills
which lift their calm and smiling peaks
to the glowing cum. Aye, there it Is Just
as il all was when looked out upon it
with q rapture, which sometimes in
duced strange, blissful tears. There 1t
is now, all exquisite beauty, know
but for me, at least, there is no gladness
in that scene.
/ close my weary eyes, and, as with
the touch OF magician's wand, those
sweet leaves and dainty flowers have
vanished; the mellow light OF the sup
has gone suddenly out and left only the
cold glimmer OF tie stars to look down
upon scene OF wintry desolation.
Snow covers the meadows aud glimmers
through the darkness from the hedge.
rows beneath the woods which sway
sadly to and fro, and moan in the keen
wintry wind. Through the gloom and
desolation, / am wandering like one in
q dreadful dream. / have had sudden
blow--a blow dealt, it Is true, in all
gentleness and compassion, but which,
nevertheless, when II fell well nigh be.
reft me Of reason.
Down by yonder hillside there, Just
where the stream steals out from the
woods and goes flashing and rolling out
into the ruby light Of the setting sun, /
wandered on just such an evening as
this. There is path down there which
winds hither and thither among the
overhanging trees, heath, covered crags
and tuning little cascades which splash
up and down among ferns and foxgloves
ON their way to the broad streams be-
low them. There / wandered, and with
my light hat slung on my arm, culled
flowers, and sang in sheer lghtness Of
heart, as l thought Of one whose
kindly smile had, as he babe me good
night, looked at me with an earnest, in
eitable tenderness that made me from
BILE Aud while wandered, and sang,
aud gatherered my flowers, there came
behind me football and quiet, manly
voice, and l turned, to have the sanio
gaze again bent on me.
The sun went down in a bed Of rosy
clouds the dews Of evening stole lightly
oveS the placid surface of the
river, and the last mellow notes Of
the blackbird were ringing through
the valley, wnen strong arm
stole round me, and dull, but soft and
tremulous voice told me Of heartfelt
love and undying devotion. I can hear
II now. / can feel the quick beating Of
his heart as he pressed me to his side
and kissed my brow, aud night after
night how / dreamed We were again
coming from the little church nesting
among the trees there; that friendly
faces smiled upon rs, that children
strewed flowers in our path, and that
the old organ pealed ont upon the
sunshine the Joyous strains Ct Mendels-
shon's wedding march. And yet Il Is q
saddening dream; for while We halt foT
2 moment in the porch, the flowers
w.ther and die on the ground helure rs,