The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-12-12

told that the sunken city, its homes, Its
public buildings, it's churches and towers
may yet be seen at times when the sea
is calm. They say that the buildings
are just as they were aforetime. only
now they are garlanded with graceful fes-
toons of -seaweed, trailing marine plants
and long hair-lilze moss. From the many
moss-shrouded towers down in the sea
may be heard the smothered tones of the
old church bells as they are swayed by
the undercurrents of the deep No bells
along the coast are as sweetly musical as
those that went down long, long ago.
/ do not know whether anyone else has
ever thought of this story in the light
of allegory, but to me 1t stands for the
sinking of a city called Youth. which dis
appeared into the depths of the Sea of
Time. 1t was once full of life, activity,
dreams, ambitions and hopes; but it went
down. down into the depths and was lost
foreverl And yet memory fingers over the
spot where it sank, love hovers over II as
a bird flutters over her despoiled nest,
and there may even yet be heard its joy
Gus bells whose music recalls forms and
faces that are
Dear as remembered kisses after DEATH
"Once upon a time'-Oh. blessed
words of life's golden childhood years.
when with wandering eyes we looked up
into the dear face, of her who loved us
most as her lips parted and began ,'Once
upon time!' All, what strange, beau
tiful things of Fairyland followed that
"Once upon a time as we cnddled
up in her arms and realized the strength
of the nameless love of mothers heart.
How long those lips have been silent
. and no music has ever been SO sweet
as her quiet, loving "Once upon a time
l think l should like hereafter to hear
her say it in the beautiful world to
which she is gone!
Well "once upon a time there were
two bells cast side by side. They were
of the same metal, looked precisely alike
and had the same musical tone, for they
each had the same amount of brass.
silver and gold in their composition.
They were called the twin sister BELLS
They were shipped one day for foreign
land AS they departed from the little
village by the sea where they were cast
the workmen said words of loving fare
well to them as IL they were human;
women crossed themselves and prayed
that the Blessed Virgin would protect
them in their long voyage and never
permit them to be separated. And so.
the winds kissed the sails and the ship
calamity rode away under sunny skies
with the twin sisters" fastened upon the
deck. But before the voyage done
terrific tempest swept the sea. The
ship seemed doomed. The nlasts were
snapped asunder and carried away.
Finally the ropes securing one of the
bells, being frayed to thread, parted
and one of the twin bells was swept
away into the sea. Dreadfully battered
and disabled the ship at last dragged
into the harbor of the destined port In
due time the single bell was hung in
u lofty cathedral tower in city on the
sea coast. From its great height It
pathetically called to prayer and often
the seward winds waited the golden
tones of the Angelus far out to the sail
ors on the deep. But a strange thing
always occurred when the bell in the
tower rang. AS the soft tones floated
over the waters there rose from the
sea soft, melancholy music. SO tender
that only tears could tell its pathos and
the sailors said It was the sister bell
In the deep that heard and responded to
the bell in the tower though many faith
oms down in the sea.
Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning at the
bar.
When / put out to sea.
But such tide as moving seems asleep
Too full for sound or foam.
When that which drew from out the