Year: 1868

SISTER, come back The wintry blast that
first sang requiem o 'er thy tomb, is hushed.
The gentle breath of Spring is unbinding the
earth from her icy fetters waking the flowers
from their tiny graves, and with fairy fingers
spreading o'er he meadows their delicate en-
erald carpeting. The brook ripples by as joy
ousy as when last we strolled along its messy,
flower enamelled banks The low soft murmur
of the river is woOlng me to weave around my
soul the mystic spell, as in those happy child
hood days. when seated on its banks, listened
to its enhancing music, and watched the tleeoy
Clouds as they gathered in their pure, soft
beauty around the mountains brow, or fitted
SO noiselessly through the far off sky. The
music is as sweet as Of yore-couds as soft
and bright gather around the mountain S brow,
but the dreams-O! where are they?


'Vanished as the hopes that seem,


moments length, and are no more"


The visions fade-fancy's enchanted cup from
which l then drank such deep intoxicating
draughts is broken, and in sparkling ruin lies,
with blighted hopes and withered joys. |
dream no mora


The buds in the forest are unfolding lit
tie woodland songsters are again warbling their
happy songs, Joyous welcome back to their
leafy homes Their is beautiful bursting into
life. alone am sad and lonely, no chord in
my heart vibrates responsive to the Joy around
me, tor | miss thee my Sister, | miss thy gentle
VOICE to cheer me when I m sad


u, sister, come back


Sister call me not back from the spirit land
Long | fingered by your side, and sadly |
mourned when | knew | must leave thee SO
lonely-but the Savior whispered spirit come
away and bright winged angels bore me soft.
ly across deaths cold stream, to this region of
bliss. No longer the cry of agony is wrung
from my pale lips, or the tear Of severance
dims my eye; but clothed in the spotess robe
of righteousness, with palms Of victory in my
hands, sing in undying strains, the song of
redeemed,


''Call me not back again,


Weave not around my soul the chain,
Severed in dying"


Sister, come back The dark storm is DER
spreading the sky--there is an ominous still
ness around. See, the lightning's red fash
shoots athwart the sky, the loud peals of thun>
der shake the earth-again and again the light
nings flash-the earth trembles-the trees of
the forest rock and wildly toss about in the
blast-the rain falls in torrents on the thirsty
ground. 'Tis now that miss thee, to stand
at my side as in other days we watched the
storm as it swept in all its subi,nity Ger the
land. Its fury is now spent; in the distance
we hear the lone mutterings of the thunder
the sun burts forth in his sp!endor-the beautl'
full green leaves gleam In his beams-the
washed rose lifts it's head glittaring with rain
drops, and the forest is again vocal with the
song of the birds as they come forth from their
leafy retreats All around visions of beauty
meet my eye-'tis a scene of enhancing lowell
ness-earth is so beautiful, why linger away SO
long?


Sister, know earth is beautiful-but alas
its beauties are evanescent-its joys are Heeting,
they pass away like the spar king drew drop as
tbs drunk up by the sun beams: In the lonely
rose bud turks the worm to feed on its opening
Beauties ere they burst, bloom, wither and die.
The friends that we love are torn from us by
the icy hand OF death, and we are left in sad
ness to mourn their loss. How oft the friend:
we cherished and trusted meet us with cold
averted looks, and leave US in secret and silence
to weep their detection. Thus the brightnes:
of earth is ershadowed. Here love and
| friendship know not change, ''and the smile ot
the Lord is the feast of the soul. F"
| Time has slowly waited me on, and weary
lonely months have sped away-away-aWay,
my own dear sister, since We bore you from
cherished home and laid your wasted form il
the grave by the side of loved ones who has
passed away. Again my bosom has thrilled
with ecstatic pleasure as watched the autumn