Year: 1863

! Yes the wife you loved so foundly, cherished


so tenderly is dead. She lies in the shady room


she loved SO well; but she heels not now where


they place her. You go in and look on the


calm and sweet face-marble like in its repose


no smile beams there on your approach. The
! warm blood mounts no longer to the soft cheek


You press your lips wildly to hers, that for the


first time give back no answering pressure


You take the little pale hand in yours but the


slender fingers clasp around yours no longer.
! You breathe the name that has ever been the
dearest u you in the wide world, but she hears
your voice no more she is DEAD They robe


her in a snowy shroud and lay her in a narrow
coffin. Oh can you live while she Is 'pr.soned


there, you wildly ask. The minister of God
says 4 few solemn words--weeping friends gath
CT round to take = last farewell, and when turn
ed away you stand by her but for the last time.
Can it be you must part with her forever; that
you look for the last fine on that dear face
press the last kiss TO her cold lips; but no tears
come TO your relief and friends draw you away
but you watch the undertaken as lie folds the
muslin over that face, and turns the coffin iii
closely down You feel as il you would suifo-





in quickly, tightly and you follow her to the grave
that yawns TO receive the form casped SO many
times TO your heart. You see them lower her
III and hear the clods with a dali hollow sound
ND N her coffin. OH mcthinks there is no
SCUM. on earth that brings such feelings 10 the
heart, a. the sound of earth asst falls. covering
the for,ns OF those we love- You seek your
darkcned i!ome. but no white arms are clasped
round your neck {; no sweet voice bids yon wei
come; no blue eyes look into yours speaking The
love the lips do not always utter.


Here is where she used TO sit close by your
side. here the books>she read: there her piano
stands open with your iaTorltc song spread out;
but she will sit by your side read Tor you, play
for you, no more forever. You stand by the
window and look out in the garden; the flowers
sine planted are b!ossoning as brightly as If her
hand had traiuej them up this very morning,
bot OF beyond the garden you see the quaint
church spire, and there, close by, she slumbers
You turn away and sit down. with all this ago
ny at your heart, and memory takes sou buck
TO the long ago, to the first hour OF your ac-
quaintance with her, and you feel you loved her
then and love her now better than you can love
any one on earth. And you are right; she will
ever be neares. and dearest. You remember
talking with her long ago. OF death, and OF her
saying she would wish.to 20 first, for she could
never part with you On earth and live, and she
has gone first; but can YOU live without HER ?
You read the letters she penned to you in your
absence--yon look on a tress OF sunny hair sew
cred after death, with a grief at your heart





which will not be hushed.


Years pass on, aud another may brighten
your home, but as you listen to her merry words |
and Joyous laugh, when the dark eyes look in
your own, when her hand is warmly closed in
yours the memory of The early loved and lost
will sweep over your own heart until you for |,
get the loving one by your side Sometimes
you see u face or form that resembles hers, or
hear voice low AMI soft as hers used to be and
you find the young heart moul!ering in the grave
is us dear to you as ever, though another fills !
her place by your side. aud you thought for a
time you had given her up. Butno, she comes
often to you you sit by your cheerful tireside
you feel the arms circling round your neck, the
soft lips pressed to your brow; see the eyes so
mild and loving, looking dowh through yours
into your sonl; you hear the low tones telling |
you again how dear you are, but you start up
and look around on those gathered
about you, trying to shake off the Illusion asyo
how long she has been sleeping Ah,
the first true love of the heart never will, new
er can die cut. 1t may be silent for a time, but
it will rise up like ghost to haunt the hours
that might otherwise be happy. The heart,
thank God, is locked away from all human eyes