Year: 1860

yet, had she stirred, no one knows what ma
levolent instinct might have dominated anew
But of that she did not dream long ago
stripped of any expectation, she was expert
encng in her divine rapture how myStically
true it is that " he that dwelleth in the secret
place Of the Most High shall abide under the
shadow of the Almighty"


Slow clarion cries now wound from the dis
tance ns the cocks caught the intelligence of
day and re echoed it family from farm to farm,
sleepy sentinels of night, sounding the foes
invasion, and translatipg that dim intuition to
ringing notes of warning. Still she chanted
on A remote crash of brushwood told of
some other beast on his depredations, or some
night,belated traveller cropping his way through
the narrow path Still she chanted on. The
far, faint echoes of the chandeliers died into
distance, the crashing of the branches grew
nearer No wild beast that, but mans step,
"a mans form in the moonlight, stalwart and
strong,--on one arm slept little child, in the
other hand he held his gun. Still she chanted
on.


Perhaps, when her husband last looked
forth, he was half ashamed to find what
fear he felt for her. He knew she would nev-
er leave the child so long but for some drest
need, and yet he may have laughed at him
self, as he lifted and wrapped it with awkward
care, and, loading his gun and strapping on


his horn, opened the door again and closed it


behind him, going out and plungng into the
dnrkness and dangers of the forest. He was


more singularly alarmed than he would have


been willing to acknowledge as he had sat
with his bow lowering over the strings he had
half believed to hear her voice minglng gay
ly with the instrument, till he paused and list
ened if she were not abJGt to lift the latch
and enter. As he drew nearer the heart of
the forest, that intimation of melody seemed
to grow more actual, to take body and breath,
to come and go on long swells and ebbs of the
night-breeze, to increase with tune and words.
till strange, shrill singing grew even clearer,
and, as he stepped into an open space of moon
beams. far up in the branches, rocked by the
wind, and singing, " How beautiful upon the
mountains are the feet of him that bringeth
good tidings, that pubsheth peace" he saw
his wife, his wife,-but, great cd in heaven!
how Some mad exclamation escaped him.
without dverting her. The child knew the
singing voice, though never heard before in
that unearthly key, and turned toward it
through the yelling dreams. With a celebrity
almost instantaneous, it lay, in the twinkling
of an eye on the ground at the fathers feet,
while his gun was raised to his shoulder and
leveled at the monster covering his wife with
shaggy form and flaming gaze,-his wife so
ghaStly white, so rigid, so stained with blood,
her eyes so fxedly bent above, aud her lips,
that had indurated into the chiSeled pallor of
marble, parted only with that food of solemn
song.


/ do not know if it were the motherinstinct
That fdr moment lowered her eyeS,-those
eyes so lately rveted on heaven now sudden
ly seeing all lifelong bliss possible A thrill
of Joy pierced and shivered through her like a
weapon, her voice trembled in its course, her
glance i6st its steady strength, fever dushes
chased each other over her face, yet she never
once ceased chanting. She was quite aware,
that if her husband shot now, the ball must
pierce her body before reaching any vital part
of the beast,-and yet better that death, by
his hand, than the other. But this her hus-
band also knew, and he remained motionless
Just covering the creature with the sight. He
dared not fire lest some would not mortal
should break the spell exercised by her voice
and the beast, enraged with pan should rend
ner in atoms moreover, the light was too un
certain for his aim. So he waited. Now and
then he examined his gun to see if the damp
were injurng its charge, now and then he
wiped the great drops from his forehead
Again the cocks crowed with the passing hour
the last time they we're heard on that night
Cheerful home sound then, how full of safety
and all comfort and rest it seemed what
sweet morning incidents Of sparkling fire and
sunshine, of gay household hustle, shining
dresser, and cooling baby, of streaming cattle
in the yard, and brimming milk-pails at the
door what pleasant voices what laughter
what security and here -


Now, as she sang on in the slow, endless,
infinite moments, the fervent vision of Gods
peace was gone. Just as the grave had lost
its sting she was snatched back again into the
arms of earthly hope. In vain she tried to
sing, "There remaineth rest for the people
of God, her eyes trembled on her husbands,
and she could think only of him, and of the
child, and of happiness that yet might be- but
with what dreadful gulf of doubt between
She shuddered now in suspense all calm for
sock her she was tortured with disSolving
heats or frozen with'icy blasts her face con.
tracted, growing small and pinched her voice
was hoarse and Sharp,-every tone cut like a
knife,-the notes became heavy to lift, with
held by some hostile pressure, - impossible
One gasp, convusive effort, and there was
slence,-she had lost her voice.


The beast made q sluggish movement
stretched and fawned like one awaking,-l
then, as if he would hare yet more of the en-
chantment, stirred her slightly with his muzzle.
As he did So sidelong hint Of the man stand
ing below with the raised gun smote him he
sprung round furiously, and seizng his prey,
was about to leap into some unknown airy den
of the topmost branches now waving to the
slow dawn. The late moon had rounded
through the sky so that her gleam at last fell
L. IL IL