Year: 1869

/ It approached the evening twilight The
mother of mankind was placed by her de-
scendants in front Of her tent reclining on
her rude couch. The western wind famed
her pale check, and played amid her gray
locks Near her sat her husband. Eve turn
ed her eye upon him with a look Of sadness,
yet Of deep affection, and as she saw his
wrinkled brow, bent form, and head Of snowy
whiteness, seemed to call to mind other days
lnwardly she reproached herself. ." All, not
thus was it saw him when first given to him
by our God Where has vanished that manly
form-where is the elastic step-where the
eye that beamed with ightness-where now
the rich and mellow voice Alas And it
was | who tempted and destroyed him-I,
the wife, the cherished companion-I bade
him eat and now what is he, who but for
me had known neither pain nor sorrow nor
age And what remains of her, on whose
beauty he then gazed with unsated delight
A trembling, wrinkled form, just sinking into
the grave. Where is now that paradise, with
its rich fruits--that balmy air which brought
on every breath a tribute to each happy sense
those rays which warmed but never scorch-
ed And still more sad thought-departed
is that blissiul intercourse with Him who
made us rich in the happiness Of living His
voice no longer is in our ears,-driven from
bliss, from scenes so lovely-the earth cursed
sin, sorrow and death, the inheritance of
her children"


Our mother was overcome by the rush Of
recollections Her eyes, long dry, found new
fountains, and her aged form shook with deep
emotion.


1t may be that Adam had been indulging
in musings not unlike these, for he was start
his wife The old man placed himself beside
her. She laid her head upon his bosom, and
he spoke:


What moves thee, Eve ?"


"Oh, my husband, how canst thou show
kindness to her who has done all this Thou
vast young and knew only happiness, and all
around was formed to delight our every sense
and | who should have strengthened your
virtue, fell and dragged thee with me, the
partner of my sin, to this depth Of ruin
And after few Year, of toll ahd anxiety,
we are about to lay these worn out frames
in the dust.


" But for sin we had lived in perpetual
youth, and feared no change The threaten
ed death has worked slowly but surely, and
now with us its work is nearly done.


The first 10 sin, it was meet that should
first return to dust. Had the guilt and the
curse been only mine | might endure it, But
see thee now and l compare thee with
what thou vast as it seems to me, but yes
terday


4 few days will lay thee low Let our
children place us side by side in the cold
earth know not why it is, yet it seems to
me there will be comfort in our bodies dis
solving together, as if there were something
consciousness in the lifeless dust


Little of comfort is now left in life, yet
cannot endure the thought that shall ut
terly cease to be


g Adam, thou hast often given me words of
consolation. Is there aught to cheer me,
now am to bid thee farewell ?


" Thou seest yonder sun-thou wilt again
see him rise, and set he is bidding me last
adieu. Sense shall soon cease forever, and
no light shall again enter these eyes"


The old man wiped the tears which fell on
the wrinkled brow of his partner. A sud-
den light was upon his countenance as if
new lamp was lit up in his soul Eve saw it,
and it brought to her a gleam of hope she
gazed on his face as if death had lent new
powers to her faded vision.


First of women, said Adam, claim no
preeminenee in guilt-together we sinned-
together we have borne the punishment.


" But there is redemption--there is a
hope.


" Whilst thinking of the fearful change
which betokened my heart that its partner
was about to be taken away, heavenly light
beamed on my thoughts and taught me to
understand the visions which have so often
visited me on my couch.


" We shall not die there is a costly ran
som provided-we must sleep under the cold
earth, but we shall rise again in the freshness
Of that youth which wedrst enjoyed, and puri-
fed from all sin, we shall walk in our Eden
seven times more beautiful than when we
first roved amidst its fruits and flowers And
there will be thousands who, inheriting our
evil natures, will have found powerful
Physician whose presence shall wake ten
thousand harps to melody.


Thou wilt 60 little before me to the
grave, but we shall rise together with the
glad shout of jubilation, and with US, mill
lions of our posterity, ransomed from the
curse"


Adam paused, his eye fell on the face of
his wife--a smile seemed to play in the
brightness of hope on her pale lip, but the
heart had ceased to beat, and that sleep had
fallen on her which the trump cf the arch
angel only shall disturb.