Graham's Magazine, Vol. XLI, No. 6, December 1852Various
General
Graham's Magazine, Vol. XLI, No. 6, December 1852
Various
Literature -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals
Seem’st thou dimly to remember
Some sweet spot ne’er seen before,
To have visited or known it,
Or in dreams or times of yore?
Doth a word send waking fancies,
Ringing thought’s familiar brain,
Faint and distant, yet familiar,
Where and when we seek in vain.
Mrs. Acton Tindal.
We must allow an interval of sixteen years to pass away ere we again
appear before our readers. To the quiet meeting-house mentioned in our
opening chapter, we now revert. The chaplets and flowers we described
previously, had long since withered away and returned to their parent
dust, and with them, except in faint tradition and in the hearts of the
bereaved parents, the name of the lost boy.
The humble building was now half-covered with ivy, and the small,
secluded grave-yard was studded with simple stones and heaped with
grassy mounds; showing that Time had not been idle in his allotted work.
On one side lay the garden of the little house belonging to the
pastor--a quiet dwelling shaded with sycamores, which threw large
branches over the wall, and heavily shaded that side of the grave-yard.
The low bell had done ringing some time, and the congregation had all
assembled. The small house overflowed with numbers, and what cannot be
said of many such assemblies, contained but one class of human
beings--all meeting on equal terms--none striving after the highest
seat--difference of station having never been so much as named among
them. These consisted chiefly of old men dressed in the respectable garb
of the colonists, and women of different ages.
Opposite the reading-desk was Pastor Bartlett’s pew. The only occupants
were his wife and daughter. The latter would have attracted attention in
any assembly, for her beauty was of an uncommon cast. Her face was of
that kind which is our ideal of a cherub’s--rounded, pure, innocent and
happy. The long, golden hair absolutely sparkled in the light, while her
skin realized the old poet’s exquisite description:
“Fair as the snow whose fleeces clothe
Our Alpine hills;--sweet the rose’s spirit
Or violet’s cheek, on which the morning leaves
A tear at parting.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account