THOU gilded phantom of the cheated brain, Through days and nights of long-successive years We follow thee—through sunshine and through tears, With beating hearts and eager eyes, in vain We wait thy coming! now thou art anear, And now afar-off straying, and again Dost give as something of thy bliss to feel, That we, contrasting thy sweet self and pain, Might know thee worthy all our woes to heal. Thou art the essence of a joy supreme, Too pure to dwell upon this earthly clod— The real presence of the Christian’s dream; Thy dwelling is where mortal never trod, Thy home is Heaven! and thy creator—God! * * * * * HOME: OR A VISIT TO THE CITY. A SOUTHERN STORY OF REAL LIFE. BY THE AUTHOR OF “THE GOLD BEADS.” CHAPTER I. Far from the mad’ning crowds ignoble strife Their sober wishes never learned to stray, Along the cool sequestered vale of life They kept the even tenor of their way. GRAY’S ELEGY. ABOUT thirty miles from Savannah, on the banks of the river of that name, is a pretty little village, which, with its small white houses nestled away in the thick green woods, is something like a hail-stone which has fallen in a cluster of green leaves. Scarce a quarter of a mile from the village is the modest residence of Mrs. Delmont, which is in itself a little paradise of beauty. Shaded by the stately sycamore, the magnolia, with its deep green leaves, the catalpa, with its silver blossoms, and the luxuriant orange-tree, it stands unrivaled for the romance of its situation for miles around; while the cape-jessamine, the japonica, the oleander, and many other rare and beautiful flowers lend their radiant hues to ornament the latticed piazza, which is covered over with the fragrant honeysuckle, together with jessamines of every hue. In this beautiful and peaceful retreat Mrs. Delmont had resided since the death of her husband, which had taken place when her children, of whom she had three, were very young. William, her only son, was a sunny faced boy of eight years old. Rosa, two years older, had the blue eyes and golden hair of her mother; while Clara had her father’s dark eyes and shining hair, which clustered in dark brown ringlets around her fair face.