Part 11 (1/2)
Apologies and blushes, Soft looks, averted eyes, Each heart into the other rushes, Each yields, and wins a prize.
A gathering of fond friends,-- Brief, solemn words, and prayer,-- A trembling to the fingers' ends, As hand in hand, they swear.
Sweet cake, sweet wine; sweet kisses, And so the deed is done; Now for life's waves and blisses, The wedded two are one.
And down the s.h.i.+ning stream, They launch their buoyant skiff, Bless'd, if they may but trust hope's dream, But ah! Truth echoes--”If!”
THE SEQUEL.--”IF.”
If health be firm--if friend be true-- If self be well-controlled, If tastes be pure--if wants be few-- And not too often told--
If reason always rule the heart-- If pa.s.sion own its sway-- If love--for aye--to life impart The zest it does to-day--
If Providence, with parent care, Mete out the varying lot-- While meek contentment bows to share, The palace, or the cot--
And oh! if Faith, sublime and clear, The spirit upwards guide-- Then bless'd indeed, and bless'd for ever, The bridegroom and the bride!
ELMA'S MISSION.
”EVER, evermore!” repeated a young man, bending with a smile over the fair face that rested on his breast.
”Yes! evermore!” softly breathed the smiling lips upon which he gazed, and evermore shone from the melting, heavenly eyes.
”And you believe all these bright fancies you have been telling me of, darling?” asked the young man.
”Ah! yes--they are truth to me; they dwell in my heart of hearts--they belong to the deepest and sweetest mysteries of my being. I gaze out through the glory upon life, and I see no coldness, no darkness--everything is coloured with bright radiance from the eternal world. It is happiness that gives me this beautiful view. I have known that the world was filled, with love, but I have never so clearly seen it before. And sure I am that if I were to die now, this same splendour of love would still be poured through my soul; for it is myself, and I cannot lose it. If you were next week in Europe, far from me, would not your inner world be illumined with love and hope?”
”It certainly would!
”And can you doubt the durability, the truth and reality of this inner-life? Can this clay instrument be of any moment farther than it serves to develop life, in this, our first school?--we should not confound the earthly dwelling with the free man who makes it his temporary home. Ah! Horace, I feel, I am, sure, you will some day enjoy all these enn.o.bling thoughts with me, and then existence will also be to you sublime.”
An expression of radiant hope flitted over the young man's face, and he kissed the soft lips and eyes of his betrothed, while he murmured, ”I would suffer the loss of all happiness on earth, I would bear every stroke the Almighty might inflict, if I _could_ believe as you do, of a life beyond this. I am no unbeliever, you know. I read my Bible daily, but beyond this world everything to me is misty and dark. I shudder at the ghastliness of the grave, and would forget that I cannot always clasp your warm heart to my own.
You were surely sent to be my good angel, to teach me all that is gentlest and best in my nature, and this holy love _must_ last evermore. I have always smiled at the idea of love, at first sight, but when I first saw your face, Elma, none ever was so welcome; yet if you had not proved all that your face and manner promised, I should not have fallen in love. I half-believe matches are made in Heaven--ours will be Heaven-made, if any are. You think human beings are made for each other, as the saying is, do you not?”
”Yes!” returned Elma, smiling, ”I _hope_ we are made to be partners in this world, and a better one, but how can I know it? When my happy womanhood first dawned, I had wild, sweet dreams that here on earth I and many others would surely meet the true half that belonged to us--one with whom every thought would find a response. I have met many whose views are like mine, and yet whose natures are so different that we could not see each other's souls; perhaps if they had loved me, I could have seen more clearly--but my rebellious heart went forth to meet you, although I tried so long to turn away--although I trembled to think the religion of our natures was so unlike.”
”I once thought, love, that I should never win you--it was your pale lips and the mournful intensity of your look, when we met after a long absence, that gave me new hope; and I have often wondered, Elma, why you gave so unhesitating an a.s.sent, when you had for months at a time avoided me at every opportunity.”
”It was because my views had changed in a manner--although still believing in the fitness of two out of the whole universe for each other, I began to think that on earth these very two might each have a mission to others, and others to them, which would more fully call out their characters, and perhaps develop the dark traits necessary to be conquered--so that perfect harmony might be evolved from chaos. It once seemed to me, with the views I held, that it would be a sin for me to unite my destiny with one who did not sympathize with me on all points. But the sad fate of Augusta Atwood made me reflect deeply. She was my bosom friend, and never did mortal go to the altar with brighter hopes--never did human being love more unreservedly. She whispered to me as I arranged her hair on the morning of her bridal:--'This seems to me like the beginning of my heavenly life--there is not a height or depth of my soul that Charles's nature does not respond to--I _know_ that we two are truly one.” And so it seemed for two happy years--his character took every one by surprise, perhaps himself, and now Augusta is a miserably neglected wife, toiling on like an angel to reap good from her desolated earth-life. Yet we see that her mighty love was not a true interpreter. No doubt her lover was sincere at the time in believing that they not only felt, but thought alike. I have known many instances, very many, where two, perhaps equally good and true, have thought themselves fitted for each other and none else; yet on the death of one, they have found a companion who was still more especially made for them. Thus we see that this is a matter where there appears to be little certainty and many mistakes. Doubtless, there are some few blessed ones who truly find their better--half; but in this sinful, imperfect state of life, we cannot believe that we are in an order sufficiently harmonious to have this a sure thing. Perhaps one-third of the women in the world never even loved half as well as they felt themselves capable of loving, simply because no object presented himself who could call forth all the music of a high and n.o.ble nature.
”So many a soul o'er life's drear desert faring, Love's pure congenial spring unfound, unquaffed, Suffers, recoils, then thirsty and despairing Of what it would, descends and sips the nearest draught.”
But, Elma, my child, it is not pleasant to me that you should have a single doubt that _we_ are not dearer to each other than any other mortals could ever be in this world, or the beautiful one you love to dream of.”
”I am telling you, Horace, the thoughts that have been in my mind--I only feel now that you are good and gifted, and I love you more than I ever dreamed of loving.”
”And you, sweet, are the breath of my life. It is heavenly to know that G.o.d has given you, and you alone, to be the angel ministrant of my oft tempestuous life: you have risen like a star over my cloudy horizon--may the light of the gentle star s.h.i.+ne on my path, until it leads me unto the perfect day!”