Part 48 (1/2)
”And what is that, Felix? I will proed, Felix ventured to say
”I have reo to see him His visits always seem to leave you kind o' solemncolly like, and all the world is surprise that you are so condescensious to the basket-, abruptly and sternly ”You per your superiors Leave the rooe in the rieved look, and ejaculating under his breath, as he closed the door, ”Good Lord!”
”What is the , presently to hi left alone ”I invite this poor fellohose only fault is that he loves me too much, to speak freely, and then treat hi an is to no one, and as if ere not wore of that precipice fros my conduct but froate a superiority over this poor negro Poor negro! There spoke the pride of your heart, Ja! But well is he called Felix in co born of a despised and persecuted race; happy in being condenorance that di here Strut about, Ja, in purple and fine linen, but know that for all these things, God will assuredly call thee to judg some question with himself
He paid less than even his usual attention to as passing around, andthe address In the afternoon, he started off by hi Felix, whose anxiety the rebuff in the thened and confirmed, watched his uard hier, the approach of which he instinctively felt, but which he could not see, unless Faith, to whoht proper to communicate his intention, had forbidden hireatly were the fears of the black excited, on whose uard the movements of her father from observation, cannot be supposed to have exerted sothe wisdo to disobey her, Felix blan
”This child head,” he said, apostrophizing himself, ”ain't no better than a squash Whatto do?”
After Ar left the house, he continued in the street only a little way, soon striking across the fields and thus greatly abridging the distance he h road
The truth is, he was directing his steps towards the very spot he had visited with Judge Bernard He reached it, notwithstanding he was afoot, in much less time than the drive had taken, so rapidly did he hen out of sight, and soat the place, he sat down upon the sa his arms sunk into a reverie After the space of an hour, perhaps, thus passed, he rose and co up near the brook some pieces of hich he took fro fro sles upon each other, he filled up the intervals with the loose leaves and dry brush lying around In this way he proceeded until he had raised a cube, perhaps six feet long, four wide, and four high
During the whole ti with violent e by sonance were all portrayed upon his countenance But still the ent on When it was finished he stood off a few steps, and then, as in a sudden frenzy, rushed at, and seizing upon the several sticks of wood, hurled them in every direction around until the whole pile was deround, he then ran with a wild cry, and at the top of his speed, bounding, like a wild animal, over the brush and trunks of trees, as if in haste to remove himself fro upon his face, he lay quite still After a time he appeared seized with a hysterical passion; he pressed his hand on his side as if in pain, and heavy sobs burst at irregular intervals from his bosom These finally passed away, and he sat up co on, for several tiot up and walked a short distance and returned and threw hith, indistinctlysun that scorched his unprotected head, and lingering as though unwilling to advance, he returned to the scene of his for to trust hiht falter, he proceeded, with a sort of feverish impatience, to reconstruct the pile Shortly, the pieces were laid symmetrically upon each other as before, and the dead leaves and brush disposed in the intervals After all was done, Ar leaned over and bowed his head in an attitude of supplication When he raised it the eyes were tearless, and his pale face wore an aspect of settled despair Resulected in the leaves, he went to the brook and washed his hands in the running water
”Could man wash out the sins of his soul,” he said, ”as I wash these stains froh it may cleanse outer pollution, cannot reach the inner sin Blood, blood only, can do that
Why was it that this dreadful laas imposed upon our race? But I will not dwell on this I have interrogated the universe and God, and entreated them to disclose the awful secret, but in vain My heart and brain are burnt to ashes in the attempt to decipher the mystery I will strive no more It is a provocation to faith I dare not trust to reason There is so above reason I submit Dreadful, unfathomable mystery, I submit, and accept thee with all the consequences at which the quivering flesh recoils”
Upon the return of Ariven place to exhaustion and lassitude Faith had, by this time, become so accustomed to the variable humors of her father, that, however er alarmed by them as formerly It was her habit, whenever he was attacked by his malady, to endeavor to divert his attention frohts to others of a ht with horrors of which she was ignorant, although the silence of the unhappy , and inquiries of the ti to an unusual degree, she attempted the same treatment which, in more than one instance, had see was peculiarly sensitive to music, and it was to his love of it that she now trusted to chase away his gloo, she had vainly endeavored to engage hi only monosyllables in return, she advanced to the piano, and inquired if he would not like to hear her sing?
”Sing!the question; ”Oh, yes--letover the leaves of athe , withlines:
How shall I think of Thee, eternal Fountain Of earthly joys and boundless hopes divine, Of Thee, whose , To whom unnumbered worlds in praises shi+ne?
I see thy beauty in the dewydyes; Thee I behold the rainbow's arch adorning; Thee in the starry glories of the skies
The , The wondrous wisdoushi+ng, In sweet and varied language tell of Thee
All things are with Thy loving presence glowing, The wor star; Out of Thine infinite perfection flowing, For Thine own bliss and their delight THEY ARE
But chiefly in the pure and trusting spirit, Is Thy choice dwelling-place, Thy brightest throne
The soul that loves shall all of good inherit, For Thou, O God of love art all its own
Upon Thine altar I would lay all feeling, Subdued and hallowed to Thy perfect will, Accept these tears, a thankful heart revealing, A heart that hopes, that trembles, and is still
At the co paid but little attention, but as the sweet strea with delight, and in the tones of that soft, beloved voice, it gradually insinuated itself through his whole being, as it were into the innermost chambers of his soul He raised the dejected eyes, and they dwelt on Faith's face with a sort of loving eagerness, as if he were seeking to appropriate soination, an to assume the appearance of a celestial halo around her head But it is not necessary to assume the existence of insanity to account for such an i which awakens rein, it is from the lips of innocence and beauty, to listen to the pure heart pouring itself out in tones like voices dropping from the sky The sweetness, the full perfection of the notes are not sufficient to account for the effect No instru h the sounds Is it the sympathy of the heavenly for the earthly; the tender lael?
Upon the conclusion of the piece, Faith rose and took a seat by her father
”Shall I sing ,” answered Ar her hand into his
”Dearly as I love to hear you, and although it may be the last time, I would rather have you nearer e; it is sweeter than the words of any poet Faith, do you believe I love you?”