Newspaper Page Text
154
and nestling in the hollows, were comfor
table farms, with clustering fruit trees;
and now, as the shadows lengthened in
the evening, the tinkling of the cowbells,
as the herds leisurely wound their way
homeward, and the sound of the wood
cutter’s axe, came with a musical cadence
to the listeners above; curling up, the
light smoke wreath marked the hidden
cottages, and, further off, the cross upon
the spire pointed out the village church.
It was indeed a picture for the heart as
well as for the eye, even ot a child ; and
Alice clapped her hands in ecstacy as she
exclaimed:
“My home! my world ! Oh! Charlie,
see!” Just then a flock of pigeons,
taking their evening flight, whirled
around her, then descended into the
valley, and were out of sight. “As doves
to their Avindows,” she continued, look
ing eagerly after them, “I, too, Avould
dAvell in the valley—my Avorld, Charlie,
is there; where is yours? ”
“My world?” exclaimed Charlie, “not
there, Alice. I like yours, but I would
not live in it always ; I should tire there.
Far, far aAvay is mine—but I Avould come
back sometimes to yours. Listen ! ” he
exclaimed, with kindling eye, “you shall
hear of mine,” and he pointed as he spoke
to where, high, high above them, a huge
eagle soared aloft, then slowly sinking,
came down at last Avith a rush and a
SAA r oop, that made little Alice shiver and
shrink as he circled around them. “Eagle,
grand eagle, yours be my flight, yours
be my aim ! ” and as the huge bird rose
again into the air, pointing after him he
continued, “ I Avill tell you Avhat he says,
Alice:
“ 1 1 go over the seas and over the
mountains; great cities, with their lofty
towers and heaven-pointing sjDires, are
nothing to me. From the battle-fields of
life, where men struggle and die; from
the Avorld, Avith its glory, I turn away to
soar aloft with a higher aim. Where the
mountains pierce the clouds and the
huge cliffs beetle over the mighty ocean,
where foot of man hath never trod, I
build my nest; and when the storm-king
is abroad, Avhen the Avaves ride mountain
high, and dash and break against the
rocks, when the huge trees of the forest,
which, from my lofty eyry, seem like
reeds beneath me, break and snap in the
blast, then do I exult in my sense of
power, then do I feel strong. I battle
Avith the storm and defy it; and, rising
with the blast, higher and higher, I seek
above the storm and clouds the ever
shining sun, basking in his warmth, and
gazing upon his glories with unquailing
eye.’
BURKE’S WEEKLY.
« Such, Alice, be my flight, such be my
aim.” As he spoke, the eagle rose, rose,
rose; then, suddenly, Avith a loud shriek,
fell—down, down, down—almost to his
feet, pierced with a shaft from an uneri
ing marksman.
Sadh 7 the children gazed.
“Is he dead?” exclaimed Alice, with
a shudder,
“Dead?” repeated Charlie, “dead?
the noble bird ! Yes ; but he has lived !
They turned to go home. The sun
had set beyond-the Western hills; but
its glory remained, and the clouds of pur
ple and gold which veiled his pavilion
were heaped in fantastic shapes, and
shewed like castles and palaces and
streets, which stretched out and looked
like pure gold, with gates of pearl; and
above and around, stretching further
than eye could reach, a sea as of light or
of crystal.
The children stood for a moment en
tranced, then stretching out their arms,
exclaimed: “Our home! our home ! be
yond the setting sun.”
And Alice said, “ Let that be our aim,
to reach it.”
“Yes,” said Charlie, gravely, “Avhere
Death cannot enter. Our home! our
home ! ” Then they turned, and, holding
each other’s hands, Avent home in silence.
Upon her face a smile of calm delight,
on his, a flashing look of thought.
Borne , Ga.
Gather Them In.
Gather them in the fold, 0 Lord,
The merry and young and gay ;
Leave them not in their thoughtlessness,
Choosing the broadened way.
Gather them in—the wandering ones,
Safe from the storm of cold;
Gentle Shepherd, who lovest them,
Gather them in Thy fold.
Many voices are in their hearts,
And false are the songs they hear;
But little they know how the syren lures
On to regret and fear,
Whisper to them in the still, small voice
Thy wonderful word of love,
Till they turn away from the insincere,
Finding the true above.
Let them not pass to the sinful way;
Are they not lambs of Thine ?,
Have they not walked in the pleasant path,
Seeing Thy promise shine?
Have they not whispered Thy holy name
In their early childish prayer?
Take them, Father, for weal or woo,
Into Thy loving care.
Gather them into Thy fold, 0 Lord,
In their beautiful youthful days;
Sons and daughters of all Thy saints,
Ihej should tread in their fathers’ ways.
Let them not wander alone and sad,
And though they love Thee not,
Soften their spirits and make them wise,
lo ask for Thy children’s lot.
Marianne Farningham.
♦♦♦ -
God often permits bis people to be
on the very verge of the precipice, to re
mind them of their own weakness; but
never further than the verge.
Written for Burke’s Weekly
JACK DOBELL;
Or, A Boy’s Adventures in Texas,
A STORY FOR BOYS.
CHAPTER XIII.
ABUNDANCE OF GAME —MEXICANS AND IN
DIANS —PURSUED BY BLOODHOUNDS
RUSE —THE GAME FOILED CROSSING THE
PRAIRIE AT NIGHT TRYING TO CAPTURE
A GUN FAILURE AND NARROW ESCAPE--
WILD TURKEYS LODGINGS WITHOUT
BOARD.
OOX as it was fairly light,
and after cooking and
HP packed up what meal and
meat I had left, to take
along with me, and set out across
the large prairie lying between
the La Yaca and Xavidad rivers.
The game upon this prairie was
more abundant than I had seen it else
where. I am confident that, on many
occasions, there were a thousand deer at
one time within the scope of my vision.
Here, too, I first observed the grouse, or
prairie hen. At first, I mistook the call
of the cock for the distant lowing of wild
cattle, numbers of which were grazing
upon the prairie. Wild turkies, also, were
numerous, and so tame that they permit
ted me at times to approach within a few
paces of them.
During the day I saw one or two par
ties of mounted Indians or Mexicans, but
they were at so great a distance I could
only distinguish that they were men on
horseback. About 3 o’clock in the even
ing, I came to the timber skirting the
Xavidad river, where I stopped to rest
awhile, and to take a snack of the provis
ions I had brought along with me. I
then proceeded on my course through the
bottom, and after going about a mile 1
came to the Xavidad river, at that place
perhaps forty or fifty yards in width. It
was not fordable, so I had to swim it,
which I easily did, by stripping off my
clothes and tying them upon a piece of
dry wood, which I pushed along ahead of
me as I swam. As soon as I reached the
opposite bank, I dressed myself and con
tinued my course.
When I had gone I suppose something
near two miles, my attention was attract
ed by the barking of a dog, apparentl}
proceeding from the direction in which I
had come. At first I thought it was some
stray dog that had been left behind h)
some settler when he had fled before the
Mexicans ; but after a while I began to
suspect that he was trailing me, toi j
although I was walking at a pretty rapid