Attempt > Volume 1 and Select writings

10
THE ATTEMPT.
Long she lay, alone, unheeded
Save by those pale summer beams,
That, like hope and fear alternate,
Went and came in fitful gleams.
Till a gentle touch and noiseless
Opened wide the yielding door,
And a little form in silence
Softly trod the muffled floor.
’Twas a figure fair and girlish,
Clad in sable garb of woe,
And with tears, affection’s tribute,
Did the pale cheeks overflow,
As with fairy footstep gliding,
She approached the white-robed bed,
And beside its drapery kneeling,
Hid in grief her golden head.
For the little frame was aching
With a grief beyond her years,
Till her spirit’s pent-up anguish
Found relief in gushing tears.
Then a timid glance she lifted
To that form in death so fair,
To the features’ moon-lit radiance,
To the streaming veil of hair.
And the little heart drew comfort
From that face so pale and calm,
That had oft its childish anguish
Soothed with fond affection’s balm.
And from little lips, that trembled
With the earnestness of love,
Rose a fervent prayer half-utter’d,
To the great white Throne above.
Earnest sped the cry for patience,
This first, sorest grief to bear,
And for grace her heart to open,
That the Lord might enter there.
And that prayer God deign’d to answer,
For the child-heart grew so fair,
That all knew, who felt its beauty,
That her God was dwelling there.
Mena.
^raf foam tire giarir of a Ulrnfrixim
After many months of hard and constant work in a large city, now becoming
unusually oppressive with the heat of summer, it was with no small degree of pleasure
•that my sister and I exchanged its noisy streets for the luxury of a few weeks in the
country.
Our residence was beautifully situated .amongst the hills. Its elevation was
considerable, and the view’ from it very fine.
Behind the house was a long, narrow, 'winding valley, on both sides of which the
hills rose so abruptly as barely to allow of a path beside the pretty chattering burn
_