. Midsummer Eve : a fairy tale of loving and being loved . A FAIRY TALE OF LOVE. 151 the trellise. Randys thoughts questioned of Nightstar, if there was nospell to stay Geraldines departure. AVe know our place, she answered, in a faint low tone ; we seekto make life happy, but meddle not with death ! Even I dare not enterthe chamber; Honeybellsmore worldly spirit could not linger here ; butI can comfort Eva, can again whisper what I have whispered long. Theday of her birth has gone without being a day of death, and now hermother sleeps; I can see the breath passing sweetly from between thoseli


. Midsummer Eve : a fairy tale of loving and being loved . A FAIRY TALE OF LOVE. 151 the trellise. Randys thoughts questioned of Nightstar, if there was nospell to stay Geraldines departure. AVe know our place, she answered, in a faint low tone ; we seekto make life happy, but meddle not with death ! Even I dare not enterthe chamber; Honeybellsmore worldly spirit could not linger here ; butI can comfort Eva, can again whisper what I have whispered long. Theday of her birth has gone without being a day of death, and now hermother sleeps; I can see the breath passing sweetly from between thoselips that shall utter words no more. Now, Eva holds her hand ! Oh,how she looks into her face, hand still locked in hand! and now, assuredof her slumbers, her worn-out head droops on her mothers pillow —now !said Kightstar, not in the gentle tone that sounded like a silver joy-bell,but solemnly, as the wind that sighs through the spires of some ancient. cypress; and rising half out of the flower, she waved her waud, andcreated a soothing vision in the mind of her endowed child ; slowly thesuggester of sweet dreams went round, shimmering in the darkness—an 152 MIDSUMMER EVE : uudulatiug ray ol light; but smldeiily its motion ceased, and she crouchedinto tlie flower, drawing; lier tress<es around h(,r like a mantle—and thena Pkesexck, a dim and shadowy outline, not horrible, but dark anduntransparent, came—who can tell from whence? All nature shrunkand shivered as it passed; it seemed to fill all space, yet entered thetrellised window—the awful herald of the grave! silently it passed,without disturbing a dew-drop, though ushering a mortal to immortality!Such was the faith of the departing soul, that it k-ft no sigh upon the lips,nor did hand press hand in token of farewell. The stars were bright as ever in the deep blue sky, and still Eva slept—the living pillowed with the dead—a sweet, calm, dream-like sleep, andwhen th


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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookidmidsummereve, bookyear1870