BEAUTIFUL INCIDENT.
The rosy light of a summer eve,
O'er hill and valley lay,
And lingered long, as if to leave
A blessing on the day.
O'er hill and valley lay,
And lingered long, as if to leave
A blessing on the day.
The village bell had sweetly tolled
Its chime upon the air;
To summon to their hallowed fold,
The worshippers for prayer.
Its chime upon the air;
To summon to their hallowed fold,
The worshippers for prayer.
The organ's deep and solemn peals
Fell on the listening ear;
As o'er the senses gently steals
The feeling—God is near!
Fell on the listening ear;
As o'er the senses gently steals
The feeling—God is near!
A youthful preacher rose, and took
His theme—'twas Jesus' love;
When lo! beside the sacred Book,
There stood a snow-white dove.
His theme—'twas Jesus' love;
When lo! beside the sacred Book,
There stood a snow-white dove.
With timid gaze and folded wing,
It paused, then soared away;
In vain we sought to track its course,
In vain we bade it stay.
It paused, then soared away;
In vain we sought to track its course,
In vain we bade it stay.
Onward and upward, still it flew,
Till not a speck was seen;
To tell that in the vault of blue,
Its graceful form had been.
Till not a speck was seen;
To tell that in the vault of blue,
Its graceful form had been.
I know not if the thought be wrong,
But it hath seemed to me,
That some meek herald from the skies,
That gentle bird might be:
But it hath seemed to me,
That some meek herald from the skies,
That gentle bird might be:
To teach us if to innocence,
Our days on earth are given;
We too may plume our spirit's wings,
And take our flight for heaven.
Our days on earth are given;
We too may plume our spirit's wings,
And take our flight for heaven.
The memory of that Sabbath eve,
That quiet, sunset scene;
Did on my heart an impress leave,
From which this truth I glean.
That quiet, sunset scene;
Did on my heart an impress leave,
From which this truth I glean.
That Nature's simplest lessons tend
To show some moral plain;
For, on the page that God bath penned,
No line is writ in vain.
To show some moral plain;
For, on the page that God bath penned,
No line is writ in vain.