Blue-Eyes and Battlewick, Chapters XII-XVII [pp. 182-201]

Blue-Eyes and Battlewick.
sighs, and the birds that come on silent
wings to nestle amid the unmoving
boughs, gave forth no loud and joyous
carols, but twittered low. The plaint of
the cooing dove came from afar, mingling
with the faint murmur of bees that fed
in the cups of nodding flowers. The
habitations of men were not seen in this
land. No herds browsed along the valleys,
no flocks rested peacefully upon the
hills. The clouds loitered, and the land
reposed.
Two forms clad in spotless white walk ed in the midst of this land. One was
fair, but the taller of the two was beautiful indeed. Beautiful she was in form
and feature, beautiful in the splendour of
her sunny hair, in the clear azure of her
eyes, the morning freshness and the
wondrous purity of her complexion, the
grace and freedom of her movements;
but beyond all things beautiful for the
celestial peace that shone in her calm
sweet face and clothed her as a garment.
Far, far removed from her, the:pains, the
unrest, the fears that make life cruel
in this nether sphere. If she had known
the tempest of earthly passions, if she
had endured the sieges of doubt and
suspense, no trace of them was left upon
her brow, whiter than the new-fallen
snow, nor upon her pure lips, whence
the sweetness of all music alone could
come. Ah! it was well with her, who
had passed the zones of darkness and
of strife, never to encounter them again!
Hand in hand, the two, who seemed
angels both, walked in the midst of the
hushed and twilight land, the taller leading the way, which before them, with
many gentle undulations, went ever
downward, while behind them, it ascended with easy slopes until the near sky
and the quiet land seemed one.
She that was led, wondered not how
she came into this peaceful realm which
was both new to her and old. She wondered only at the exceeding beauty of
her companion, and waited to hear her
speak, for as yet she had not opened her
lips, but led the way with noiseless steps
and eyes cast down, as if in thought.
Turning aside they walked onward a
space, and when they were come to a
knoll from which the pathless way be came steep, and the air less hushed and
less pleasant, the taller angel stood still,
and the other stood beside her, waiting.
Then she that was so beautiful lifted her
eyes, looked full upon her companion,
whose white lids fell before that gaze so
compassionate and sweet. Seeing this,
the taller angel drew nigh to the lesser
one, and embracing her, kissed her brow
with soft lips.
"Little Sister."
"Am I your sister?" asked BlueEyes.
"Thou art, indeed. But thou fearest
me. Fear not."
"I am afraid for very joy. This is
some dream, too sweet to last. Oh!
never let me wake again."
"When thou art older thou shalt learn
to make thy dreams realities. And I am
with thee waking."
"But it is sweet to be here. This is
Heaven where we are?"
"Nay, this is not Heaven."
"Yet we will stay here. It is heaven
to me, and if we go hence I shall
awake."
"Art thou happy only in thy dreams?"
"Only in my dreams. I am unhappy
because those I love are unhappy, and
I am unhappy for my own sake."
"I know well thou art unhappy. It
is forbidden me to make thee otherwise,
nor have I any wish so to do. But I
have come to thee here that I might show
thee how thou canst make thine own
happiness. Wilt thou, then, go with
me?"
"Forever."
With arms clasped lovingly around
each other, the white-robed pair descended, then, into the gloom where the air
was troubled, and where the landscape,
dimly seen, was rugged and sterile. Still
they went downward, until all features
of the land were lost, and only thick
darkness was before them and around
them. The hoarse plash of angry waters
came to them through the darkness;
boding cries were in the air, and the flap
of great wings overhead.
Blue-Eyes drew yet closer to the side
1860.]
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