O, I long to soar back to Mars,
To live in a better land than ours;
To be loved by him always the same.
“O, Cathy, what a lovely, impulsive bride you are!”
The girls were deeply in love with each other. Ruth was reading to Cathy on the front porch, both being seated in a low-swinging hammock.
These dear, sweet companions had been laughing and talking over their new dresses, and reading all day. Cathy wore a dainty blue lawn; Ruth was dressed all in pure white—she felt happiest when dressed in white.
Suddenly the clouds turned black. An awful storm was brewing. The lightning came down in fiery forked tongues, and lighted up the awful darkness. The tall, graceful pines swayed and moaned. They bowed their haughty heads nearly to the earth. At times the whole country seemed on fire with brilliant phosphorescent lights. The storm blasts were furious in their battle with the pines of the forest. It would seem that the storm fiends were angry at the stability, solidity, and placidity of mother earth.
Ruth and Cathy had just finished reading Milton’s Paradise Lost. As they were seriously discussing this masterpiece, there was a sudden, terrific flash of lightning that blinded the girls a moment; it shocked Cathy, she was afraid and could not speak or move. She remembered now all Cresto told her on the island of Catalina. Half-stunned, she stared wildly about her, grasping the edge of the hammock for support. Slowly her head turned with ominous foreboding to a white heap on the porch. Poor Catherine’s bosom welled within her. The emotion seemed too great for human endurance. She sank forward on the body with a heartrending sob. She remained a helpless, convulsed heap on the dead. Fear alone had killed our delicate little Ruth, who had been suffering for days from heart trouble, unknown to all. Again the lightning flashed. Cathy saw in front of her as plain as a human, a tall, dark, handsome young gentleman, with lovely, flowing white robes, full of light, bend over Ruth’s lifeless form. Another bright flash of lightning and she distinctly saw the lovely Ruth all in gauzy, fluffy, shimmering, pure white, her robes full of light, too—by Cresto’s side, smiling.
“O! I never saw such dazzling, clinging, beautiful golden white robes on any one as Ruth now wore. She looked like a fairy bride, much smaller than she looked yesterday. I wondered if any angel in Heaven could dress more beautiful? It is worth a fortune just to see this wonderful sight! I am glad I came to see this resurrection of Ruth. I thank God for my clairvoyance now. O! how lovely to know there is no death! Cresto and his sweet mother wound a thin, long white silk veil around her head and shoulders. For a moment Cresto held her close to his heart. He kissed her tenderly and lovingly. Then the two smiled and waved their fairy hands good bye at me. For the first time I saw Ruth and Cresto were not alone. Cresto’s mother and many angels were leading the band. I saw them distinctly rise higher and higher, up, up, into the dark clouds. They floated away from life’s storms and the clouds and all darkness; away from cold death, to immortal life; away into God’s bright blue sunlight!”
As she watched the lovely golden white robes float away in the distance, Cathy raised her arms in prayer.