If reason always rule the heart—
If passion own its sway—
If love—for aye—to life impart
The zest it does to-day—
If Providence, with parent care,
Mete out the varying lot—
While meek contentment bows to share,
The palace, or the cot—
And oh! if Faith, sublime and clear,
The spirit upwards guide—
Then bless'd indeed, and bless'd for ever,
The bridegroom and the bride!
ELMA'S MISSION.
"EVER, evermore!" repeated a young man, bending with a smile over the fair face that rested on his breast.
"Yes! evermore!" softly breathed the smiling lips upon which he gazed, and evermore shone from the melting, heavenly eyes.
"And you believe all these bright fancies you have been telling me of, darling?" asked the young man.
"Ah! yes—they are truth to me; they dwell in my heart of hearts—they belong to the deepest and sweetest mysteries of my being. I gaze out through the glory upon life, and I see no coldness, no darkness—everything is coloured with bright radiance from the eternal world. It is happiness that gives me this beautiful view. I have known that the world was filled, with love, but I have never so clearly seen it before. And sure I am that if I were to die now, this same splendour of love would still be poured through my soul; for it is myself, and I cannot lose it. If you were next week in Europe, far from me, would not your inner world be illumined with love and hope?"
"It certainly would!
"And can you doubt the durability, the truth and reality of this inner-life? Can this clay instrument be of any moment farther than it serves to develop life, in this, our first school?—we should not confound the earthly dwelling with the free man who makes it his temporary home. Ah! Horace, I feel, I am, sure, you will some day enjoy all these ennobling thoughts with me, and then existence will also be to you sublime."