61a tN THE UTTERMOST PARTS OF THE SEA.

thing were shining in through the crust of snow. He lifted up
his head, and behold, the bright gleam was no ripple down frum
the snowy roof, but came from the mighty pinions of an angel,
into whose beaming face he was gazing. As if from the cup of a
lily the angel arose from among the leaves of the Bible, and
stretching out his arm, the walls of the snow hut sank down
around, as though they had been a light airy veil of mist; the
green meadows and hills of home, and its ruddy woods, lay
spread around him in the quiet sunshine of a beauteous autumn
day; the nest of the stork was empty, but ripe fruit still clung to
the wild apple tree, although the leaves had fallen, the red hips
gleamed, and the magpie whistled in the green cage over the
window of the peasant’s cottage that was his home; the magpie
whistled the tune that had been taught him, and the grandmother
hung green food around the cage, as he, the grandson, had been
accustomed to do; and the daughter of the blacksmith, very
young and fair, stood by the well drawing water, and nodded to
che grandame, and the old woman nodded to her, and showed
her a letter that had come froma long way off. That very morn-
ing the letter had arrived from the cold regions of the North—
there where the grandson was.resting in the hand of God. And
they smiled and they wept; and he, far away among the ice and
snow, under the pinions of the angel, he, too, smiled and wept
with them in spirit, for he saw them and heard them. And from
the letter they read aloud the words of Holy Writ, that in the
uttermost parts of the sea His right hand would be a stay and
a safety, And the sound of a beauteous hymn welled up all
around; and the angel spread his wings like a veil over the
sleeping youth. The vision had fled. and it grew dark in the
snow hut; but the Bible rested beneath his head, and faith and
hope dwelt in his soul. God was with him; and he carried home
about with him in his heart, even in the uttermost parts of
the sea,

 

 

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