OF THE FOREST. 101

‘Blessed little lamb!” I exclaimed; “and
art thou gathered to the fold of the only true
Shepherd? Sweet lily of the valley! and
art thou removed to a more congenial soil!
but who shall fill the place which thou hast
left 4”

At that instant the tower of the church
broke upon my view as we turned an angle
of the road, and a distant sound of choral
harmony burst upon my ear. I was ashamed
of it, but I could not help it: I burst into
tears, and wept like a child. I did not know
till that moment how dear the orphan Aimée
was to my heart. I roused myself, however,
and, walked on; and a few steps brought me
into the entrance of the village street, and
in full view of the western front of the church,
the great door of which being open, I could
distinguish the crowd within, and hear the
soft melody of the human voice, attuned with
the full-toned organ within in such.a chant, so
solemn, so touching, so sublime, as seemed to
raise my mind above all earthly feelings, and
make me (I was about to say almost, but I
will say entirely,) desire to be with my Aimée,
absent from the body and present with my

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