The Argosy — page 305: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

286 Only a Year or Two Ago. “Ves, yes; child,” ‘In that book of travels which David lent us, I read a description yesterday which much impressed me,” Charles resumed. ‘“ A party of tourists had ascended a mountain and stood there to see the sun - rise. The night darkness gave place to a grey dawn, and that, by degrees, to the most lovely sight conceivable. From the first faint primrose light there burst forth upon all things a golden glow, illumining earth and air and sky. ‘Then came the colours ; amethyst, rose-pink, crimson, purple, blue, and opals of many shades. Earth was bathed in this radiance, the pinnacles of the mountains glittered in it as if they were borrowing some of the tints of heayven—and the day had begun. Mother, may it not be taken as a type of what we shall find?” he continued, after a pause. ‘‘ When the dark grey night of earth shall close for us, and we awaken in all that glory, our true day will have begun.” He looked through the open window at the clear summer sky. Always, from a very little fellow, Charley had liked to gaze at the blue canopy above him. ‘There, in heaven’s light, we shall tread the flowery pastures of amaranth, with the friends we knew and loved here, who have gone on before, and those we shall know hereafter; secure in the perfect rest that will never end. Don’t grieve for me, mother, dear: I am exchanging earth for Paradise.” ‘TI do not quite like the mood he is in,” said Mrs. Lavender that evening, apart to Dr. David. “No! Howisit? Fretful?P Repining?” “Tt is all hope and peace. He has been talking of the beauties of Paradise, and seems to wish to be there.” ‘But, my dear lady, what better would you have? It is a delight- ful frame of mind. I wish all my dying patients possessed it.” ‘Yes, yes, of course; but that’s not what I mean. When this peace, which I am sure comes direct from God, sets in, death must be very near. At least, I fancy so.” ‘Well, well,” spoke the Doctor soothingly. But he did not con- tradict it. The next day Mrs. Charles Lavender was surprised by a visit from her long-estranged brother-in-law. It was just a week since Charles’s visit to G—— Square—of which visit he had not spoken to his mother. Only a week; yet Charles was so much altered in that short space of time that the lawyer hardly knew him again. “Bless me! Are you worse?” he exclaimed, as he sank into a seat by the invalid’s sofa and sat staring. — “Ves, Uncle George; that is, weaker: the end is quite near now,” answered Charles. But his tone was cheerful, and his countenance wore a sweet, patient smile. Mr. George Lavender gulped down something in his throat. He was thinking that he ought to have come earlier; but he had been CORnNICLOOKSs