Four Phases of Love

ains, before the winter set in, to show him hill-side and valley, and to let him have a wider look into that world which already seem

air is so healthy, and she has been so pale and thin for a long time, and will be quite lonely without me." So they did as he wished

not desert his post, however much his parents begged him. Only when they had reached some eminence, and were seated at rest in a shady nook, did he leave the maiden, and sought his own way amongst the dangerous rocks, collecting curiou

with the mountains, whose autumnal beauty, she fancied, only made the world dearer to him, and widened the separation between them. Her strange manner struck the rector's wife. She talked with her husband now and again about the child, who was a

from which the roar of the waterfall could be plainly heard. Mary, too, was very tired, but she insisted on following Clement, who cared not to rest so soon; so they climbed together higher up the steps, and ever louder the sound of the roaring water was borne towards them. Half-way up the steep path Mary's last

ough her, and the distant muttering thunder of the fall terrified her, "Why does he not come back?" she thought to he

e path were overgrown with moss, but still the fall nearly stunned her, and she cried wildly for help. In vain! her voice could not reach Clement, who stood close to the abyss, surrounded by the roarings of the fall, and the house was far too distant. A bitter pain shot through her heart as

sake, he tore himself away from t

nfathomably deep it plunged, and roared and sprang up in clouds of spray, till one's senses were lost! Feel how sprinkled I am with the fine water-spray!--but what

was alarmed. The girl's sweet, delicate features were strangely disturbed. They hastened to give her

she lay, and of her own will broke the last threads which bound her to mankind. "I will go out to morrow," she said, darkly, to herself; "he shall lead me himself to th

consequences of her sin without horror, and said, defyingly, to herself, "They will manage to become reconciled to it as they have become reconciled to my remaining blind, and he will b

and his wife. Clement was still loitering about under the trees without, unable to te

ightest occurrence agitates her. If it lasts she will be quite worn out. I wish you would

nd our daily care of her, have not spoken to her heart, mere human words will be of no avail. If she had learned humility before

taken much

turns when we return to God! As she now is she longs not for him, she hugs her discontent and hatred too closely to her heart--but her heart is too true to bear this miserable companionship much longer

he thought of her future

l human kindness would not have died. And if she marks well the hand of God, and the way He would lead her, she will bless her bli

uld give one of my eyes, if Mary could have it, to see this glory of the stars! I hope the noise of t

r; "she is sleeping close to us, and the b

ce to a sweet tranquillity. The storm had passed over, and had destroyed nothing of the beautiful within her. Even shame and regret hardly made themselves felt, so powerfully reigned wit