The Wedding Guest | Page 5

ourselves alone." And here
was a new mystery to him. She was revealed to him as another self,
with power to read his every thought. And yet it was it better self, for
she prompted him to disinterested acts; and away went the glad Paul to
shower his attentions upon all those to whom life came not so joyously.
And an aged grandmother, and a palsied aunt, almost feared that the
handsome bridegroom had forgotten his fair bride, in his warm and
kindly interest for them.
Happy Paul! he had found an angel clothed in flesh and blood, who was

for ever to stand between him and his old hard, selfish nature.
Something of this thought passed through his mind, as his eye glanced
over the crowd in search of his beloved and beautiful one. But she, on
the other side, was quite near. He felt her soft presence, and as he
turned he caught the light of her loving smile.
Yes, she appreciated his self-sacrifice, and as he gazed upon her, his
delighted mind and satisfied heart felt a delicious sense of the coming
joy of the eternal future.
And the gay bridal passed away, but its light and its joy seemed to
overflow all the coming days. And Paul Cleves at length found himself
in that reality of which he had so often dreamed, and for which he had
so passionately yearned. Yes, he was in his own quiet home, with Rosa
by his side.
Months had passed; he had settled into the routine of his business, and
she in that of her domestic life; and now it was evening. Paul had come
to his home from the labours of the day, with a beautiful hope in his
heart; for to him his home was the open door of Heaven. He carried into
it no hard, selfish thought, but entered it with the certainty of
blessedness, and peace, and love.
Rosa's heart was in her eyes, when it was time for Paul to come. How
carefully she foresaw his every want! And when she had prepared
everything that her active love could suggest to promote his pleasure
and comfort, then she took her place at the window to watch for his
coming. This evening watch was a beautiful time to the young wife, for
she said "Now, will I think of God, who made for me a being to love."
And at this time, it was always as if the great sun of Heaven shone
upon her.
And now, Paul passes the bridge, to which Rosa's eye can but just reach.
And--is it not wonderful?--Paul's figure is distinguished, even if there
be many others, in the dim twilight, crossing that bridge. Ah! how well
she knows his figure; to her it is the very form of her love. She sees her
whole thoughts and desires embodied in him. And now, he passes the
corner of a projecting building, which for a time partially conceals him
from her sight.
And how her delight increases as he approaches; the nearer he comes,
the more her heart opens to the Divine sun of Heaven. She feels as if
she could draw its radiations down upon him. She waits at the window

to catch his first glad look of recognition, then she flies to the door, and
no sooner is it opened and closed again, than Paul clasps her to his
heart, and presses upon her warm lips such kisses as can join heart to
heart.
The evening meal being over, then Paul turns to his peculiar delight--to
listening to Rosa's thoughts and feelings. All day, he hears of worldly
things; but with Rosa he hears of heavenly things. Her heart feeds upon
his thoughts, and assimilates them into new and graceful forms of
feminine beauty, and Paul sits and listens, full of love and wonder, to
his own thoughts, reproduced by the vivid perceptive powers of his
wife. For instance, this morning Paul was reading in the Bible, as he
always does to Rosa, before he leaves for his business, and he paused
on the words, "then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old
age, and full of years, and was gathered to his people;" and he
remarked that in this verse there was a most striking affirmation of a
future existence; for that Abraham being gathered to "his people," must
imply that these people yet lived, or why should mention be made of
that fact? And now, in this beautiful evening hour, when Paul asked
Rosa what she had been thinking of all day, behold she had a whole
Heaven-world to open before him. With her arms clasped around his
neck, and her clear, bright eyes looking into his, she answered--
"Oh, Paul, I have been so happy