though sometimes sad. But for a long time after that, she was often found
weeping, and playing little simple airs which she had heard in childhood--
backward longings, followed by fresh tears. Before long, however, a new
element manifested itself in her music. It became yet more wild, and
sometimes retained all its sadness, but it was mingled with anticipation
and hope. The past and the future merged in one; and while memory yet
brought the rain-cloud, expectation threw the rainbow across its bosom--
and all was uttered in her music, which rose and swelled, now to defiance,
now to victory; then died in a torrent of weeping.

"As to the eldest sister, it was many days before she recovered from the
shock. At length, one day, her brother came to her, took her by the hand,
led her to an open window, and told her to seat herself by it, and look
out. She did so; but at first saw nothing more than an unsympathizing
blaze of sunlight. But as she looked, the horizon widened out, and the
dome of the sky ascended, till the grandeur seized upon her soul, and she
fell on her knees and wept. Now the heavens seemed to bend lovingly over
her, and to stretch out wide cloud-arms to embrace her; the earth lay like
the bosom of an infinite love beneath her, and the wind kissed her cheek
with an odour of roses. She sprang to her feet, and turned, in an agony of
hope, expecting to behold the face of the father, but there stood only her
brother, looking calmly though lovingly on her emotion. She turned again
to the window. On the hilltops rested the sky: Heaven and Earth were one;
and the prophecy awoke in her soul, that from betwixt them would the steps
of the father approach.

"Hitherto she had seen but Beauty; now she beheld Truth. Often had she
looked on such clouds as these, and loved the strange ethereal curves into
which the winds moulded them; and had smiled as her little pet sister told
her what curious animals she saw in them, and tried to point them out to