THE BATTALION.
7
Paradise,” looking at the bright angel in the window of
heaven: so he must have felt, stolen visit, but oh! how sweet
and splendid. Above spread the great deep blue canopy of
the beautiful clear Italian sky,with the brilliant sprinkling of
stars, set like gems in the curtains of nature’s bed chamber.
The pale face of the great moon seemed to glow with the
vrarmth of love, the planets graced the background, and the
flowers lent their perfume. Romeo no wonder that thou
first thinkest to swear, ‘‘By younder blessed moon that tips
with her silvery rays all these fruit tree tops.” Did all those
words of love ascend upward and upward and lose themsel
ves in the deep blue depths, or did they go onward and on
ward until they, God given factors, penetrated to the throne
of heaven, or were they stopped in their swift flight by some
planet in her lightening course and drank in by lovers of
another world? Maybe they were stopped by the hosts of
gods and goddresses which the ancients placed in the blue
firmament to keep watch over the wayward earth, or maybe
they were reflected downward and downward until they
stenehed Satan with the fumes of godliness, who knows? ’Tis
certain that the gentle breeze wafted the curls back from
the lover’s hot brows and the leaves rustled a sigh. Now
the lovers longingly cast their eyes heavenward. Ye stars
can you not come to our aid? Can you not tell: us of our
fates and reconcile the enimies of our love? But all is silent.
The great bear away to the northward slowly takes his un
ceasing flight around the north pole while in hot and unceas
ing cliase follow Canes Venatice, held in leash by stern Bootes;
C issiopea, Perseus, Cepheus and Hercules slowly circle in
train, wnile overhead swings Orion that continually assaults
the bull, Castor and Pollux stand with dumb mouths and
Sirius, the fiery dog star, blazes fiercely in the east. This
great host so active and energetic of yore, wink at one anoth
er nd sit in silence.
Enough Romeo for tonight, betake thyself to thy bed but
nay sleep. “The gray eyed moon smiles on the frowning
night.” “Bendicite” and Romeo the sweeter rest was thine.