Agnete gazes on The altar-piece so fair; The altar-piece it seem'd to turn, And the altar with it there. All where'er Her eye it fell within the church, Seem'd turning, turning there!
Agnete, on the ground She gazed in thoughtful mood, When lo! she saw her mother's name That on a tomb-stone stood. There it stood! Then, sudden from her bursting heart, Flow'd back her chill'd life's blood.
Agnete--first she stagger'd back, She fainted, then she fell. Now may her children long in vain For her they loved so well. Oh, so well! Now, neither sons nor daughters more To her their wants may tell.
Ay! Let them weep, and let them long, And seek her o'er and o'er! Dark, dark, are now her eyes so bright, They ne'er shall open more! Oh, never more! And crush'd is now that death-cold heart, So warm with love before.
He sat alone. It was not twilight, it was night, deep, dark night. He had extinguished the lamp, for he wished that all around him should be gloomy as his own sad thoughts. Even the pitiful glimmering light, which was cast by the fire in the stove on the objects near it, was disagreeable to him, for it showed him a portion, at least, of the scene of his bygone happiness. His bitter sorrow seemed to have petrified all his faculties, and entirely blasted his life; he did not appear to reflect, he only felt. The deep sighs that every now and then burst from his compressed lips were all that gave sign of existence about him. That agitated tremor, those wild lamentations, those burning tears,--the glowing look which griefs volcano casts forth, lay hidden amidst the ashes of mute and agonized suffering.
But a few years before he had been the most hopeful of lovers; and somewhat later, the happiest of husbands and of fathers. Now all--all was lost! Death had stretched forth his mighty hand and taken his treasures from him; blow after blew had fate thus inflicted on his bleeding heart. He--the strong man--the high-minded--the richly-endowed--sat there like a lifeless statue, without purpose, without motion, without energy: all had been swept away in the earthquake which had engulphed the happiness of his home, and he had not power to raise a new structure upon the ruins of the past.