Chapter 22

"Oh! when amid the throngs of men
The heart grows sick of hollow mirth,
How willingly we turn us, then.
Away from this cold earth;
And look into thy azure breast,
For seats of innocence and rest!"

Bryant's _Skies_

The day was the Sabbath. This religious festival, which is even now
observed in most of the States of the Union with a strictness that is
little heeded in the rest of Christendom, was then reverenced with a
severity suited to the austere habits of the Colonists. The circumstance
that one should journey on such a day, had attracted the observation of
all in the hamlet; but, as the stranger had been seen to ride towards the
dwelling of the Heathcotes, and the times were known to teem with more
than ordinary interests to the Province, it was believed that he found his
justification in some apology of necessity. Still, none ventured forth to
inquire into the motive of this extraordinary visit. At the end of an
hour, the horseman was seen to depart as he had arrived, seemingly urged
on by the calls of some pressing emergency. He had in truth proceeded
further with his tidings, though the lawfulness of discharging even this
imperious duty on the Sabbath had been gravely considered in the Councils
of those who had sent him. Happily they had found, or thought they had
found, in some of the narratives of the sacred volume, a sufficient
precedent to bid their messenger proceed.

In the mean time, the unusual excitement, which had been so unexpectedly
awakened in the dwelling of the Heathcotes, began to subside in that quiet
which is in so beautiful accordance with the sacred character of the day.
The sun rose bright and cloudless above the hills, every vapor of the past
night melting before his genial warmth into the invisible element. The
valley then lay in that species of holy calm which conveys so sweet and so
forcible an appeal to the heart. The world presented a picture of the
glorious handywork of him who seems to invite the gratitude and adoration
of his creatures. To the mind yet untainted, there is exquisite loveliness
and even godlike repose in such a scene. The universal stillness permits
the softest natural sounds to be heard; and the buzz of the bee, or the
wing of the humming-bird, reaches the ear like the loud notes of a general
anthem. This temporary repose is full of meaning. It should teach how much
of the beauty of this world's enjoyments, how much of its peace, and even
how much of the comeliness of nature itself, is dependent on the spirit by
which we are actuated. When man reposes, all around him seems anxious to
contribute to his rest; and when he abandons the contentions of grosser
interests, to elevate his spirit, all living things appear to unite in