Amid the deep abyss of gloom

No ray of beauty smiled,

Save, glistening o'er some haunted tomb,

The glow-worm's lustre mild.

The village watch-dogs bay'd around,
The long grass whistled drear,
The steeple trembled to the ground,
Ev'n EDMUND quaked with fear.

All on a sudden died the blast,

Dumb horror chill'd the air,

While NATURE seem'd to pause aghast,

In uttermost despair.

-Twelve times the midnight herald toll'd,

As oft did EDMUND start;

For every stroke fell dead and cold

Upon his fainting heart.

Then glaring through the ghastly gloom,

Along the church-yard green,

The destin'd victims of the tomb

In winding sheets were seen.

In that strange moment EDMUND stood, Sick with severe surprise ;

While creeping horror drank his blood, And fix'd his flinty eyes.

He saw the secrets of the grave!
He saw the face of DEATH!

No pitying power appear'd to save-
He gasp'd away his breath!

Yet still the scene his soul beguiled,

And every spectre cast

A look, unutterably wild,

On EDMUND as they pass'd.

All on the ground entranced he lay;
At length the vision broke !

-When, lo a kiss as cold as clay,
The slumbering youth awoke.

That moment through a rifted cloud,
The darting moon display'd,

Robed in a melancholy shroud,
The image of a maid.

Her dusky veil aside she threw,
And shew'd a face most fair;

"My Love! my Ella!" EDMUND flew,

And clasp'd the yielding air!

"Ha! who art thou?" His cheek grew pale:

A well known-voice replied,

"Ella, the lily of the vale!

"Ella-thy destin'd bride!"

To win his neck, her airy arms
The pallid phantom spread;
Recoiling from her blasted charms,
The affrighted lover fled.

To shun the visionary maid

His speed outstript the wind;

But, though unseen to move, the shade

Was evermore behind!

SO DEATH'S unerring arrows glide,

Yet seem suspended still;

Nor pause, nor shrink, nor turn aside,

But smite, subdue, and kill.

O'er many a mountain, moor, and vale,

On that tremendous night,

The ghost of ELLA, wild and pale,
Pursued her lover's flight.

But when the dawn began to gleam,

Ere yet the morning shone,

She vanish'd like a nightmare-dream,
And EDMUND stood alone.

Three days, bewilder'd and forlorn,
He sought his home in vain ;

At length he hail'd the hoary thorn
That crown'd his native plain.

'Twas evening:-all the air was balm,
The heavens serenely clear;

When the soft music of a psalm
Came pensive o'er his ear.

Then sunk his heart;-a strange surmise

Made all his blood run cold:

He flew,

—a funeral met his eyes!

He paused, a death-bell toll'd.

G