ng death that for some time I
thought him dead. At length his lips began to move, and for more than an
hour he kept up a conversation with someone in his dream, part of which
conversation I committed to paper.

"What!" he exclaimed, "this is the spot appointed, and no one near. This
is the trysting tree, yonder the blue mountains, here the rocks. It is
past the hour. Oh, where is she? Will she not come? Must I return to
that darkness mortals call life without seeing her, without hearing one
word? Oh, Edith! shake off these bonds of flesh but for one hour, if,
indeed, you also have a life of clay like me, and are not all spirit.
Can you not spare me _one_ hour? Ah! footsteps! A bush crackles. Edith,
Edith! how glad I am you have come at last. I was afraid you had been
prevented. Why are you so late? What do I see--tears? Tell me what has
happened. Does your father know of our meetings? But how should he? Are
we not in the spirit? Come, tell me all."

Here a pause ensued, as if the lady he was addressing was speaking,
during which time the expression of his face changed several times;
first from one of deep tenderness, next, to that of profound melancholy.
He sighed, then again a bright smile illumined his countenance.
Occasionally a slight frown would cloud his brow for an instant, and his
countenance bore a look of determination. At length he spoke again in
earnest tones.

"Come what may, I will never leave you. Have I not sworn? Are you not
mine to all eternity? We may never meet in the flesh; but what of that.
Are we not happier thus? Unshackled from that fearful darkness that wars
against our spirits? Oh, that we may ever live thus! Would that we could
become all spirit."

Another pause ensued, and after some minutes he resumed.

"And how can your father's paltry caprices affect us--whilst we are in
the spirit, how can the weapons of the flesh attack us?"

A pause, and then he said, "True, as you say, we are not always in the
spirit, and then of course we must be subject to---- But what is it you
fear, Edith?"

Again a pause.

"Do you know," he began again, "that that is the very thought that has
been passing through my mind for some time past. Oh, horrible! If one of
us or both should get entirely cured, so that the doors of the flesh
should close upon us for ever, our spiritual life desert us, without
even the prospect of meeting in the flesh!" Here he groaned deeply. "How
long will this last, this dream