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near the inland murmur of streams, and the gracious waving of trees, the
beauteous vesture of earth, and sublime pageantry of the skies. Let us
leave "life," that we may live.
Idris was well content with this resolve of mine. Her native sprightliness
needed no undue excitement, and her placid heart reposed contented on my
love, the well-being of her children, and the beauty of surrounding nature.
Her pride and blameless ambition was to create smiles in all around her,
and to shed repose on the fragile existence of her brother. In spite of her
tender nursing, the health of Adrian perceptibly declined. Walking, riding,
the common occupations of life, overcame him: he felt no pain, but seemed
to tremble for ever on the verge of annihilation. Yet, as he had lived on
for months nearly in the same state, he did not inspire us with any
immediate fear; and, though he talked of death as an event most familiar to
his thoughts, he did not cease to exert himself to render others happy, or
to cultivate his own astonishing powers of mind. Winter passed away; and
spring, led by the months, awakened life in all nature. The forest was
dressed in green; the young calves frisked on the new-sprung grass; the
wind-winged shadows of light clouds sped over the green cornfields; the
hermit cuckoo repeated his monotonous all-hail to the season; the
nightingale, bird of love and minion of the evening star, filled the woods
with song; while Venus lingered in the warm sunset, and the young green of
the trees lay in gentle relief along the clear horizon.
Delight awoke in every heart, delight and exultation; for there was peace
through all the world; the temple of Universal Janus was shut, and man died
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