Мхи старої садиби
Roger Malvin's Burial
Theirbedofwitheredoakleaveswasstrewnuponthesmalllevelspace,atthefootofarock,situatednearthesummitofoneofthegentleswellsbywhichthefaceofthecountryistherediversified.Themassofgranite,rearingitssmooth,flatsurfacefifteenortwentyfeetabovetheirheads,wasnotunlikeagiganticgravestone,uponwhichtheveinsseemedtoformaninscriptioninforgottencharacters.Onatractofseveralacresaroundthisrock,oaksandotherhard-woodtreeshadsuppliedtheplaceofthepines,whichweretheusualgrowthoftheland;andayoungandvigoroussaplingstoodclosebesidethetravellers.
Theseverewoundoftheeldermanhadprobablydeprivedhimofsleep;for,sosoonasthefirstrayofsunshinerestedonthetopofthehighesttree,herearedhimselfpainfullyfromhisrecumbentpostureandsaterect.Thedeeplinesofhiscountenanceandthescatteredgrayofhishairmarkedhimaspastthemiddleage;buthismuscularframewould,butfortheeffectofhiswound,havebeenascapableofsustainingfatigueasintheearlyvigoroflife.Languorandexhaustionnowsatuponhishaggardfeatures;andthedespairingglancewhichhesentforwardthroughthedepthsoftheforestprovedhisownconvictionthathispilgrimagewasatanend.Henextturnedhiseyestothecompanionwhoreclinedbyhisside.Theyouth—forhehadscarcelyattainedtheyearsofmanhood—lay,withhisheaduponhisarm,intheembraceofanunquietsleep,whichathrillofpainfromhiswoundsseemedeachmomentonthepointofbreaking.
