Page:Alice Lauder.pdf/114
the ark of the covenant before them, rolled to-day over this lonely plain with ever new consolation, spoken as by a living, but not a mortal voice, in the wilderness. Alice heard the clear trebles of the children repeating:
“The world passeth away and the lust thereof, but the word of the Lord endureth for everendureth for ever. Amen.”
Overhead the three aspen trees planted in the churchyard kept up a perpetual chatter and quarrelling amongst their light grey leaves. Sometimes a breath of air would shake the trees all over with a sudden rush of sound, as when a child shakes a toy-rattle in its hand; sometimes it died away into hurried whispers and twitterings; but the trees were never entirely silent, even in the stillest and sleepiest moment of the day or night. She heard the sound of a horse’s steps coming near from over the edge of the valley, and saw the form of a rider outlined darkly against the evening sky, stopping as if in search of something; but it did not interest her, and she turned again and buried her head in her hands, while the congregation burst forth in familiar unison:
“There is a land of pure delight.”
The sad minor cadences contrasted strongly