ANGEL VISITANTS. 
BY MRS. LUCY DEWEY CLAY. 
The evening air is balmy and soft, 
The twilight is fading now; 
A shadowy mist is in the vale, 
And o’er the mountain’s brow; 
All’s still; so still; not a moving thing 
Save leaves by the soft winds stirred, 
And scarcely a sound falls on my ear 
Save notes of the twittering bird. 
The sky is clear; not a gathering cloud 
Its beauteous blue to mar; 
Night soon will her sable curtains drop 
And fasten them with a star. 
All nature is sinking into sleep— 
To quiet and gentle rest— 
Oh, would that repose as calm, might come 
To this sad and unquiet breast. 
A shadow over my brow is cast. 
And tear drops are on my cheek. 
The thoughts that are crowding into my heart, 
Oh, would that my tongue might speak— 
Oh, would that the poet's gift were mine,— 
For then should my lay be sung 
In living, breathing, burning words, 
On chords by the mdses sung. 
But oh, I cannot, I cannot tell 
Why my tears are falling so fast. 
’Tis not at thought of the future, or now, 
But ‘tis memories of the past. 
And as I sit here dreaming alone, 
There are shadowy forms that come,— 
I can almost hear their angel wings, 
As they flit around my room. 
Oh, they are with me. I feel them near,— 
My sainted loved ones to-night,— 
Would, I could lift the misty vail 
That hides them from my sight. 
I can almost feel the gentle touch 
Of their soft breath on my brow, 
And the silvery tones I can almost hear 
Of their spirit voices low. 
Oh, speak to me, unseen visitants, speak, 
In language immortal, tell 
Of the glories—the beauties all divine, 
Of the land wherein ye dwell. 
Oh, tell of its gardens, w here lovely flowers 
Of rosiest hues are seen, 
Of its rivers of life, with waters so clear, 
And banks of emerald green. 
Oh, tell of the visions of boundless love "• 
That greet you on every side; 
Of the smiles your etherial. faces wear, 
As among the redeemed ye glide. 
And, ye white-winged angels, tell me now ; 
Of the rapturous strain* ye sing. 
While saints and seraphs the notes prolong 
‘Till Heaven's high arches sing. 
Oh, tell of your joy, as your souls ye bathe 
In tears of supernal light. 
All sorrow and sighing ye fear no more, 
For ye walk with the “Lamb in white.” 
Oh, tell of the glory that fills your breasts. 
And the raptures all your own, 
As ye gaze on the Being who sits in light 
On the dazzling Great White Throne. 
I listen,—alas ye aerial ones, 
Ye are vanished—ye all are gone. 
I raise my head in the darkening night, 
And I am alone—all alone. 
Farewell for a time, we shall meet again 
My angel visitants bright, 
When my eyes shall have closed to scenes of 
earth, 
Ye’ll greet me to realms of light. 
Planting* an Orchard. 
BY THOS. D. BA.IRD, 
The apple is the fruit of the temperate 
portion of the earth; in fact, there is no 
fruit grown in any part of the world which, 
everything considered, is more conducive 
to health, happiness, and comfort, or that 
will bind the ties of home closer than an 
orchard of good fruit. 
In starting an orchard, great care should 
be taken in selecting and planting. In 
selecting trees, two points should be taken 
into consideration—that is, good bearers 
and good fruit—to grow an orchard to 
make it the most profitable. I notice that 
in some orchards of nice thrifty trees, so 
many of them are such shy bearers that 
they are worthless, with and many of the 
trees, though good bearers, the fruit is near¬ 
ly worthless, making the orchard an un¬ 
profitable one. 
Some farmers in planting out fruit trees, 
select the largest trees, thinking thereby to 
get fruit sooner. But I prefer small trees, 
as their roots are smaller and can all be 
taken up together, and will strike quicker 
into the soil, and not receive such a check 
from transplanting. Small trees may not 
bear as early, but when they do bear, their 
fruit will be finer and they will make a 
better orchard. '»■' 
A great many farmers differ in opinion 
as to the best time to plant out fruit trees. 
I prefer planting in the fall, for at this 
time of the year, the sap has ceased to-flow, 
the condition of the atmosphere is favor- 
