EARLY TIMES. 61 
fill grief, had hung a weight upon her heart; but 
it had not yet diminished the loveliness of her 
form, or the exquisite expression of her face. Not 
since has such a man trod this earth; not since 
have the flowers of the field seemed to borrow 
their lustre from such a woman. 
Cain followed, leading in his hand the young 
and gentle Ada. Every fawn that sprang up from 
the copses around provoked her to disturb the 
measured step of the procession, and the young 
gazelle, that paused to gaze upon her from the 
summit of a rock, felt its own eye dimmed in the 
lustre' of that of the youngest of the children of 
men. Abel and Mahala closed the procession. 
With them there was less of anxiety than was 
seen in Adam and Eve, and nothing of the pain¬ 
ful restlessness which distinguished Cain. Maha¬ 
la wore the bridal dress. It was made of the 
skins of the youngest lambs of her lover’s flock —• 
lambs that had been selected, for the perfection of 
their form and the beauty of their delicate fleeces, 
as the sacrifices of the day. 
Leaning on the arm of Abel, with head de¬ 
clined, as if modestly thoughtful of the fulfilment 
of her wishes, Mahala heard and replied to his 
professions of love. Graces seemed attendant on 
her lovely form, the sun settled in glorious lustre 
upon the pure white of her neck and shoulders, 
and the odors of a thousand flowers were crushed 
out by her delicate footfall. 
