A Pious Legend Of Our First Parents

A pious and pleasing legend runs as follows: When our first parents were driven out of paradise, they wandered about full of sadness, and weeping. Before them stretched the earth which was to be the scene of their toil, overgrown with thorns and thistles; in the ears sounded constantly, the terrible sentence pronounced by their Judge:”In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread.” Then they sighed, exclaiming with tears:”Alas! Why did not the angel with the flaming sword put an end to their existence.” Suddenly there breathed forth from paradise a gentle breeze; the shrubs bent their heads, and a tiny cloud, colored with the hues of the dawn, floated down from the hills. From this cloud a voice was heard to speak in accents of encouragement:”Though your eyes will not be able to behold Me, yet unseen by you, I will be your guide through life. I will dwell in your hearts and cheer your path. When thou, O man dost till the ground in the sweat of thy face, I will show thee in the hazy distance waving fields of golden grain and blooming gardens, and thou shalt fancy thyself in paradise. And when thou, O woman, shalt be in pain on account of bearing children, thou shalt behold an angel from heaven in the person of thy child, and shalt weep tears of joy.” “Alas!” groaned the unhappy ones,”wilt thou forsake us when we come to die, o hidden messenger of consolation?” “No,” sounded the voice from the cloud, “most certainly not, but after the darkness of night has passed away, a glorious morning shall dawn upon you. When the hour of your death is drawing near, my cheering light will illumine your soul, causing you to see the celestial portals open to admit you.” “But who then art thou, celestial messenger of consolation?” queried they. “I am Hope,” was the reply,”the daughter of Faith and Love.” Then the cloud descended encircled our first parents, so that they could not see their visitor. But they were comforted and cheered.