humble life ere the wing of ruin swept away them and their � � when he had ascended the hill his took a wider range the more distant and picturesque part of the country lay before him ay said he in a lord bless us how is this world i an what poor are men there s the dark mountains the hills the rivers an the green all the same an else but s changed the very song of that in thorn bushes an below me is like the voice of an ould friend to my ears indeed hardly that for even the voice of man changes but that song is the same as heard it for the best part o my life that in star too is the same bright up there that it ever was god help us hardly anything changes but man an he seems to think that he can never change if one is to judge by his folly an wickedness a smaller hill around the base of which went the same imperfect road that crossed the of prevented him from seeing the grave yard to which he was about to extend his walk to this road he directed his steps on reaching it he looked still with a strong memory of former times to the in which his children himself and his ancestors had all during their day played in the happy of childhood and youth but the dark and ragged house upon his feelings he turned from it with pain and his eyes rested upon the still green valley with evident relief he thought of his buried flower � his haired as he used to call her � and almost fancied that he saw her once more wandering through its tangled gathering or strolling along the green meadow with a of about her neck imagination indeed cannot the image of the dead whom we love but even if it could there was no standard of ideal beauty in her father s mind beyond that of her own she had been beautiful but her beauty was pensive a fair yet melancholy child for the charm that ever her was one of row and tenderness had she been and mirth ful as children usually are he would not have so far into his future life the love of her which he cherished another reason why he still loved her strongly was a consciousness that her death had been occasioned by distress and misery for as he when looking upon the scenes of her brief but melancholy existence � to see you the but � � it wasn t for play you did it it was to keep away the of hunger from your heart of all our every one said that i ou the � never much but the heart in you ever full of goodness an affection god help me fm glad � an now that i m near it � loth to see her grave he had now reached the verge of the grave yard its fine old stood there as usual but not altogether without the symptoms of change some persons had for the purposes of building thrown down one of its most picturesque walls still its ruins clothed with ivy its moss covered its arches and grey with age were the same in appearance as he had ever seen them on entering this silent palace of death he reverently uncovered his head blessed himself and with feelings deeply agitated sought the grave of his beloved child he approached it but a sudden transition from sorrow to indignation took place in his mind even before he reached the spot in which she lay sacred mother he exclaimed who has dared to bury in our ground who has � what villain has to come in upon the upon the of who could � had i no friend to eh sacred mother what s this father of heaven forgive me forgive me sweet for this bad i got into who � who � could raise a over the o my heart one of us it who could do it but let me see if i can make it out oh who could do this blessed thing for the poor an the sorrowful he began and with read as follows � here lies the body of m the beloved daughter of and nine years she was descended the in pace this stone was raised over her by widow and her son james out of grateful respect for and who never suffered the widow and orphan or a distressed neighbour to assistance from them hi vain until it pleased god to them with thanks to you my said dropping on his knees over the grave thanks an praise be to your holy name that in the middle of my poverty � of all my poverty � i was not forgotten nor my child let to lie honour in the grave of her family make me worthy blessed heaven of what is written down upon me here an if the departed spirit of her that honoured the dust of my buried daughter is unhappy oh let her be relieved an let this act be to her bless her son too gracious father an all to her on this earth an if it be your holy will let them never know distress or poverty or wickedness he then offered up a for the repose of his child s soul and another for the kind hearted and grateful widow after which he stood to examine the grave with greater accuracy there was in fact no grave visible the little mound under which lay what was once such a touching image of innocence beauty and feeling had sunk down to the level of the earth about it he regretted this inasmuch as it took away he thought part of her individuality still he knew it was the spot wherein she had 