The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-09-03

h>Sh''l latts ihiA ffillfu v ien liltA IL
| sed to dress in white, they seemed even
paler now eontrasted With their black
mourning garments. They receive, IA,
visits OF their few dear friends with the war.
NEST gratitude, and those of ordinary CON
dolement with placid content they did
moi appear Nearicd oflhs world bnt resign
ed to leave il /; smiles and the pressure oil
aileetonatc hands were still dear 10 them
aud, ifthey kept themselves apart from so
cieiy, II was not because they could not
sympathAe with its hilarlty, lis amuse
ments, and IFS ninth, but bcca,is, DIZZY
We're warmed by feelings close upon their
brain and heart, that they were doomed
soon 10 lay their heads down into the dust.
Some visitors on frat entering their par
loT, in which every thing MAS still NJ elc-
gantly and gracefully arranged AS ever, Mvn-
dered why the fair sisters should so seldom
be seen out Of their own dwelling but no
one, even the most thoughtless and unfeel-
Ing, ever left them without Car different
thoughts, or without a sorrowiul conviction
That they we're passing IN perfect ressna-
tlon, the remainder Oi their life, which. in
their own hearts, they knew TO be small.
SO, week after week, visits OF idle ccremo-
ny were Discontinued and none NOW came
TO Calder Cottage except those who had
been dear to their dead mother, and were
dear, even for that reason, had there been
no other 10 the dying orphans.
They sat in their beauty within the sha'
dow Of death. But happiness Was not
therefore excluded from Calder Cottage
II was even sublime satisfaction Ia KNOW
that God was to cail them away from their
lportd being uhsevered and that while
they all there Aneitin prayer, il Was not Tor
the sake of one only who VAS 10 leave the
survivors IN tears, but for themselves, that
they wee mutually besecchnS God that
he would lc pleased Ia smooth the path by
which they Were walking hand in hand 10 The
grave. Nhenlhg sun SHINE, thcy still cont
nucd 10 WANDER along thc shaded banks of
their beloved Calder, mud admire ITS ullict
iHmctoo fhenide flowing Clyde. They
dldn0t neglect their flower garden, aitho'
they well knew that theIrrYes were not 10 be-
gaddcned hy the blossoms pf another
spring. They streWcd, as before, crumbs
Tor the small birds that had built their nests
among thu roses and honcysuckles on the
wall ofthelreottage. They kept the weeds
from ovefgraning thr walks that were soon
TO be troddrn by thsir feet no more; and
they did not turn their eyes away from the
shooting flowers, which they knew took an
either sprlng 10 bring them 10 maturity, and
would be disclosing their fragrant beauty in
the sunshine tha: ahonc on their own graves.
Nor did thcir higher cares lose amy OF the
interest or the charm. which they had
possessed during their years Of health had
hope. The old people whom their charity
supported We're received with az kind smiles
~ ever, when they came to receive their
weekly dole. The children whom thcv
clothed and sent 10 school met with the
same sweet voices IA before, when on
the Saturday evenings they visited the la-
dies 81 Calder Cottage and the innoecut
l1irth Of all about the ho,ue, The garden,
the fields, ar the adjacent h'ds, seemed ia
be pleasant 10 their ears, when stealing un-
cXpectcdly upon them from happy persons
g crossed with their own Joys, and ma
"aic thai the sound Of their pasiimcs had
r acli"d those, whose own earthly ENJOY
lArats were 50 near a close.
These where the lasl lingering shadows
and sounds and odoars of life , and tll,
time had not yet come upDn either of the.
orphans when they conld not be enjoyed
But they bad other comforts and if II bad
been ever most delightful 10 iE"m 10 read
and study the word Of God, when they let
fab upon the holy page eyes bright with The
dewy light Of health yet undrcnyed, il was
no" more than delightful, il was blessed,
10 pernse il now together, V hen they had ia
give the bible by turns into each othcr'a
hands that their oversight might not get
dim, nor their voices ianltcr, which would
have been, had the same dying christian
read one chapter 10 tire end When the
old minister visited them, Inc found THEM
always cheerful and composed during his
stay, they were even joyful in Their rcsisua-
ton; and at parting, if tears were ever
shed, it was by the aged for the young who
wept not for themselves, except when They
thought how that hengn old man had
stood by their mothers death bed, and
when She had lost her uttcrance, let hc;
spirit ascend upon his prayers 10 heaven,
Caroline was the first TO die. Her char
acfcr, unlike that of both of her sisters, had
been distinguished by great spirit and viva
| city, and, when they were present, had al
ways din,lscd something Of It's own glad
light over the serene composnre oithe enc
and the melancholy stiffness of the other
without seeming even 10 be inconsistent
win them nor did her natural and ire
! Iressible buoyancy altogether forsake her
even to the very last With her the disease
assumed lis most beautiful show. lIel
light blue eyes sparklcd with astonishing
brihiancy; her cIreks, that had always HI
thcrto been pale, slowod with roselikc
lustre although she knew that she was
| dying, ard stroyc 10 subduc her soul down
TO her urar fate, yet, in spite Of herself, this
strange fire that slowed in the eInbcrs d
her kindIed it often into a kind Of airy glad
ness, 50 that a stranger would have thought
her one on whom ouen6,c existence was