The ladies' garland. [volume] (Harpers-Ferry, Va. [W. Va.]) 1824-1828, 1824-09-11
JsE q j. q &c IN x.
FROM THE BOSTON TELEGRAPH.
THE MOTHER.


Just heavd with its faint breath, and ever often
A sob ESCAPED its heart, and big tear
Came rushing to its eye Its bloodess lip
seem'd not the prey of fell disease, but death
Came calmly o'erits frame, like a thin mist
Over lake at even, or melting
of distant music on the silent sea-
The mother watchd her infant, as it Dined
And sickened on her bosom; and she husf'd
Its low and piantive murm'rings, at night
When all around was sleep, and the air
In its unechong silence gave no sound,
She sat with heavy eyelids by her child,
And hush'd her very breath, lest it should wake
And find its grief again. Night after night
She thus did keep her yigils; and when dav
Rose on her Wearied senses, and she fam
Would lay her down to rest, the weak complaining
Of her aWaken'd babe o'ercame her WEAKNESS
And she refus'd to listen to the voice
OF those who read consumption in the flush,
That deepened on her check and only once
While her sick babe was sleeping, did She walk
Abroad IN the cool air; and then met her
BY the lone grave of him who in his life
Had loy'd full tende1ly that babe and her
She knew her child would die: but she had thought
That she would watch its sufferings and stand by
TO do that office which affection loves
And yet doth weep, to do,--of closing up
The cold and sttfened ld-and she had hop'd
That when its pulse still, and its Young heart
Was silent in its bosom, that her hands
Would shroud its limbs for burial, and her lips
Press the last kiss upon its clay-cold check
Before the foul worms riot.-But she sunk
Beneath her ceaseless watching, and consumption
Gucken'd his fearful work. Her pulse grew quick
And her limbs faint, and restless fever followed,
with his consuming thilst-and wild derium
Selz'd on her heated brain-and she would clasp
Her pillow in her frenzy, and cry ''hush,
Sleep on my babe-would that thy mothers heart
Could bear thy pain for thee-sleep on, sleep on"
And when at times She Wept, and the cold tears
Came down in freshness on her bosom. reason
Would for a moment gleam-ant then she knew
That she had not her babe-and she remembered
That it was sick and wastng-and a sorrow.
Such a mothers heart alone can feel
Sat heavily upon her.
Twas the hour
Of midnight-and the heavy air Law slumb'rinp
As if in deep trance-and the green leaves
Forgot their undulations, and prcss'd down
BY the nght-faling dew, seem'd overpowcred
BY a resstless sleep. The watch-dog's bark
Was heard not in the distance, all except
At hourly intervals, when the Gliding clock
Rung out the passing hour, one sullen howl
Broke in upon its echoes and again
Unbrohen silence reign'd. The weary nurse
Had kept her drowsy watch, and the sick mother
Lay still upon her pillow, singing ftfullv
A low and soothing lullaby and when
Her voice grew faint and hcrparch'd tongue refus'd
10 do It's Office more, she smld and said,
" lis well, my walmg babe, thy mothers voice
Grows weak in lulling thee, and her fond heart
Which lv'd not, but to quell thy infant tears
And soothe thy grief awhile, is fading with thee
And SO It's well and will only wait
10 see thee plume thy wing, and then my life
winch flows from thee its fountain, will dry up,
ana shall follow soon" She would have spoken
vi hlln who gave that infant child its being
But foil ef,a@ l..