The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1827-03-22

unseen lurking place within the dark shad-
ow of the church buttresses. 1t was alto
gether such a scene as / shall never forget,
-one from which could hardly tear myself
away. Nay did not; | stood motionless as
statue in my dark gray mich, till the OBJ
ects before me became indistinct in twilight
till the last slanting sunbeams had with
drawn from the highest panes Of the church
wndow-till the blackbird's song was hush
ed, and the baby's voice was still, and the
mother and her nursing had retreated into
their quiet dwelling, and the evening taper
cleaned through the fallen white curtain and
still open window.
But vet before that curtain fell, another
act of the beautiful pantomime had passed IN
review before me. The mother with her
infant in her arms had seated herself in
low chair, within the little parlour She un.
| tied the trock strings, drew off that, and
the second upper garments, dexteronsiy,
and at intervals, as the restless frolics OF the
still unweared baby afforded opportunity;
and then it was in its little coat and stays,
the plump white shoulders shrugged up ~
antic merrment far above the slacSened
shoulder-straps. Then the mothers hand
slipped off one red shoe, and having done SO,
her lips were pressed. almost as 1t seemed
involuntarily. to the little naked foot she stu
held. The other, as it in proud love OF ND
erty, had spurned off to distance the TEL
low shoe; and now the darling, disarrayed
! for it's slumbers, was hushed and quieted;
but not yet to rest, the night dress was still
to be put on, and the little crib was not
there; vet to rest, but to the mighty duty
already required Of young Christians. And
in moment it was hushed, and IN moment
the small hands were pressed together De
tween the mothers hands, and the sweet Sc
rous eve was raised and fixed on the mo-
|ther's eve, (there beamed as yet the infants
Iheaven;) and one saw thatit was lisping OUT
it's unconscious prayers; unconscious, surely
no, unaccepted A kis. from the maternal
lips was the token OF Gods approval; and
then she rose, and gathering up the scatter,
ed garments in the same clasp with the hall
naked babe, she held it smiling to its father
and one saw in the expression OF his race, a.
he appraised it, after having imprinted kls!
on that of his child, all the holy feryour OF
fathers blessing. -
Then the mother withdrew her little one
and then the curtain fell, and still llnger
ed; for after the interval of a few minutes
sweet sounds arrested my departing footsteps
"a few notes of the harp, low prcluu'
stole swectly out, voice still sweeter
mingling its tones with soft quiet accom-
paniment. swelled out gradually into stra'I
of sacred harmony, and the words OF tn
evening hymn came waited towards thu
house Of prayer Then all was still in tn
cottage and around it, and the perfect 81
lence, and the deepening shadows. brough
to my mind more forcibly the lateness OF tn
hour, and warned me to turn my fac
homeward. So / moved a few steps, an
yet again fingered STILL for the moon wa
Irising, and the stars we're shining out
the clear cloudless heaven; and the brigl
reflection of one danced and glimmered iik
liquid FREELY on the ripple OF the stream
just where it glided into dark deeper poo
beneath little rustic bridge, which ie
from where stood into shady green lam
communicating with the neighbouring han
Ilet