Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-11-01
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER J, 1897.


article entitled the Minister'S Beat or visits ac>
companied by friend among his parishioners.
We were Just turning the corner OF the lane
10 regain the high road, when woman from a
cottage in an adjoining field came running to
intercept US. There was in her look wildnesS
bordering on distraction but il was evidently
OF no painful kind She seemed like one re-
covered from the frs, shock OF some delight.
ful surprise, too much for the fFaii fabric "f
mortality To bear, without lettering 10 It's yer!
foundations. The minister checked his horse.
whose bride she grasped con'ulsively, pant
ing partly from fatigue. and more from emo
ton, endeavoring, but ,ainiy, to give ut,er-
ance 10 the ,idngs with which her bosom la
bored Twice she looked up, shook her head,
and was silent; then with strong effort She
Elrred out-'he's come oack.-,he Lord be
praised for III
'Who is come back; Jenny" said the pastor
in the deepest tone OF sympa'hy,-"is 1t little
Andrew; ye mean?'
"Andrew,!!r echoed the mairon, with an ex-
preston Of contempt, which at any other Tune
this ravorite grand child would have been very
f. from calling forth" Andrew! Andrews
fs,hs,, mean, my ain first born son jamie,
that wore mourning for till they would wear
nae langrr, and thought lying FIFTY falhoms
down in the solid ice. in your wild place Greer
land, or torn to pieces wi savage bears, like the
hooking BARNS in Scripture.-Hr's yonder!
said she, wildly pointing TO the housc-"he's
wonder living * living like; and o. gin ye wad
come, and NAV be speak word in season TO us,
he might he better able 10 praise The Lord, as
ip his due"
We turned our horses. heads and followed
,rer, a. she ran, or rather hsw towards the cot
tage with the instinct Of some animal long sep
arScd from It's dipping. I he little boy be-
fore me n,ioned ran GU, to hoid our horses; and
whispered, as the minister stopped to stroke
his head, ;" 6addy's come home trae the SEA"
The scene within the cottage battles de scrip
ton. The old mother exhausted with her eX-
eftlon, had sunk down beside her son, on The
r,,vr of 1IIt t,r IL strrrng, where
his blind and brdrid father lay, and elasped his
wraried hands in speeches prayer. His lips
continued TO move, unconscious OF our pre-
seuce and ever and anon he stretc he'd forth
feeble arm to ascertain the actual vicinity oil ms
long incurred son On a low stool, before the
on gay ard handsome but now irost-nlp' and
hunger worn mariner, sat ais young wiie, her
hand firmly clasped in his her 6xed eye rlveied
on his counienance giving no other sign OF lite
than conclusive pressure OF the former, or
big drop descending unwIped from the latter,
while her unemployed hand was piueklns quite
m. chanically the badge OF widowhood from her
duffi- cloak. which (having just reached home
as hrr husband knocked at her fathers door)
was yet laying across he. xnee.
The poor sailor gazed on all around him
with some " hat OF bewldered air, but most IF
all, upon rosy creature between his knees, OF
about a wear and hall old, born JUS, after his
departure, and who had only learned sbe sad
word daddy from The childish prattlr Of his
brother Andrew, and his sistrrs.-Of these one
Of them had been summoned. wild and pareleg-
e. d, from the herdng, the other meek and mo-
des,, from the village SC hool. The former, idle
and intractable, half shrunk in fear from her
returned parents sirictness; The other too young
not 10 have forgotten his person, only wondered
wcther this was the father IN heaven, OF whom
she had heard So often. She diu not think il
could be So, for there was no grief or trouble
there, and this father looked as if he had seen
much of both.
Such was the group to whose emotions, almos,
too much for human nature, our entrance gave
aturn "Jamie," said the good pastor (gentiy
pressing the sill united hands Of the mariner,
and his faithful Annie) you are welcome back
from The gates OF death and the perks Of the
deep Well, IL is said, tina, they who go down
TO the sea in ships see more OF the wonders OF
a.. Lord than other men; bu, i, was moi from
storm and tempest alone that you have been dr.
liverrd-colG aud famine, want and nakedness,
wild beasts 10 devour, aDd darkness 10 dis
msy,--these have been around YOU dreary path,
but lie that was with you, was mightier than
ali thai was against you: and you are returned
living man 10 tell the wondrous tale. Let US
praise the Lord, nv friends, for his goodness,
aud his aonderfsl works 20 the children Of men,
We all knelt down & joined in the brief but fer,
ven, prayer that followed. The s,ranger'shear,-
felt sigh Of sympathy mingled with the pastors
pious orr sons, with the feeble accents Of decrtp.
ii,Sde, tue lips of wondering childhood, and
the deep, eouttrrable gratitude OF wife and
mothers heart!
Fer much high wrought emotion prayer is
II. only adequate channel. They found ven'
20 il, ano we're claimed and subdued to the le
vel of ordieary iniert curse The minister kind
" addressed jamie, and drew r'a, by his
judIcinus questions, The leading features Of thai
n arvelloas h,stcry Of peris ans priv atoms, en-
daseo by he crew Of q Greeula.d snip aeta'n>
co winter on The ice, with which all are now |