The Litchfield County post., 1827-02-23

Knocked the unseen songstresS. The bird
redoubled her tuneful efforts, and still the
baby laughed, and still the bird rejoined !;
and both together raised such melodiouS
din, that the echoes of the old church rang
again land never since the contest of the
nightingale with her human rival, was
heard such an emuous conflict of human
skill. | could have laughed, for my COM
pany, from my unseen lurking place with
In the dark shadow of the church buttres-
ses. 1t was altogether such scene as I
shall never forget, one from which I could
hardly tear myself away. Nay, 1 did not :;
l stood motionless as a statue in my dark
grey niche, till the objects before me be-
came indistinct in twilight, till the last slant
ing sunbeams had withdrawn from the
highest panes of the church widow, till the
blackbird's song was hushed land the baby's
voice was still, and the mother and her
nurseling had retreated into their quiet
dwellings, and the evening taper cleaned
through the fallen white curtain and still o.
pen window
But yet before the curtain fell, another
act of the beautiful pantomime had passed
her infant in her arms had seated herself
in low chair, within the little parlor. She
united the frock strings, drew off that, and
the second upper garments, dexterously
and at intervals, as the restless frolics of
the still unwearied baby afforded opportu-
mites and then it was in its little coat
and stays, the plump white shoulders shrug-
ged up in an antic merriment, far above
the slackned shoulder straps. Thus the
mothers hand slipped off one red shoe,
and having done so, her lips we're pressed,
almost as it seemed Involuntary, to the
little naked foot she still held. The 9TH
er, as i'll proud love of liberty, had spurned
off TO distance the fellow shoe and now
the darling dsarrayed for its innocent slum-
ber,was hushed and quoted, but yet not to
rest the night dress was yet to be put on,
and the little crib was not yet there, not
yet to rest, but to the mighty duty already
required of young Christians. And in a
moment it was hushed, and in a moment
the small hands were pressed together be-
tween the mothers hands, and the sweet
serious eye was raised and fixed upon the
mothers eye Ohere beamed, as yet the in
fant's heaven sand one saw that it was
lisping out its Unconscious prayers :; uncon-
cious, surely not unaccepted. A kiss from
maternal lips was the token of Gods APP
proval and then she rose, and gathered
up the scattered garments in the same
clasp with her half naked babe, she helC
it smiling to its father, and saw in the ex.
preston of his face, as he appraised it at.
ter having imprinted kiss on that of the
child, one saw init all the fervour of a ia.
theirs blessing.
Then the mother withdrew her little
one, and then the curtain fell, and still
fingered, for after the interval of few
minutes, sweet sounds arrested my depart.
ing footsteps few notes Of the harp, {
low prelude stole sweetly out, voice still
sweeter, mingled its tones with soft qui.
ct accompaniment, swelled out gradual,
into a strain Of sacredFharmony, and the
words of the evening hymn came waited
towards the house of prayer. Then all
was still in the cottage and around it ; and
the perfect silence, and the deepening
shadows, brought to my mind very forcibly
the latcness of the honr. SO moved a
few steps, and yet again / fingered, lin
gered still !; for the moon was rising, and
the stars were shining out in the clear
cloudless heaven and the bright reAec
ton of the ripple stream, just when it gil
ded into dark deeper pool, beneath 6
little rustic foot bridge, which led from
where / stood into a shady green lane,
communicating with tho neighbouring ham,
| let.
MR.. WEBSTER'S SPEECH.
Mr.. Webster's speech on the bill in IA
vor of the Surviving Officers of the Revo-
luton, though delivered some weeks ago,
is SO able and convincing, that we conclude
to give it in full, for the satisfaction of GU,
readers. He has taken Just view Of The