Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-02-23

dren. II so happened, that in the course
of nature, without any extraordinary be-
reayemcrIs she outlivcd all the house.
hold, except one, on whom fell the sad
dest affection that can belal d human be-
ing-ihe utter loss OF reason. For some
years after the death of her husband, aud
all her other children, this son was her
support; and there was no occasion to
pity them in their poverty, where all
were poor. Her natural chcerlulness
never iorson!: her; aud although iaIlen
back ia the world, aud Obliged in her
age to live without many comforts she
once had known, yet all the past gradu-
ally was sotened into peace, and the
widow and her son were in that shic'Ing
as happy as any family IN the PARISH
He worked at all kinds Of work without,
and she sat spinning from morning i,li
night wilhin--a constant occupation,
soothing TO one before whose mind past
times might otherwise have come too
often, and that creates contentment by
It's uudisturbed samencss and VISIBLE pro-
gression. II not always at meals, the
widow saw her son TO, an hour or two
every night. and throughout :hG whole
Sabbath day They slept, too, under
the same roof, and she liked the stormy
whathrr when tho rains were on, for
then lie found some ingenious employ
ment within tho shieing, or chccrcd her
with some book lent 10y friend, or with
the primitive music of his Eatiye hills
Sometimes in her gratitude, she said
that She was happier now than when she
had 50 many other causes 10 be so; anG
whrn occasionally an acquaintance drop
ped IN upon her solitude, her face wei
coined every one with smile that spoke
more Of resigna,ion; nor was she aycrse
to partake ;he sociallty of the other huts,
and "a, scda,c among youthful mcrrIment
when summer or winter festival came
round, and poverty rcjoiced in the riches
Of content and innocence.
But her trials, great us they had been,
were not yet over; for this, her onl y son,
was laid PROSTATE by a fever, and when
it left his body, he survived horelessly
stricken in mind. His eyes, 50 clear
aud intelligent, were now fixed in idocy,
0. rolled about unobservant Of all objects
living or dead. To him all weather seem
ed the same-and if suffered, he would
have lain down, like creature void Of
understanding, in rain or on snow, mo-,
being able to find his way back for many
PAGES from the hut A. all thoughi aud
feeling had left him, so had speech-all
but moaning as of pain or voc, which
none but mother could bear without
shuddering-but she heard it during
night as well as day ,and ouly sometimes
lifted up her eyes as in prayer to God.
An offer was made to send him to a
place where the afflicted are taken care
! of, bat she beseechcd charity for the
first timc-such aims rs would enable
her along with the earnings of her wheel
to keep her son in the shielng; and the
means were given her from many quar-
ters to do S" decently, and with all the
comforts that other eyes observed, but
of which the poor object himself was in
sensible and unconscious. Thenceiorih
it may almost be said, she never more
saw the sun, nor heard the torrcnts's 5
roar. She wen, not to the kirk; but
kept her sabbath where the paralytic
lay--and there she sung the lonely
psalm, and said the lonely prayer, un-
heard in Heaven, as many dcspairln9
spirits would have thought-but it was
not so--for in two years there came q
meaning to his eyes and he found a few
words Of imperfect speech, among
which was that of Mother Oh! how
her heart burned within her, TO know
that her face was at last recognized!-
To feel that her kiss was returned, ant
to see the first tear that trickled from
eyes that 50 long had ceased to weep
bay after day, the darkness that cover
ed his brain gcew less and less deep
To her that bcwidarmrnt gave the bles
srdness OF hope; for her son now know
that he had an immortal soul, and on
evening joined family and teebly, AM
erring'y in prayer. A few weeks after
wards he remembered only events an,
SC ,ncs long past and dIstant-and be
lleved that his father and all his brother
and sisters, were yet alive. lie calle'
upon them by their names to come an
kiss him--on them, who had long bee
buried in the dust. But his soul s,rug
glcd itself into reason and remembrance
and he at last said, Mother did SOM
accident befal me yesterday at my wor
down the glen' | feel weak, and abou
! to die! The shadows Of death we're in
, deed around him-but he lived TO be TO!
much of what had happened and rer
dered up perfectly unclouded spir
unto tho mercy of his Saviour. IL,
r mother felt that all her prayers had bce