Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-01-30
THE RIGHTEOUS NEVER FoRsAKEN.
"IIoot away despair!
Never yield to sonow-
Tie blacklist sky may wear
A sunny i;ice to nnoImw

A sunny iace 10 ino,mw
1t was Saturday night, and the widow
of the Pine Cottage sat by her blazing
iaggots with her five tattcred children at
her side, endeavouring by listening TO
the artlessness of their juvenile prattie,
to dissipate the heavy gloom that pressed
upon her mind. For a year, her own
feeble hands had provided for her help
less family, for she had no supporter,
she thought Of no friend in all the wide,
unlrlendly world around. But that mys-
tcriou Providence, the wisdom OF whose
ways are above human compre hension,
had visited her with wasting sickness,
and her little means had become en-
h~austed.--It wa now, too, mid-winter,
and the snow lay heavy and deep through
all the surrounding forests, while storms
still seemed gathering IN the heavens
and the driving wind Ioarcd amidst the
bounding pines, and rocked her punv
mansion.
TIE last herring smoked upon the
Goals before her, it was the only article
OF food she possessed, and no wonder
her forlOrn desolate state brought up M
her lone bosom all tho ~anxietits ri n
mother, when she looked upon her child
rem; and no wonder, forlorn as she was,
If she suffered the heart swcllIngs of de-
spair to rise, even though she knew that
he whose promise is to the widow and TO
the orphan, cannet forget his word -
Providence had many years before taken
from her, her eldest son, who went from
his forest home, to try his fortune on the
high seas, since which she heard no note
or tidings Of him; and in latter time, had,
by the hand Of death, deprived her of
the companion and staff Of her pilgrim
age, in the person of Ter husband Ye,
to this hour she had been upbornc, she
had not only been able 10 provide for
her little flock but had never lost an op-
%portunity of mi~nistering to the wants Of
the miserable and destitute.
The indnlent may well bear with pow
erty while the ability to gain s%us'enonce
remains. The individual who has but
his W wants to supply, may suffer with
foriitude the winter of want; his aztec
tons are not wounded, his heart not
wrong. The most deso.ste in populous
cities may hope for charity has not quite
closed her hand and heart, and shut her
eyes On misery. But the Industrious
mother of helpless and depending chit.
dren; far from the reach ofhuman crn,-
ity, has none of these to console her
And such an one was the widow ofIn,
Cottage; but as she bent over the liz,
and took up the last scanty re-" nant a.
food to spread before her childen. her
spirits seemed to brighten up, a. by some
sudden and mysterious impulse, ond
Cowper's beautiful lines came uncalled
across her mind
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace,
Behind a frowning Providence
lie hides a smiling face.
The smoked herring was scarcely
laid upon the table, when "a gentle rap
at the door, and loud barking Of a dog,
attracted tue attention of the family =
The children flew TO open it, and a wea-
ry traveller, in tattered garments, and ap-
parently Indifferent health, entered aud
begged a lodging, and a meutbful Of
food sit is now twenty four hours since
I tasted bread The Widows heart
bled anew al under q fresh complication
of distresses; for her %sympathies lingor-
ed not around her fireside. She hesita-
ted net even now; rest and share Of all
she had, she proffered to the stranger.
{ We shall not be forsaken,' said she, 'or
suffer deeper for an act of charity
The traveller drew near the board---
but when he saw the scanty fare, he rails
cd his eyes towards heaven with astonish-
ment-' and this is all your storeF' said
he and a share Of this do you offer to
one you know not! then never saw l
charity before! but madam said he con-
tinuing, do you not wrong your chill
dren by giving me q part Of your last
mouthlul to a strangerp 'Ah,' said the
poor widow, and the tear drops gushed
into her eyes as she said it, Il have a
boy, a darling son, somewhere on the
face of the wide world, unless heaven
has taken him away, and ! only act to-
ward you, as | would that others should
act toward him. God who sent man.
ma from heaven a provide for us
he did for Israel-and how should l this
night offend him, il my son should be- a
%wanderer. destitute as YOU, and he should
have provided for him a home even poor
as this | to turn you unrelieved
away.
The widow ended. and the stranger
springing from his seat, ciasped her in
his arms God indeed has provided
such a wandering. son-and has given
lip. ...n.lIl- IL. .oa-l l