The Delaware register, or, Farmers', manufacturers' & mechanics' advocate. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1828-1829, 1829-01-24


with mournful tone
MARY do you think it would be a hard thing if
were to die young ?"
Mary slrunk from question which seemed so nat
ural for one in his situation because she did not inn
agine that such thoughts had ever entered the mind of
the gay and laughing boy. She startled, too, at
the coincidence between their reflections it was as if
she had looked into his mind, and found it mirror
of her own But she asked Henry quietly if he were
weary of the life God had given him.
"Oh no;' returned the blind boy, " but it would
not brighten me, make me unhappy, Mary, if
knew that going to die. know | must be
burden all my life to my parents. and can be of lit
lie to any one--even to you'll think know
not why--it was not meant should stay here long.
God will soon whether am patient, amiabe and
pious he will take me away, when have been sulf-
ciently tried.''
Mary made no answer. She too, had moments
when the conviction that her life not to be long
one, upon her most powerfully, and to her. too
it brought the gentle, melancholy satisfaction
which seemed stealing over the mind Of her blind
brother. He had once asked her. when very little
boy, if she thought he should see in heaven and the
question had made her she'd many tears. She wept
now, while she listened to his plaintve voice, and
heard him talk with humble piey of his willingness
to die in the first bossomlng of youth yet her tears
tears of bitterness, for she that the frame
of mind in which he spoke one calculated to
make him happy, living or dying.
She told him so at last and strove to strengthen
in his mind that feeling which disarms all vexatoh
afcssorroW-a perfect confidence that there is a Sc
cret good in every event that belas us. Her own
spirit deeply imbued with this conviction that
1T gave the coloring to her whole character; it was
the idea which occurred to her habtually and nces-
sanity it was the secret of that peace of mind which
neither trouble, poverty, nor sickness could ufie.-
She taught him how to exercise his mind in trying to
discover the good shrouded in seeming evil and how,
when the justice and mercy of any event were past
finding out to give up the search in undoubting con-
idence that all right, suffering his soul to be
disquieted
The youthful pair rose at last to return home in
the hottest and happiest temper Their hearts were
filled with devotion, and with love for all Gods
ton, and the pure and beautiful instinct of fraterna
love had received an impulse from a conversation
which they felt had made them both wiser and BETTER
The influence of communion on holy topics is happy
and sautary, and the glow of renewed confidence and
esteem which succeeds such intercourse between kin
dred spirits, is delightful.
Mary was an invalid, and soon felt that she had
made more exertion than she ought to have done.--
She paused moment at the foot of the hill, because
there were two ways which led home. They had
come by circuitous path, leading through pleasant
fields and lanes and the road by which they pro-
posed to return would conduct them across the mill
brook straight to the village She was weak and faint,
and they took the shortest way. Silently they walked
on till they had almost reached small rising ground
which lay between them and the mill stream, when
Henry suddenly exclaimed Sister Mary, where are