Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1830-08-04
From the New-England Weekly Review.
TIE BEREAyED SISTER.

In the spring of 1924, I contracted an
acquaintance in one of the cities of the
South, with gentleman who had remov-
ed from England to this country, with two
small children, the one boy of ten
years, the other girl of nine years of
age. These children were the most love-
ly / eveE saw. Their extreme beauty,
their deep and artless affection, and
their frequent bursts of childish and in
nocent mirth, made them as dear to me
as if l had been the companion of their
infancy. They were happy in each 9TH
er and in the whole world of life and ma
ture around them. Ihad known the fam
lily but a few months, when my friend was
compelled to make sudden and uncx-
pected voyage to South America. His
feelings were embttered by the thoughts
of leaving his mothcrlcss children be-
hind him, and was on the point of en-
barking for Liverpool. | promised to
take them to their friends and relations.
My departure was dela"ed two weeks.
During that period, lived under the
same roof with the little ones that had
been consigned to my charge. For a
few days they were pensive and made
frequent inquiries for their absent father;
but their sorrows were easily assuaged,
and regret for his absence changed into
pleasant anticipations ofhis return. The
ordinary sorrows of childhood are but
dews upon the eagles plumage, which
vanish at the moment the proud bird
springs upwards into the air to WOO the
beautiful flashes of the morning.
The day of our departure at last arriv-
ed, and we sat sail on quiet afternoon
of summer. 1t was a scene of beauty,
and my heart futtered as wildly and joy
ously as the wing of young bird in
spring time. 1t seemed as if "man's
control had stopped with the shore" that
was retreating behind us, and left the
world of waters to give back the blue OF
the upper skies as purely and peacefully
as the first holy Sabbath of creation.--
The distant hills bent their pale blue tops
to the waters, and as the great sun, like
the image of his Creator, sank down in
the West, successive shadows of gold,
and crimson, and purple came floating
over the waves, like barques from fairy
land. My young companions gazed on
those scenes steadily and silently, and
when the last tints of the dim shore were
melting into shadow, they took each 9TH
er's hand and few natural tears gushcd
forth as an adieu to the land they had
loved.
Soon after sunset, persuaded my lit
tie friends to let me lead them to the
cabin, and then returned again to look
out upon the ocean. In about half an
hour, as was standing musingly apart, l
felt my hand gently pressed, and on turn
ing around, saw that the girl had stolen
alone to my side. In a few moments the
evening star began to twinkle from the
edging of violent cloud. AT first, it
cleaned family, and at intervals, but a
non it came brightly out and shone like
holy thing upon the brow of the even
ing. The girl at my side gazed upon
it, and hailed it with tone which told
that thought of rapture was at her heart.
She inquired with simplicity and eager
ness whether, in the fair land to which
we were going, that same bright star
would be visible; and seemed to regard
it as another friend, that was to be with
her in her long and lonely journey.
The first week of our voyage was un-
attended by any important Incident
The sea was at times wild and stormy
but again it would sink to repose, and
spread it self out in beauty to the verge
of the horizon. On the eighth day the
boy arose pale and detected, and COM
planned Of indisposition. On the follow
ing morning he was confined by fever
to his bed, and much doubt was express.
cd as to his fate by the physician of the
vessel. can never forget the look o.
agony, the look of utter woe that appear.
cd upon the face of the little girl, wher
the conviction of her brothers. danger
came slowly home upon her thoughts -