Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1834-03-22

juvenile innocence. and when her fair bright
awakened interest, at the meeting
of her own society, and the blighted character of
the frail girl. was now well known to her. She
passed her without speaking; but having proceed
ed some PAGES. she looked back and called to her.
s'Jane Robson" she said, ssaIt thou leaving
thv fathers houseP' Jane replied in the af-
fmative And thou art going to town, where
thou hast no friends nor hope of businessg' Jane
was silent.
s.IIast thou not strayed far enough already,
poor child? that thou shouldst exchange the
sanctuary of the paternal home for scenes where
innocence can scarcely escape the snares of the
spoer Jane Robson! turn back thy steps, and
seek again the safety of thy parents roof. Thou
art but yet young wanderer-a long life may
be before thee, and thou-yes, even thou, mayest
vet return to virtue and to peace"
Jane burst into tears-the holier fountains OF
her heart, so long choked up, found sudden flow,
and covering her face with her hands, she
cxclaimed,- have no home on earth-no place
even of abidance. My parents have spurncd me
from their door, and no one else will receive me-.
The quakeress paused. "Jane,'' she at last
said, of these are tears of penitence, they VIII
not flow in vain. At least thou shalt have no
plea for further wanderings. Come home with
me, poor young thing of scorn, and may at least
give thee honest service and a peaceful home. =
And such indeed did Jane Robson find, under
the roof of the quakeress-a benevolent votarst
of benevolent and peaceful sect. She found
a home, and still more mOnltress, whose gentle
but solemn counsels, in which the loftiest de-
testation of vice was mingled with the meekest
charity and the deepest christian love towards
its unhappy votares, came over her heart with a
new and awakening power. To counsels like
those, rendered sweet as salutary, by the tone,
with which a cultivated and benign spirit imbues
instruction, Jane Robson had been stranger;
and she listened to them the thirsty and weary
pilgrim, to the gushing of cool waters. But
though she had learned to look back upon her
crring paths, with shuddering & contrite heart,
and the still deepv voice of high Judge had bid
den her 60 and sin no more, yet the penalty which
man pronounces was yet to be paid. Jane was
still an outcast from the world, and many pang
shot through her heart, and her fair young. form
was bent like crushed plant to the earth, as
the daughters of unblemished fame shrunk back
from her approach. Meantime her mother had
become marked for the grave. A cancer, that
and remorseless consumer of life, was
feeding slowly but surely upon her alredy worn
existence. Her sufferings had become intense,
and required the constant attentions of care and
kindness. But except the lost Jane all her chill
dren were married and settled away; and though
they visited their afflicted parent, whenever do
nestle duties permitted them, and the occasional
ministry ofkind neighbors also added something
to their attendance, yet the aged sufferer spent
many a long night and day of agony, when there
was none, whose care might give solace or afford
mitigation. 1t was at the close of day like this,
when her husband, weary with the proceeding
nights watching, had already fallen into a pro-
found slumber, and she sat bolstered in the chair,
which was now her only place of rest anticipating
the long and lonely watches of the night, which
to her must pass without sleep, that a female
closely mufflcd came slowly into the room and
stood silently beside her.
Smother" said the stranger at last in low
voice-''if may still dare to call you by that
name; have not come to intrude myself upOnI
you, if my sight will still give you pain-I do not
expect you to forgive mel do not ask you I'd
speak to or to look at me-but, Oh, mother
know that you are suffering, and there is none I'd
watch over you, or to soothe your anguish, and
cannot endure it any longer. Only let me stay
with you-let me sit by you through the long
night and watch your wants without speaking to
you. know am unworthy the blessed privileged
but do not-Oh, mother! do not deny me, and
God will reward you forever" Jane had begun
with voice of measured calmness, which told
that she had schooled herself to the trial; but as
she plOCeeOcu neI cinOtlOnS OVCrCaIne llcT, du(
sinking at her parents feet she wept aloud. The
aged and feeble mother looked at her for some
moments, as if believing herself in pleasan
it the voice of her lost child she
had heard ?-and why had she been SO many long
long months estranged from her? The caus
in that moment ofrestored tenderness seemed
fade from her memory, and tears of joy-aye, jo
over the child whose shame had bowed her to tn
dust, rolleddown her palld and furowed cheek
and fell on the brow Of the kneeling suppliant
Tears of a mothers love-of a mothers forgive
ness! Sanctifying waters that fall on the stained
soul Ike holy JUNCTION! And thus Jane felt them
and when she rose to her feet there was peac
upon her countenance that it had not worn sincf
her days Of childhood. ''And my father, will he
also receive me? Alas, poor girl! he did receive
her, but il was with GOODNESS. Their plain but
neighbors too, as one by one they|
came in to see her mother, again looked upon|
her if fearful of contamination, and again the
flush that to the hollow cheek Of the invalid,
as she noted their manner, told that disease and
anguish could not quench the feverish burning
of mothers shame. But Jane bowed meekl]
to it all. and devoted herself to the care of heI
dying parent, with strength and fxedness %
purpose, that nothing could divert. Week after
week and month after month rolled away, and
still Mrs. Robson lived on amid sufferings that |
claimed the most ceaseless vigs, the most tryingI
care and untiring attentions. They were all
watchfully fulfilled; and such