Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1836-04-14


init me to tell you what have witness
ed, or what scenes Of wretchedHess are
now existing around US; but when on
cold winters night my dear little family
are gathered around me, the red Goals
sending forth their steady and undimn-
ished heat, and every heart filled with
ease and comfort, and especially when
the bowl of warm, rich nourlshment is
raised to the lips of my happy infant, en-
veloped in Its long flannel night gown,
oh, then have. the woes and sutierings of
the poor come like dismal cloud over
my soul! The wIetched mother with
her moaning half iamished babes in her
arms, has risen up before my imagipa-
ton like spectre OF woe, until have
wept in frenzied agony Of grief; and
although my heart went forth in graft
tude to God for my happier lot, still the
cheerful comforts around me lost their
charms at the recollection Of the sor-
rows of the destitute.
But to our subject. In Boston, on
the cold night before described, poor
widow and her orphan babes watched
with deep concern the gathering storm,
and listening with sbivering dsmay the
peltings against their shattered easement.
They had seen better days, but the
death of their common protector, which
was accelerated by intemperance, left
them utterly penniless. The exertions
Of feeble mother could scarcely be ex-
pected to supply the wants of four small
children. Still they had subsisted with
out beggary until this winter, which will
long be remembered for its unusual Sc
verify. That night she had divided her
asst morsel among her little ones, reserv-
ing not crumb for herself, and had
laid the last stick upon the fire; now
that stick was nearly consumed, and ev-
cry gust of wind seemed to send fresh
chill through the apartment. The cloth
ing Of this unhappy family was scarcely
sufficient for summer day, and the
mother feared to put her children into
their wretched beds, lest they should lit
orally freeze before morning. With
weeping eyes she looked around her,
and darkness and doubt came over her
spirit. Why did divine Providence
make such an unequal distribution of
the goods Of this world to mankind?-
Why must she and her children perish
with want, while so many around them
were rolling in ease and luxury9 She
had trusted in the Lord for many years,
and always found him faithful to his
promise; why did he forsake her in her
greatest need? While she was runina-
ting, a thought suddenly crossed her
mind, and brought with it sort Of sad
comfort The back yard of wealthy
neighbor joined her own, and loose
board would admit her. Thisyard con-
tanned wood house well stored with
wood; and now she thus reasoned with
herself: is it right for me to see my
children perish with cold when there is
plenty Of wood 50 near? My neighbor
though wealthy, was never known to as
sist the poor, and should now ask him
he would no doubt deny me. DO not
the laws of nature teach me to preserve
the lives of my offspring and would even
Heaven itself condemn an act of dire
necessity?
4 While thus she struggled with con-
science to believe the will of heaven,
she hurried to The wood house, but there
hesitated. How could she do deed
which she had always held in abhor-
rence' But the image of her freezing
children rose up before her, and snatch
ing her arms full from the pile, she turn
ed to depart, suddenly the blackness Of
the awful deed she was committing sur
rounded her soul, and she exclaimed,
"Lord, has it come to this?-a thief a
midnight piunderer! l cannot-oh, l
cannot;' and Ainging down the wood,
she turned about. Still, how could she
60 back to her suffering family empty :
Nerved by this horrd picture, she grasp
ed again at the fuel, and had nearly
reached her own door with the burthen,
when she exclaimed, "Lord has it come
to this' Have fallen so low | can
not! | cannot" and returning to the
pile, she threw down the wood, and turn
ed to depart; but the same dreadful pic
ture rose again before her mind, and fill
ing distractedly her arms third time,
she made an effort to run and forget
what she was doing; but the power of
moral and religious principle was 80
strong over her soul, that she could not
hush its voice; and yielding to its saluta-
ry influence, she flung a third time the
precious burden from her arms as though
it had been poison serpent, and, turn
ing, she exclaimed, in the bitterness OF
a heart breaking, 81 cannot, l cannot
oh, God preserve me from temptationn'
and hurrying to her home, she flung her