Iowa news. [volume] (Dubuque, Upper Mississippi Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1837-1841, 1838-04-21
THE LAST HERRING.
SHOOT away despair,
Move. yield 10 sorrow
1he 5ilcAe5l SKY 'aay wear
A smiling face to-nnorrpw.,'

A san ling face tn-lorrpw."
It was Saturday night, and the wild
ow ofthc Pine cottage sat by her blaz-
ing faggots with her five tattercd chill
dren at her side, endeavoring by listen
ing to the artlessncss Of their juvenile
prattle to dissipate the heavy gloom
that pressed upon her mind. For a
long year her own hand had provided
for her helpless family, for she had no
supporter-she thought she had no
friend in all the wide unfricndIy world
around. That mysterious providence,
the wisdom Of whose ways are above
human comprehension, had visited her
with wasting sickness, and her little
means had become exhausted. 1t was
now mid-winter, and the snow lay hea
Wy and deep through the surrounding
forests, while storms seemed gathering
in the heavens, and the driving wind
roared thro' the bending pines that
rocked her puny mansion.
The last herring smoked upon the
Goals before her; it was the only article
Of food she possessed; and no wonder
il her desolate state brought up in her
lone bosom all the anxietics Of moth
er when she looked upon her children;
and no wonder, foriorn as she was, il
she suffered the heart-swelings Of des
pair to rise, even though she knew that
He whose promise is to the widow, and
to the orphan, cannot forget his word.
Providence had many years before,
taken from her an elder sou who went
away from his forest home to try his
fortune on the seas, since which she
had heard no note or tidings Of him;
and in latter times she had been by the
hand Of death, deprived Of a compan-
ion and staff Of support in her husband.
Yet to this hour she had been upborne;
she had been not only able to provide
for her little flock, but had never lost
one opportunity Of ministcring to the
wants Of the miserable and destitute.
The indolent may we'll bear with po-
verify while the ability to gain sus-
tenance remains. The individual who
has but his own wants to supply, may
suffer with fortitude the winter Of want;
his affections are not wounded, his
heart is not wrang. The most desolate
and popu.ous cities, may hope, for cha
rity has not quite close her hand and
heart, and shut her eyes OH misery
But the industrious mother of helpless
and depending children, far from the
reach Of human charity, has none of
these to console her. And such one
was the widow Of Pine Cottage;-but
- she bent over the fire and took up
thelast scanty remnant Of food to spread
bafore her children, her spirits seemed
to brighten up, as by some sudden and
mysterious impulse, as Cowper's beau
tiful lines came uncalled across his mind:
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace,
Behind frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face.
The smoking herring was scarcely
laid upon the table, when q gentle rap
At the door, and the loud barking of
the dog, attracted the attention ofthe
The children flewto open il,
and wary travelcrin tattered garments,
md apparently indifferent health, en-
lered, and begged q lodging & mouth
(ul Of food; sFor," said he, sit is now
wenty.fourhours since Tasted bread. =
C6e widows heart bled anew, as ,un-
Ia.Y fresh complication Of distresses;
i ~ syarpathies fingered not around