The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1839-12-24
THE RECLAIMED.

"Most mercifnI!
Will man S hard heart be never touched with all
TN OeoWns of Thy h Ggs and n, weld 81
The noble JOY Of pouring happiness
Upon the heart of sorrow, and how sweet
The pleasure is of shedding bliss abroad.
Ugh! ugh! coughed |, as / butoned my sur
tout closer about me, and drew my chin int o
lbs ample fur collar; God pity those who have
no setter for their heads TO night!
God pity them ndeed!' answered voice close
to my ear; for small is pity shown to houseess
man.
l turned my head. miserable half clad
shivering wretch stood by my side. His hat
was slouched over his eyes, but not sufficiently
to hide face on which the traces of loathsonle
ntemperance and debauchcry distinctly
visible. Ills fragment of a coat was buttoned as
closely around him as its scattered buttons would
| admit, but not closely enough TO conceal the
want of vest and shirt beneath. Sad rents in his
neither garments told Too plainly that their days
had not been few nor exempt from evil; and hi,
feet were scarcely protected from the fro
zen ground but pair of tatlered shoes. Such
a picture of extreme oathsomeness and misery
had never seen; & ha!f involuntarily thrust my
hand into my pocket with the intention of con-
tribung few pence TO his immediate relief.
But lie is Incorporate, said to myself; and the
small change W hich l had grasped was drop
ped He may perish with the cold, whispered
my better nature; and my fingers clutched the
! coin. He'll spend it for grog, nterposed my
worldly prudence; and drew my hand empty
from my pocket. ......
1t bitter cold evening in the middle o.
Dece mber. The mercury in the thermone
ter stood below zero, and the white frost glitter.
ing in the clear starlight like countless crystals
whose mnnteness impaired not their wonderful
brilliancy. There was no breath of wind abroad
but the whole atmosphere was filed with inf
mite small particles ofice, which pierced the skin
eisin with their sharp points. like the invisible
spears of troop of fairies. Arrayed l was
from head 10 foot, in flannel fur and broadcloths
with all the parapheinala which an old beche
Tor deems necessary to enable him to resist The
cold ] yet felt as if my blood was curdling in
my veins, and my whole man becoming pillar
! OF ice in the presence Of odd King Frost Bn.
! siness of an imperative nature had called me
late in the afternoon, into the suburbs ofthe CT
ty; and now my task was accomplished, plctur.
ing to myself the CRATE and hot toast which
awaited my return, was making all convenient
haste for home, when my reverie was Interrupt
ted by fit of coughing and the interruption OF
the stranger. Now had always prided my,
self upon the charities to the poor-the deserving
poor-and when Widow Johnson's house was
consumed with file, and all her property, and
her little daughter with it, headed subscrip-
ton paper for her benefit with the exceedingly
generous sum of $5, which | paid in the pres
ence fhalf the town, who had assembled at
the bar room off the village inn, TO talk over
the catastrophe, after they had stood to see the
house consumed and had labored with great
zeal to quench the burning chimney after the
roof and walls had fallen in. When Philip
Brown lost his only cow by stroke of light
ning contributed fifty cents to assist him in
the purchase of another, although in this case
had some qualms of conscience, arising from the
manner in which he had been bereft OF his
property Many Il time and oft have 1 'forked
OUT fo'pence ha'penny for the relief OF suffer-
ing merit and had in the process of time come
to the comfortable conclusion that l was n par
ticularly charitable man, in which opinion sun.
dry of my neighbors had told me they fully coin
cided But here was new case evidently diff
fering from any had ever relieved. had al.
ways felt for the suffering, but it was the suffer-
ing of the meritorious. l was ever ready to
lieve poverty but it was the poverty Of the vir-
tuous. Here loathsome vice was clearly the pa
rent Of misery. HE has brought it upon himself,
circulated |, shis suffering is not occasioned by
the visitation of God. He has sown the wind, let
him reap the whirwind! The visitation oiGod!
Alas, what more awful visitation can there be
from Him than to leave the vicious in their vice.
This is Judgment more terrible far than earth Z.
quake or pestience. From such doom good
Lord deliver us!
] turned upon my heel from the wretchad
object before me. Poor mani [ calculated, he
will suffer- but who is to blame?' And thus
choking down an accusing conscience | strobe
away. But his voice sounded responsibility in
my ear like haunted one, and ! was but i'll
satisfied that l had not at least inquired into
his necessities. He had not asked for char
ity it was true; but did not his miserable appear
ance plead for him more eloquently than words?
He might be too proud to ask, or he might DIES.
pair receiving, thought /; at all events it would
have,been well enough TO have said word 10
him about his wicked course, even if it were not
right to give him money. ] hesitated. turn.
ed around Standing in the place where had
left him l saw the miserable man. His hands
were clasped, and his face uptIrned towards
heaven, and 1 even fancied that could hear
the word of prayer OIL his lps.-Such a wicked
man pray! thought 1. Partly from curiosity
and partly from benevolent feeling L turned
back. ~... ...t