The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1840-07-17
From the Philadelphia Chronicle.
Immortality and the Grave.

We had a little boy that was advancing
towards his fourth year. He was our
only son he had nothing of the bolster
Gus happiness of childhood about him {;
but seemed to live in the tranquil enjoy
ment of the delights that nature had scat
tered at his feet; and he grew in the
breeze and the sunshine, creature of
pure and gentle elements. He had few
affections, but they were unusually strong
Two beings he loved with an intense pas
sion; his mother and kind and single
hearted man, who delighted to have my
little boy by his side when he weeded his
garden, who culled for him the brightest
rosebuds, and who would hold him for
hours in his arms, to look upon the swal-
lows as they dipped their rapid wings III
to the clear and silent stream that flowed
by my cottage. If ever human beings
were entirely happy, it was this honest
man and my poor child, as they wander
ed about from the rising to the setting OF
the sun, exchanging those most innocent
thoughts, which the rough touch OF
worldly feeling will in moment destroy
but which rest upon the untainted soul,
like bloom upon the ripening fruit.
The boy gradually sickened; there
was languor in his eyes which told OF
growing disease there was torpor in
his movements which spoke of feebleness
and pain. The spring came, but he die
not float upon its gale like the butterfly
While the crocus leapcd out of the earth
to proclaim the approaching hours of re-
novation, the work of decay was begun in
the sappling whose blossoms and frui
shone so richly in my day dreams. saw
him once more enjoy the sunshine-bu
it was in his nurses arms.
The crisis quickly approached. | sal
by his bed for two days and nights, re.
CARELESS of anything in the world but my
sick boy. The wresllings with death O.
a firm mind and mature body must be fear
full; but who can gaze without shudder
ing upon the agonies Of infancy! Who
can see the burning fever pass over TIT
trembling lips Of childhood, like the hur
ricane sweeping the lily, without shrink
ing from the sight of this contest between
weakness and power! | looked out for
moment from the chamber of suffering
upon the face of the bright and Tranquil
world-when | turned again to my DO,
the hand of death was closing his eyes.
! now knew, for the first time, what
is to have death about our hearths. TIL
excitement of hope and fear in momen
passes away and the contest between
feeling and reason begins with its alterna
ton of passion and listlessness. 1t i
some time before the image Of death get
possession of mind. We sleep, per
chance, amidst feverish dream Of gloom,
and indistinct emembranccs-the objec
of our grief, it may be, has seemed to u
present, in health and animation-w
wake in struggle between the shadow
and the real world and we require an eI
fort of the intellect, TO believe that tn
earthly part Of the being we have loved
is no more than a clod Of the valley.
| followed my hoy to the grave.
looked down into the deep, deep resting
place they had prepared for my child.-
At that moment CLEAN of sunshine sue
denly burst upon the scene. thought
! the dim morning of death, and the "da,
spring" OF immortality and l turned f
! comfort unto Him who said, ''Suffcr Ii
| tie children to come unto me, and forbi
; them not."--Prorincioi Journal.