Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1840-01-06

aud awful reverence. She had dscerned the
relation in which she, an only child, stood to her
poor parents. now that they were getting old, aud
there was not passage in Scripture that spake of
parents or OF children, from Joseph sold into slave
ry, to Mary weeping below the Cross, that was
not written, never to be obliteratcd ON her uncor
rupted heart.
The father rose from his seaf and went TO the
door, TO look out into the night. The stars were
in thousands and the full moon was riser. III
was almost as light as day, and the SNOW that SEEM
ed encrusted with diamonds, was so hardened by
the frost, that his daughters houeward feet would
leave no mark on its surface He had been toll
ing all day among the distant Castlewoods, aud
stiff and wearied as he now was, he was almost
tempted to 90 and meet his child but his wfes
kind voice disslladed him, and returning to the
tIreslde, they began to talk of her. whose image
had been so long passing before them in their ST.
lcnce.
'She ~ growing up TO he bonny lnssie,' said
the mother; her long and weary attendance on
me during my fever last spring kept her down
awhile; but now she is sprouling fast and fair as
u lily, and may the blessing of God he as dew and
sunshine TO our sweet flower all the days she
bloometh upon this EARTH SAY, Agnes replied
the father, I'VE are not very old yet-though we
are getting older and few years will bring her
to womans estates, and what thing on this earth,
think We, human or brute, would ever think Of in
Juring her? Why, was speaking about her yes
tcIudy W Tue minister rs ne was runS Dy, ana ne
told me that none answered at the examination in
the kirk so well as Hannah Poor thing well
think she has all the Bible by heat; indeed, size
has read but little else only some stories, too true
ones, Of the blessed martyrs, and some o. the aud
songs O. Scotland, in which there is nothing but
what is good, and which, TO be sure she sings God
bless her, sweeter than any laverOck' 'Ay-
were we both TO die this very night she would be
happy. Not that she would forget all the days
of her lille. But have you not seen, husband, that
God always makes the orphan happy? None so
little lonesome as they They come to make
friends o all the bonny and sweet things in the
world around them, and all the kind hearts in the
world make friends olthem. They come to know
that God is more especially the father o. them on
earth whose parents lie has taken mp to heavcn
and therefore it is that they, for whom many
have fears fear not at all for themselves, but 90
dancing and singing along like children whose
parents are both alive Would it not be with
our dear Hannah ? So douce aud thoughtful a
child but never sad or miserable-ready it is
true to shed tears for little, but ready to dry
them up aud break out into smiles know not
zphy it is, husband, but this ght my heart warns
towards her beyond usual. The moon and stars
are this moment looking down upon her, and she
looking up to them, as she is glittering homeward
over the snow. wish she were but here, and
taking the comb out Of her bonny hair and letting
it all fall down in clusters before the fire to melt
away the cranreuch"
While the parents were thus speaking of their
daughter, loud SUCH of wind came suddenly over
the cottage, and the leafiess ash tree under hose
shelter it STOOL creaked and groaned disnaly as
it passed by The father started up, and going
again to the door, that a sudden change had
CORE over tho f,ce of, tho night. The moon had
nearly disappeared, and was just visible in dim, |
yellow, glimmering den in the sky. All the re-
mote stars were obscured, and only one or two
family cleaned in II sky that half un hour before
oil, h., ipu
with rack and mist, and sleet, the whole atmoa-
phere being in commoion. He stood for a single
moment TO observe the direction of this unfore
seen storm, and then hastily asked for his staff.
: | thought had been more weather wise-a
storm is coming down from Carnbrae-haWs,. and
we shalt have nothing but wild night
He then whislcd on his dog an old sheep dog,
too old for its former labors-anJ set off to meet
his daughter, who might then, for aught he knew,
be crossing the Back-moss. The mother accom-
panied her husband TO the door, and took u long
frightened look at the angry sky. AS she kept
gazing it become still more terrible. The last
shred of blue was eXlinguished-- the wind went
whIrling in roaring eddies, and great flakes OF
clrcled about in the middle air whether
drifted up Fl ON the ground, or driven down from
the clouds, the fear striker mother knew not, but
she at last knew, that it seemed night of danger,
despair, and death.
Lsrd lave mercy on us James, what will be-
come ofour poor bairn!
But her husband heard not her words, for he
was already out of sight in the storm, and
she left 10 the terror of her own soul in that
lonesome cottage.
Little Hannah Lee had left for her fathers house,
soon as the rim Of the great moon twas seen by
her eyes, that had been long anXiousy watching
it from the window, rising like a joyful dream
over the gloomy mountain tops; and all by her
self she tripped along beneath the beauty of the
silent heaven. Still as she kept ascending and
descending the knobs that lay IN the bosom OF the
glen she sung to herself song hymn, orr psalm, |
without the accompaniment ofthe streams, now all
silent IN the frost and ever and anon she stopped
to try 10 count the stars that lay in some more
beautiful part ofthe sky, or galed on the cOnstel
Iutions that she knew, and called them, in her Joy,
by the names they bore among thu Shepherds
There were none to hear her voice see her
smiles, but the ear and eye Of Providence. As
soon as she glided, and took her looks from heav
Ell, she saw her own litte ireside-hcr parents
waiting for her urriva--ihe Bible opened for wor-
ship her own'little room kept so neatly for her,
with its mirror hanging by the window, in which
to braid her hair by the morning ligh:-her bed
prepared for her by her mother $ hand-the prin- |
roses in her garden peeling through the snow
old Tray who ever welcomed her home with his
dim white eyes--lhe poney and the COW: friends
all, and inmates of that happy household. So
stepped she along while the snow diamonds gilt
tered around her feet and the frost woye a wreath
of lucid pearls around her forehead.
She had now reached the edge OF the Black
moss, which lay halt way between her master
and her iather's dwelling, when she heard loud
noise coming down Glen Scrae, aud in Il few Sec
onds she felt on her face some flakes of snow
She looked up the glen, and saw the snow storm
coming down as fast flood. She felt no fears
but she ceased her song; and had there been Il
human eye to look upon her there, it might have
seen shadow ON her face She continued her
course, and le holder and holder every step that
brought her nearer to her. parents house. But
the snow storm had now reached the Black moss,
and the broad line of light that had lain in the d-
recioE of her home WIS soon swallowed M aud
the child was in utter darkness. She saw nothing
INF The flakes Of snow. interminnlx iuLerLuinnleL