Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1841-10-18
THE BEREAVED WIDOW.
BY JOSEPH r.. CHANDLER, ESQ.


ourselves from The piercing Northwestern that had
been for some minutes blowing, showing us that
our cloaks were not wholly weather proof IL
was certainly comparative pleasure after such
searching blast, to stand in the lee of the house
and as soon the blood began to circulate little,
we considered what should be our next step in
the errand which we had undertaken to perform,
when our attention was arrested by the sounds OF
wailng from the house near which we were stand
ing and as the evidences of sudden grief contn
ued, we felt embodened if not called by our mis-
sion, TO knock at the door. We repeated this sew
eral times, but there was no answer, we deter
mined TO enter. Raising the latch with some
force IN order to arrest attention, We opened the
door aud stepped into small paror; there was
no "entry.' The noise OF opening the door had
called from an adjoining room female, whose
countenance WINS marked with the deepest grief.
She started at our appearance, but with courtesy
natural 10 her sex, pointed to chair near stove.
we apoIOgZed for our unbdden entrance by sta
tng That her EXPLANATIONS OF distress had seemed
TO give warrant to our holiness as we were in
the discharge ola duty to class in which she
ell to be included
There was no answer ; it was evident that all
feeling was merged in one overwhelming grief,
aud the spbs which shook the frame the afiic-
ted one, were rather evidences bits conc eament
than attempts at its expression.
Are your sufferings,' said my companion re-
specially approaching the female, of a kind
which we can mitigate? Our means, whatever
they are, shall he cheerlully devoted to thai pur-
pose
Unless you can bring back to my arms n hus
band " no has been dead for months aud restore
to my bosom an only child, streached out on yOn-
der bed, you cannot minister to my sufferngs.
We knew too well The feelings OF mo.her to
attempt formal consultations in the freshness other
bereavement, and so we mingled tear with the
chldess widow, conscious that sympathy would
do more than advice.
The door Of n little room was open, and the
light from window fell upon bed. The suff
ering widow trembed as she turned her face in
that direction
We followed her.
The little one lay upon the bed in the newness
OF death. Sickness had not emaciated the face,
nor pain disturbed the features. 1t was the beau
ty OF quiet Silence and rest had set their seal up
on his lips ; but til blue vein lay across his tenn
pie aud down his cheek, as il the current oil life
had only paused in its career I; not chilled. The
thin sky locks of hair that lay upon the forehead
OF the dead Child, trembed ia the agitation of the
ayr as we approached but settled still again on the
brow, 10 whose glossy Wilderness marble is poor
comparison. The long eyelashes were in beaut-
tul relief to the delicate skin over which they
hung, and served TO shade the eyebas, where a.
lone death seemed 10 have set his SEAL AS we
gazed upon the beautiful object before us, the grief
OF the mother broke out afresh. We felt that
something should be said
She Lor, gave, said mycompanion, as he took
the mothers hand from the tiny fingers of the
boy, the Lord gave this treasure
Who else, . who else could have given such
a one ? said the WOMAN, gazing downward upon
the bed.
'And the Lord hath taken away added my
friend.
shivering of the mothers frame indicated
that she was sensible her comfort was taken away
'Let us bless the name of the Lord continued
my friend.
% not now-not yeti cannot do it with that
form before me. Let the greve without reproach-
ing my Maker, but cannot mock him with bles
sings. 1t may prove good to me to have been ai-
t1lcied but while the heart is bleeding with the
freshness of its wound, may like Rachel refuse TO
| be comoned'
! With due respect TO the sacredness of her grief
we led the inourner away from the sight OF her
child, wlli view of proposingto her. as soon as
possible, some plan OF decent sepulcbre.
| The rooms indicated poverty but not squalid-
ness There was sad deficiency in the means
OF coniorI;whut there were bore evidence of being
the reminder OF n sufficiency. Entire neaDess
distinguished every thing, but even The clothes up.
on the bed were insufficient tor necessary warmth,
aud chairs aud tables had gone to provide Tor her
sell and little one, when The sickness Of the child
had prevented her from work.
While we were arranging the measures whicb
should insure decent burial to the child, slight
noise from The he'd room arrested my attention.
| went 10 The bed.
| small dog was lying st some distance from
the dead child, and gazing iniently into his I'M
changing face. The affeconate animal had
reached forward TO lick the cheek Of the boy, bu,
It's GOODNESS prevented repetition, and he conten-
ted himself with constant watching and an occa =
sonal low moan.
poor Rolla said the mother, who had followed
me TO the bedside, poor ROlla he feels, but does
not understand his loss. He and were the con-
slant and ouly companions OF dear little Henry,
aud now we are his only mourners
The next afternoon a Plain cariage took away
little Henry in his coffin, and his afflicted mother
Al The CUTE OF the grave yard my friend and
met the carriage. The sexton took The coffin and
proceeded. My friend placed the widows arm
beneath his own, aud helped her onward, and
followed the II 80 but not alone poor Rolla joined
the litlle procession, and completed its numbers.
The solemn service was performed by my lrieno
to the scnn,y congregation, disturbed only by the
deep sobs OF The mother.
| At length the sexton prepared 10 fill in the eari
| the anxious mother bent over the little resting
place ot her boy, and with heartrending grel
took lenve oi The last human being with whom she
could clam affinity she turned and moved slow
y away. koIIa paused, us if in doubt whether lo
follow the living or lie down and rest with The be-
loved dead. The widow remembered her faith
tul companion. and turned back anil called TO hiIs
10 follow. Roa looked wistlully at the grave foi
a time, and then obeyed. fleart-broken, The wild
ow aud her sympathzing dog returned to that
,Iesolate home, once made cheerful by the pres
ence of her husband aud her child.
The Yersataiiiy Of Fort,me.-The tendency Of
our republican institutions to scatter accumulated
wealth. and prevent the perpetuity ofa great mon
eyed power in the same family, has often been re-
marked upon. The children ofthe man who is
now at The topmost round Of fortunes ladder, may
he soon at the foot, and the beggar of to-day may
he The rich man of tomorrow. We have in our
MUD two striking examples OF this versatility Of
| fortune. We well recoect the appearance OF
two youths, some 35 or 40 years ago,both OF them
about the same age, but moving in the two ex-
trenes of socieiy. The one was poor ragged
boy,'Ihe son OF humble parents his father labor.
ing at n precarous occupation, and the son to all