Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1842-08-17

neral ~ The child ia much mental distress.
HE Gins were brought to remembrance,
and reflection was misery. Sleep was
disturbed by Visions Of his neglected boy.
In broken dreams, he fancied that he heard
him coughing from his low bed, as he was
wont TO do. With strange disposition
of kindness he felt constrained to 60 TO him,
but his limbs refused their Office. Then
a little, thin, dead hand, would be thrust
from the dark grave, and beckon him to
follow to the unseen world.
While conscience haunted him
with terrors, many prayers arose from
plying and pious hearts that he might
now be led to repentance. There was,
indeed, change in his habits; and she,
who was above all others interested in his
reformation, spared no effort to win him
back to the path of virtue, and to sooth his
accusing spirit into peace with itself, and
obedience TO its God.
Yet was she doomed to witness the full
force Of the conflict Of grief and remorse
against intenperance only to see them sud-
denly overthrow. The reviving good
ness, with whose promise she had SO So
laced herself as even to give thanks that
her beloved son had not died in vain, was
transient as the morning dew. Habits Of
industry, which seemed TO have been
springing up, proved themselves to be
without root
The dead, and his cruelty to the dead,
were alike forgotten. Dsafection 10 that
tender and trusting wife, who "against
hope had believed 10 hope." resumed its
habitual sway. The friends who had al
lternately reproved and encouraged him,
felt that their efforts were of no avail. In
Temperance, like the strong man armed
took final possession of soul, that lifted
no prayer for aid 10 the Holy Spirit, and
ceased to stir itselfup to struggle With the
destroyer.
! To lay waste the comfort Of his wife,
seemed now the principal object OF this
miserable man. Day after day did she
witness for herself and for her household,
the fearful changes of his causeless anger
and brutal tyranny. She felt the utter
Necessity of deriving consolation, and the
| power of endurance. wholly from above.
She was faithful in the discharge of the
difficult duties that devolved upon her, and
especially careful not to irritate him by re-
proaches or gloomy countenance. Yet
she could not sometimes prevent from ris-
| ing mournlully 70 her view, her sweet ma
4 tive village-the peaceful home and fond
friends of her childhood so far away-and
the constant, endearing attentions. which
won her early love for one whose iil-treat-
ment now strewed her path with thorns.
4 In this new and solitary settlement, she
had no relative TO protect her from his in
! solence; she felt that she was entirely in
his power--that it was a power without
generosity-and that there is no tyranny
so entire and terrible, as that of an aliena-
ted and incorporate husband.
| Still, locking TO her Father in Heaven,
she found her courage revive, and deepen
into childlike confidence. After putting
her children to bed, as she sat alone, eve
ming after evening, while the joys Of early
days, and the Sorrows of maturity, passed
in review before her, she questioned her
heart what had been its gain from Heavens
discipline, and whether she was 10 sustain
that greatest of all losses, the loss of the
spiritual benefit intended by affection.
/ The absences Of her husband grew
more frequent and pro-racted. Oace, dur
ing the third night of his departure, she
knew not where, she lay sleepess, listen
ing for his footstep. Sometimes she fan.
cied she heard his shouts Of wild tighter
but ]. was only the shrek ofthe tempest
Then, she thought the sounds of his fren.
zied anger rang in her ears. Il was the
roar of the hoarse wind through the forest
All night long she listened to these
tumults. and hushsd and sang to her af-
frigh:ed babe. Early in the morning, heI
eye was attracted by a group coming uT
slowly from the river which ran near hel
dwelling. A terrible foreboding. came
upon her. She thought they bore a
corpse. 1t was, indeed, the corpse of her
r husband. He had been drowned. as il
was supposed, during the darkness of the
/ preceding night, while attempting to cross
: q bridge OF logs, which had been broken
!, by the swollen waters.
: Utter prostration of-spirit came over til.
b desolate mourner Her energies were
e broken. and her heart withered. She hae
b sustained the hardships Of emigration am
o the privations of poverty. the burdens o
unceasing toll and unrequited care, with
out murmuring. She had laid her 6rst
Il born in the grave, with resignation, 70
IS faith had heard her Redeemer SAYING
b Suffer the li.tle one 10 come unto me.n
e She had seen him, in whom her heart
i. young affections were garnered up, bt
,f come a prev TO vice the most disgustin
! and destructive. Yet she had borne u
d under all. One hope had fingered wit
: her as an anchor of the soul" the hop
}. that he might yet repent and be reclaimed
!. But now be had died in his sin. Th
daadl,- lenrosv which had stolen over hi