The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1842-07-19

perhaps some afflicted parent may find his heart
throbbing in sympathy with the following atfec-
ting lamentation
MY FIRST AFFLICTION.
had often heard OF The grief of parents at the
loss ofthor children. l thought 1 symPathlsed
with the afllicted-nRd so did TO a certain extent
1 could never see fond mother bend the
dead form Of her beloved child without desiring to
weep with her--but ah with that grei a stranger
intermeddIeth not. To me there something
IN the deep and solemn dignity Of death, and in the
speechless eloquence of the grave. Living for the
most part OF my days within sound OF the sweet
village bell OF New England, nothing could be
more solemn than its knelI when tolling at the oc
casional burial OF an nhabitant. But Oh, how dii-
ferent the sound when it was for my own child
Little Gertrude had wound her slvery cords round
and round my heart. From the time of her birth
she had gradually insinuaied herself into the bo-
som of parental affection, until no child seemed so
tender, so lovely, triumphant over fathers
heart How mysterious the growth Of attachment
1t is the work of God, that he may fulfil his purpo
SEES What chaos of disjunctG membra would
the world present without it SO little Gertrude
lived for me, and too much for her. At table
she sat next me---abroad, she walked with meat
church she sat by my side-at nights she lay by my
bosom--she loved me with the pure simplicity of
a child and with the enthusiastic ardor oil daugh-
ier-yes, daughter. Let no father impateniiy
long for sons He may please himself with the
idea Of boldncss and masculine energy, and moral
or martial achievement, but ten 10 one he will
meet little else but frowardness, reckessness, i'm
perious demand of the prohigate prodgaI who had
been INDUCED from his childhood. THIS is
the representation of thousands The painter who
drew that portrait, painted FOR all posterity.
But the daughter--she cling-, like the rose leaf
around the stem, to the parental home, and the pa
rental heart; she watches the approving smile and
deprecates the slightest shade the brow, she
wanders not on forbidden pleasure grounds wrings
not the hearts at home with her midnight absence;
wrecks not the hopes to which carly promise had
given birth, nor parazes the soul that doats on
this its chosen object. Wherever the sun may
wander in search of fortune pleasure, there is
the daughter within the sacred temple Of home the
Vestal Virgin ofits innermost sanctuary, keeping
alive the fame of domestic affection, and blessing
that existence Of which she IL hers elf part.
AS my youngest cherub threw her around
my neck ,and breathed into my ear, "Dear Father"
could have imagined that that very ight would
witness her little form struggling with fierce dis
ease But so 1t was. All father, fond doating
father you think that child is yours. A few rosy
summers have passed over its head ITS cheeks
are full in bIoom-her eye, gay with chldhood's
innocent joys, looks cheeriIy and confding into
your own delighted face, her step bounds the
garden path, and IN her little hand she brings you
bunch of flowers. This is happiness too exquis-
ite FOR Death to permit. 1t mine. In one
month il was thine. In the next it was buried in
the depths of the grave that opened to receive the
precious form OF my &c rtrude / then learned a
lesson, Of which had not before suitable concep
ton, that do not own any thing in the creation
of God. had closed the dying eyes of my beloved
mother, and much loved her but lingering con
sumption, after OBTAINING her long time in view
of the promised land, at length let her go TO take
full possession. had buried DO loved sister who
under similar course Of proracted discipline,
ripened for heavenly rest; but this my First
affection.
Every parent understands Every father
knows ] speak the truth. There is not earth
lie peculiar, mysterious, nexpressible.-
Ten thousand infinitely minute fbies are sundered
at that bold str o Se of death The break ing of
million of arteries would not cause such flow
The actual loss is not indeed like that of losing
conjugal partner, but the feeling, the emotion, the
perplexiy of grefs is too intense to be surpassed
A part Of both yourselves dies, the podgo of your
afection-the JOY of your souls, the concentrating
point Of your love-is snatched away, and an APP
palling vacancy is created in the soul The strength
OF parents love- is in the appropriate evi
dence, while life lasts, in the anxious look, the
ger nquierY, the restessn Of the heart, the ASST
duty of attention, the sleepless vigilence. Oh,
how the mother watched over that child. Every
power, faculty and appetite of the system seemed
to pay tribute to the impending danger. When
ture was exhausted, the mother would lie the
bed in vain effort to sleep her soft and suppressed
groans re echoing through the silence Of midnight
the affecting groans Of the little sufferer To see
child whose powers Of moral agency have not
yet been developed, or who have no suitable
of responsibility, writing under the scourge
of relentless disease, looking at you most implo
ringly FOR that help which you can no more give
than create world this is humIiating it is
heart rendng: you are the cause ofthose suferngs,
you entail, but you cannot relieve. You can
be the means of sinful, painful existence, but