Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-12-30

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DONE cry O dent cry so, dearest; say your
| prayers, aud fear will fy away
How can knee down here in the dark woods,
or say my prayers when m0,her /. not Ivy to hear
| neF think ] soc a large wolf with sharp ears,
aud mont, vide open and hear noises rs of ma-
| ny fierce lions growing
| Dear little Jane, do sny, Our Father, who art
| III heaven BE good girl, aud when we have
rested here nwlIile, perhaps lie may be pleased to
send some one to find us, aud fetch us holne.'
Throwing WIS The anxiety III the lowly hut Of
tile Emgrnn when day drew towards its close,
| aud the childrun came not \ boy, their sole as
sislaut IN the tolls of agriculture, at his return
from labor, was sent IN search for them, but in
VAN. As evening drew on, The inmates OF The
neghbJring house, aud those ola small hamlet nj
considerable detincc. hal associated in the pun
SUIT. Tie agony of the nvnIid parents, through
| mat night, was uncomfortable starting nj every
lnosIep, shaping out Of every breczD the accents
ct the lost ones returning their cries Of misery.
! While the morning was yet gray, the father no
longer 20 be restrained, nnd armed with supernat
ulal strength, went forth amid the rawlings of his
! inVer, 10 take part in the pursuit. With fiery
cheeks, his tIrohbing head bound wi h n handker-
chei he was seen IN The most dangerous and in =
| accessible spots, caverns, ruyines beeting cliffs,
leading The way to every point peril, in The reu-
zy of grief aud disease.
The second night drew on, with one of those
sudden storms of sleet and snow which sometimes
chill the hopes oilhc young Spring. Then was a
sndder sight, III woman, with altenuaed form,
flying size knew not WHITTIER aud continually ex-
claiming, My children my chdren!' II was
fearful 10 see "A creature so deudy pale, with the
darkness OF midnight about her She needed no
advice to inkr care OF hersef-no persuasiou TO
return to her home.
They call me! Let me go! | will Law them
IN Their bed myself How cold hJr feet are !.
Nha ! is Jane singing her night hymn without
me? No! No! She cries. Some evil serpent
has s'nng her" and shreking wildly, tic poor
mother disappeared, like u hunted deer, in the
depths of The forest.
Oh might she but have wrapped them in her
arms, as they shivered in their dismal recess, I'M
der the roots oil tree npIorn by some wiutry lem
pest! Yet how could she Imagine the spot where
they lay, or believe that those little wearcd limbs
had borne them, through bog and brambe, more
Than SIS miles from the parental door? In the
niche which we have mentioned, faint Eloanng
sound might still be heard.
Sister, do not tell me that we shall never see
the baby amy more. see it now, and Thomas
too, dear Tnomas Why do they say he died aud
was buried? lie is close by me, Just above my
head. There are many more bnbes with him
n host They glide by me rs ii they had wings
They look VAIN aud happy. | should bo glad to
he with them, and join their beautiful plays. But
o, how cold | am! Cover me closer Mary.
Take my head into Your bosom
Jane | want 10 hear your voice and TO talk with
you. II is very sad tn be waking here all alone
II could hul see your face wien yuu are as ecp
1t would be Il comfort But Vt is 81 dark so darkr
housing herself with difficulty, she unties her
apron, aud spreads it over the head of The child TO
protect it from the driving snow; she pillows the
cold cheek on her breast, and grasps more firmly
the henunbed hand, by which she had so faith
fully led her, through all their terrible pilgrimage
There they are One moves NOT. The other
ke.,.. nj.
to low, suffocaIing spnsm, from u throat dried
with hunger. Once more she leans upon her ell
how, 10 look on the face o. the little one, for whom
Ms mother size has cared. With love str0n! ms
dealh, she comforts irrself that her sister Stun
bers calmly, because he stroke of the DESTROYER
has sileuced her sObbings.
An. why came ye not hitler torches ,hn,
CLEAN through the wilderness, and men who shout
10 each Other? Why rane ye not this way ? See
they plunge into tnoraSSes, they cut their path
through tangled thckc,S they ford waters, they
nsre''d mountains they explore furests,-but the
lost nre not found.
The third aud fourth nights come and depart
SIN the WOODS arc filled with enger searchers
sympathy has gathered them from remote settle
mcnls. Every og-cabin sends forth what il cun
spare Tor This work OF pity aud of sorrow. They
cross each others track. necessarily they imterro.
gate ani reply. But IN vain. The lost are not
found
In her mournu dwelling, The mother sat mo-
tion'eSs Her mint was upon her lap. The strong
duty to snccor lis hepessness apuled with the
might of grief and prevailed. Her eyes were riv-
e'ed upon its brow. No sound passed her white
hr' Ptying women, from distant habilaiations |
gathered around, and wept for her. They even
essnyed some words of consolation. Bat she an
swered no,hing-she looked not towards them.
She hnd no ear for human voices In her soul
was the perpetual cry Of the lost. Nothing over. !
powered it but the wall of her living babe. She
Ininisered 10 its necessities, and that heaven. in
spred impulse saved her. She had no Longer any
hope for those who had wandered away. Horrid
images were in her fancy,--lhe ravenng beasts
black pis OF siagnant waler-b birds OF fierce beak
--venomous, cong snakes. She bowed herself
down to them, and ravniled, as in the birh.hou
teariully and in silence. But the helpless babe
Oh her bosom touched an electric chord and saved
her from despair. Maternal love, with its pillar of
cloud and of flame, guided her through the ,leser,,
that she persisted NOT.
Sunday came, and the search was unabnted II |
seemed only marked by Il deeper tinge of melan
choiy The most serious felt il fitting TO 20 forth
nj that sacred senson, to seek the lost though moi
Ike their Master, girdcd with the power to save |
Parents remembered Tint il might have been their
own little ones, who hnd thus strayed from The |
fold, anil with grnIiludc, took some Of The mourn
ers' spirit into their heorIs Even the sad hope of
gathering the dead for the sepullure the sole hone
doubt. AS they climbed over huge trees which |
the winds Of winter had prostraled or forced their
way among rending brambcs, sharp rocks, and
close woven branches, they matvelied how such
fragile forms could have endured har,lships nv
which the visor of manhood was mpeded and
perpIexed.
The echo of gun rang suddenly through the
Forest IL was repeated Hill TO hill bore The
thrilling message. 1t was the concerted signal tina,
their nnXlees were ended. The hurrying seek |
ers followed its sound. From commanding elf
white flag was seen to float. Ii was The herald
that The lost were found,
ihere they were, near the base of a wooded
hillock half Graded among the roots of an uptorn
chestnut. There they lay, cheek 10 cheek, hand
clasped in hand. The blasts had mingled in one
mesh their dishevelied locks, for they had left
home with their poor heads uncovered. TIE
youngest had passed away in Sleep There was
ITO con'ortos on her brow though her features
aIIuk anI sLurL, MAIL In.