The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1842-01-25
WIDOW 'sFUNERAL

L Il w d WIS FUN NERAL
I u was widows funeral Strangers and friends
} were mngling as they gathered around the narrow
/ house. There was peculiar solennitv, heavy
sadness, difIused through the whole group: that
strong grief as when the ties of nature
snnder, Coi none of her own family there; it
was a mourning not much for the loss of the liv
( ug, as for the SORROWS of the dead. She was
biighted woman! they said, rs the pensive tones of
/ her voice, and that melancholy smile, came SO
mourn fully back to remembrance, now silent and
sealed in death
/ drew near to see the corpse; il that of a
delicate woman, past sixty; her pale brow had
troubled aspect the lines faint, but they had
been the work Of many years; while stronger line,
in the lower part fiber face, showed that the mar
row had been hold back, which otherwise might
riven deep burrows in delicate abric. There
were some there who knew her in her vouth-the
beauty Of hGr time, ''when many gazsd on her
with hope and all with PLEASURE a sweet flower,
they said, ranspanted from them just in her open
/ ing bloom: and none had larer prospect; every
one thought it would be a summer sky; hut, alas!
it proved but Il congregation of grim clouds, that
poured lis cold sleel upon her bowed head souR
( learned her melancholy story. She was married
before she was twenty, the only one who could
ever win her whole affections. lie was Young
physician OF established reputation for talents
an6 moral worth; he had fine person, was eeva-
! ted and genlemanly IN his bearing The happy
couple began their married life in of the ,gtft
test villages of New England. Surrounded by an
intelligent, and polished society," they found them
selves IN the possession of every of enjoy
ment, and The dreams of fancy seemed IDLE Wis.,
ion, when from the spontaneous flow of pleasure
| in each passing day, they than realized.
But she had scarcely been year in her new home,
when cloud would often steal oven her fair soun-
tenance, and the in its large big drop, would
be quickly chased away.
La few years little family gathered around
her and the cloud which would once fix awav al
! the lightest breeze, had now settled down in fixed
gloom, although, apparent, not wltIous IA
constant struggle to throw it off, while there was
scarce suspicion of It's real cause. Her husband
was respected by the whole community, holding
! high place in the public estimation, was standing
firrn to all eyes but one and from the is of that
one, none knew the that was xnawing at the
root of all prosperity and happiness of tie house
Concealment at last had done all it could do; for
bearance, watching, striving TO keep HIM up. were
no longer available the rigging passion had reached
that point beyond which there is no control. Like
maddsEing river when its streams are all full il
suddenly bursts every barrier, breaking down all
that hes in its way, sweeping the low lands into
one common ruin-so did the husband Of this poor
woman suddenly burst upon the public--his self
respect, his property, his repusaiion oil, broken
down-his wife, and his interesting little fansiiy
enguIphed in fearful wrrtchedness. That decra.
ed man had been in the daily habit even before his
marriage, of drinking ardent spirit. AIasi i'm those
days there checks; no beacuns held up to
warn of coming danger in that of rocks and
whIrpools. 1t grew and grew upon him, and not
until it had Slapped the whole structure did IT ever
gain the complete mastery--when he, fell never TO
rise. His fine house taken by his creditors;
the beautiful furniture tcle oy article was by him
puwned away, and then his merciless passion took
the necessarIes. He a wanderer in the streets
often falling into the highway, subject to insults
and ndiguities which belong not man. his degra
datiOu rapid and the descent fearful; he became
loathsome and cruel and his sweet delicate woman
of spirit ever gentle, faithful in her dulss sem
siIive to all the purer enioyments of life, fed from
home robbed of every comfort, haunted daily
with terrors and frghtlul with dismal forebodngs
She took her young children, and pennvless sought
an yurn among her early friends aDd no one
could forget how silent and unobtrusive were her
griefs she attempted TO minge herself again
with the friends of happier days. Submitting to
her fate what inevitable, she tried to be-
cheeriul; IA StTCken oeeT That nan lelt The herd;
she again to be the moving spring Other
household, guiding and chershing the Young
mnstering 10 the poor, deIightng in hospitable
deeds with which she used so gracefully to charm
her guests; tharragTng volcano from which shs
sought escape. had scathed forever all that was
to her beautiful and loved in life, and she stood
like blasted tree in he desert;her poor miserable
husband the dearest object to her heart, was,
from being vagabond on earth, come 10 an
timely end, shorn OF half of his days; the grave clio
sed upon him with suerngs too great for the heart
TO bear, and with ray of hope to alleviate its hor
rorsand from It's everlasting stiffness there could
come back no quietEess to the living
Bot the absorbing living grief OF her life was