The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1842-09-13


convictions, that she would not act excep
with the noblest motives and the highest
views, that her wrong doing, in my eyes
would have been consecraied as some per
lection Of right which understood not
Strange to tell, she was acctive as the do
nestle bee - as firm as the rock on the
shore Of the ocean; and of invincible in
flexibility of purpose. If any one should
ask, how it came that such girl should be
born of such parents. and should be found in
such a place, 1 can only refer him to the
will of HIM who has seen fit to scatter the
fariest flowers in the desert, and the most
beautiful gems in the depths Of the sea. A
striking result of her vigor, frmness, and
prematurity of judgment, was, that without
ever departing for moment from the nat.
ural character and department appropriate
TO her years, she seemed TO me u mentor,
twenty years older than myself; and, with.
out intending il, and apparently shrinking
from the natural influence Of her character
upon them, she moulded the rest of the fam
lily, and guided its concerns, as pilot steers
his vessel. Dangerous would have been
the temptations of her position, but for the
intrinsic and shrinking modesty her mind,
which prevented her abusing this strange
precocity of Judgment. But she saw and
felt how revolving it would seem TO others,
as well as herself. 10 attempt TO manage the
family; and from the purest and most nat
ural Of feelings, she recoIed from that sort
of government and direction which might
have retrieved the fortunes of her unhappy
kindred. As 1t was, almost unconsciously,
she introduced gradual order, industry, and
arrangement into the concerns of the fam
lily, which began to operate, to a certain
extent. the retrIeval Of its downward course.
But she took especial care, that this redemp.
ton should not seem her work and with
such happy forethought and address, that
while one year had gone round, in which
they had added 10 the comforts Of the house,
and the Improvements of the farm, and it
was found on balancing account, on the last
day of the year, that their income had ac-
tually exceeded their expenditures, each
member felt encouraged to claim a share
of the merit Of this happy change. 1t was
while leading her parents, that she contrived
TO impart to them the inspiring feeling, that
they were the sources of this new power
The hand that wound up the machinery
was concealed.
Such was this family, promising TO com.
mence a new chapter in its history, when
we heard of the commencement of the fear
full ravages Of the cholera at Buffalo and
Rochester, and generally on the line Of the
canal. As my father lived at this time in
Rochester, and the cottage We have passed
was retired, remote, as you remarked, from
other habitalions, and apparently very
healthy position. it vas deemed more pru-
dent that should remain were | was, in
stead of returning 10 my fathers family.
at was among the inscrutable anomalies
of that mysterious and formidable scourge,
that Mr.. Hervey's family should be the only
detached farming establishment attacked
with it, within fifty miles. But Mr.. Her.
vey came in from hay making, one beauti-
full evening, toward the close Of July, appa-
rent.y overwrought and fatigued with the
exertions of the day. Apprehending no
other cause for his exhaustion, he retired
Immediately TO bed. No alarm was express
sed; and his lady saw him not, until nearly
nine in the evening, when he summoned
her TO his bedside,a land complained Of having
field for some time extremely restless and
unextingu shable thirst. His bedroom was
so darkened. that she saw not the expression
Of his countenance; but, startled by the
hoarse and unnatural tone of his voice. she
laid her hand upon his breast. and was
struck with terror. almost amounting to
faintness, on remarking the heath.like and
marble feeling of his hody. A light was
brought. We all rushed in alarm to the
room. None of US had yet seen case of
cholera but we had all read so much upon
the subject, and were so well informed of
the more obvious and marked symptoms of
Ibis frightful disease, that the terrible con
viction stood embodied before us, that Mr..
Hervey had the cholera, and that his dis
order had already advanced to the stage Of
collapse. A sick sensation came over me;
The first selfish rush of personal apprehen-
sion to the heart, as saw myself present
with that mortal malady, then generally
supposed to be more contagious than any
disease known. All the children but Han
nah, and Mrs. Hervey with them, sunk into
chairs, in the state of passive agony of ter
-or. Never were members Of a family
more perfectly and deeply attached and af-
ectionate to each other. In proportion to
heir love for their head, was their terror and
supplied inaction. Between the exertions
If Hannah and myself. such measures were
,ut in operation, and such medicines ad.
as the means of the family af- |
orded. |, meanwhile, ran for the physi- I
ian. But when. at length, returned with
lin, there sat four Of the children. and the 1
mother, emblems Of the group of Niobe,
changed to stone and such an expression
hey wore an expression of fear, crush
ID affection, and despair. Oh! it was hor-
ible TO witness! 1t seemed as if, during
nv absence, they had scarcely moved from
heir place. YetIhe heroic, the noble-min.
led Hannah, wore an expression as of an
nigel come down to administer relief and
comfort, in such case ofagony. Her en-.
.rgy and industry were only exceeded by
kill and judgment still more extraordinary.
IL IL L.