The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1843-05-02
Moral and Religious.
: 1EE I7NcFRTAIN- DEATH MOST CERTAIN, >

LIFE UNCERTAIN, DEATH MOST CERTAIN
Death says an eloquent and quaint father, lis
continually walking the rounds Of great city, and
sooner or later stops at every mans door, Ever no
s,enpeth onward, with iron foot, treading down all
that comes In his way; needless whether it be the
vouns Seeding or the swelling blossom, the lordly
-Aee or the whitening plant that he crushes Thero-
fore remember this a mortal of fourscore is young
enough to live; an infant OF day is old enough to
die, Doubtless we have but shared the lot of many
orour readers, in being called to witness, withna
brief SPACE two illustrations of the admonitory truth
or tho quaint moralist. Children and grand
children stood by the lfeless remains of MOTHER,
who, full of years and full of honors, was called Sin
moment, in twnkling ofan eyc,' to lay down hor
blameless life. II not difficult to trace the
thoughts of the weeping daughter by that cofin's
sido. Childhood, and youth, and womanhood, and
various vicssitudes Of each, all connected with
the thousand endearments and endernesses the cares
and anxetics, of that departed being, who never
could return! The scenes Of lfe's morning were n
gain fresh in remembrance; its endearing associations
thck-clusering in that almost bursting heart And
mingled with these came recolIections of Nature and
its phases, at the old homestead, which could seem
never like home again; the blue lake, in calm
storm, the windngpath by its breezy shore; the gar
den, walk, the boomy orchard; and twined with
these thoughts of the first separation from SO beloved
scene; the absence at a distant school; the let
tiers full Of maternal afection-the glad reurn Close
linked with ALL was that pale corse so cold and STILL
that loved else can love! And when other
affections hold divided empire in that daughter
heart, and the depths of MOTHERS love were no
longer mysteries still was that deathIess affection
l>,,tt ~IoJ
like its own. But hard by, there is anoth-
or and different young mother is bending
over the little coffin other infant boy. She is dispos
ing few white around his sweet face land tears,
like drops of the morning. bedew them they fall
She is thinking, alas! Of that cherub smile which no
more can Undue those faded features with heaven
ly light of the Joyous gec that sparkled in
those dear eyes whose surprising usture disease
itself could not dim; she is thinking Of the time
when the thin wasted hands that are now folded mp
the quiet bosom sought mothers neck; s. of the
unspcalsable love with which she pressed that pale,
cold baby to her yearnng heart! Thoughts of his lin
gering illness, his patient suffering, his last dying
glance, seen in her quvering lp,hcr heavng bo-
son. her burning tears. Yes:
Thou weepest, childless moher
Ay, weep-'twill ease thine heart
He thy frst-born SON,
Thy first, thine only
'Ts hard from him to part!
IT'S hard to lay thy darling
Deep in the damp, cold earth
His empty crib to see,
Ills silent nursery,
Once gladstone with mrth.
To meet again his slumber
His small mouths rosy kiss;
Then, Weakened with start,
BY thine throbbing heart,
His twining arms to MISSY
To feel (half conscious why)
dull, art-sinkng weight,
Till memry thy soul
Flashes the painful whole,
That thou art desolate.
And then to lie and weep,
And think the live-long night,
(Feeding thine own distress
With accurate greediness)
Ofevery past delight.
Ofa his winning ways,
His pretty playful smiles,
His joy at sight Of thee,
His tricks, his mimckry,
And all his little wiles!
Yet Time, the restorer will enable thee, fond moth
or! to look back with sweet sorrow upon this bit
hour; to think without grief ofthy babe, he lay
in calm and snless peace in his little shroud and of
the sad day in which his body
ITO the grave did go,
Larded all with f1owers;'
while his innocent spirit found epose in the bosom of
his Father in Heaven. -Erchange.
Youths Department.
THE ORPHAN TWINS.