Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1843-08-11

offspring, instead Of ours; and when business
or pleasure called ~ from the city, ne 'ooh
upon himself the guardianship OF the oomesuc
circle, and declined his daily Visit 70 tne =.
Ace. az il he had pecuniary investment J"
tho dwelling, or was morally ana sega''y
sponsible for the welfare Of its Inmates.
Hunter had been in periis. he was "'"1"
with ono other cani1e friend, oy n'aa uos
His friend died Of the hydroPhoola-k.no a''sn
49,. -. ..vad Hnnter. He remembered II to the
l.e,. and when .ha sickness came from which
Ia was no, relieved, the beseeching look, ana
| the particulav emphasis of his moan, showeo
that ne remembered with gratitude favors pas'
| and desired re-application Of the remedies:
Ru, t,e asked in vain Hepined away. and
faculty. after faculty departed, until voice fall
I'd. the hearing ceased, the eye was lifted up
slowly, but dim, and the tail slightly moved:
! to intimate his recognition of him who mao
so long been his companion, and his last ei'
fort " az to lick the delicate hand OF child.
who had come to take his leave OF one that
seemed twined with his earliest love, and
whose name was the first word he had articu'
lated.
| Old Samson took the dog in his barrow. and
wen, forth with a measured step. to mo
place where he nigh, give him the deeency VI
burial. without intruding upon the rePose Vi
human beings who made in better image,
Justly claim sanc,ity for their dust.
The little procession, as it went forth. had
with it something Of touching air. The body
of Hunter was decentiy covered. not ostenta-
tiously. lest a ridicule should attach 10 the
I scene; and Samson had put on his hes, clothes
avowedIy less for funeral purposes, than that
he might appear decen,ly before the mistress.
Little Willy, the only follower OF the tra'n'
had drawn his cap over his eyes, to hide a
few hasty tears. aud was regulating his steps
by the solemn and measured movement OF
Samson. Few felt an interest to inquire what
was hidden beneath the white pail. and the
unwonted melancholy Of the child was suHer.
ed 10 pass without inquiry.
When the procession had REACHED the place
j of sepulchre, The body was lowered. not thrown
into the grave, and Samson remarked that the
collar was still about Hunters neck.
.I'll take it Of, said he: lit will do for an
other dog
Little Willy leaned over. and looked down
into the grave; and the lifting his streaming
eve to his sole companion, he said
mo, let.it be. Samson. le. il be. don't wan;
any more dogs; and if l do have one, don't
want to see Hunters collar on his neck
Samson sodded up the grave, and turned to.
wards him.
| will you ride in the barrow said he to
Willy.
Tie child turned, and looked at the carriage
with shudder, and walked EDWARDS.
When Willy reached home, he went and
sat down alone beside Hunters house, and
wep, food Of tears; and it was only when
the memorials of HE faithful friend, more than
! twice his own age, had been removed, that he
could dry up his years. And even now the
dog makes the clouds return after the rain
and cast gloom over the sunny spirit Of the
child.
4 While bending over the resting place ofthe
faithful animal, it was natural that we should
| think Of his merits and what we had lost in
him, 90 selfish is even human grief; and half
of what constituted our painful feelings while
thus musng, resulted from the certainty that
we should no more benefit by his services.
| Who would weep in this world, if what was
/ taken away diminished nothing Of his enjoy.
men,! We mounted the horse to return, bu,
yet fingered: reflection had come, and with it
came fancy. Imagination was busy to people
space with objects that we once had loved:
and now mourned; and, for moment, it seem.
ed as If the smiling face of Hunter was before
uoS diu iIIo ucdV Hall tuItleO dS II 10 invite uS
to move. A sligh. breeze from the west watt
ed onward the fog that was hanging over the
river al distance, ana as masses swept by
rs, one seemed 10 take the place and form
which our fancy had gust given as Hunters.
We started. The airy form played fantastic
ally around, and then vanished in the thicket
beyond. 1t cound scarcely have been all fan
cy, for the horse, Rolla. moved suddenly, as
was his wont when formerly Hunter had man.
ifested his Joy at the prospect of exercise by
jumping upwards towards his bride, with a
sharp but friendly bark.
The misty form Of the dog re.appeared at
the top Of the hill, and as it passed rapidly
EDWARDS, was tingsd with rainbow hues from
the sun gltrlng between the broken clouds a.
bove.
We know that if men would weep, there
are all around them graves of the good, whose
loss the living may deplore, whose life was
} fruitful Of good Tor man. But may not one
turn aside. also, from beaten path Of grief or
Of joy, and in solitude remember, that be-
meath the sod before him moulders one who
never deceived, and who. though not gifted
with words to make known his affections, had
yet the skill to express them with most mirac-
ulous organs'
i An AFFECTING lNcIpENr.-A friend
writing to us from one Of the southwestern
counties Of this Stale. mentions an incl
dent which must have been exceedingly
affecting. 1s,.s 81
t A lady had travelled from distant State
l L