Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1844-11-29
A CHILD OF SORROW.

During the late festive season--when
those who thought at ALL, reflected that.
eighteen hundred and forty-three years ago,
the religion of the heart, bringing peace and
good will on earth, came to soften the ripor
Of the religion Of form,-a little girl, not
six years old, bad been observed by lonely
lady, sitting day after day on the step OF the
door opposite TO her house. 1t seemed TO
belong to nobody; but at certain hour,
there it was, wrapped in an old shawl,
croucbed on the cold stone, aud rocking it,
self Pensively backwards and forwards, more
like an aing old woman than a child 9th
er children played around il, but this melan-
choly little being mingled not in their sports,
but sat silent aud solitary.
Soon afterwards il was seen TO peep about
the area Of the lady's house, and look visit
fully at the kitchen windows. The lady,
who was kind to children, thought that the
little girl might be trying to attract her no.
tice, opened the door suddenly, and offered
it some gingerbread. When the door OPEN
ed, there was strange, eager expression in
the chld's eyes; but when she saw the lady
she looked scared and disappointed The
kind voice and manner soon treasured the
startled child, who thankfully took the Of
fering, broke il up into little bits in her
hand, and carried 1t TO the doorstep oppo-
site, where she again took up her station
Another child, seeing the gingerbread, came
up 10 the solitary infant, who gave the new
conner some, and, by her gestures, the lady
thought that she was informing the other
child whence the git came. After waiting
a considerable time without eating her GIN
, gerbread, the poor little girl rose dejectedly
and went away, still looking back at the
house, t ,-
A day or two afterwards, the same child
: was seen lingering about the pavement near
the area, and holding out bit Of sugar can
dy in lis tiny fingers through the rails.
The lady, who thought that the child was
: come to offer it out of gratitude for the GIN
! gerbread, went down into the area but as
: soon as she appeared, the child ran away
Soon again, however, the child was at its old
station, the doorstep opposite. The lady
had mentioned this to her only female SER
want as very odd, .bni received no observa-
, ton in reply. at
One morning the door was opened 10 re-
ceise a piece of furniture, and the same
. child again suddenly appeared and advanced
stealthily towards the door The lady, who
2 was near, said 81 see youw when the child
: Immediately retreated TO her doorstep.
This is very extraordinary said the lady
= 10 her servant: 4 canno, make out what
= that child wants.
I Madam said the servant, bursting into
tears, 1t is my child .,'
Your child But GO, bring her in
4 Where does she live p
: with my sister, and she goes to school
/; have told her never TO come here; but the
poor thing DiH come every bit of her play.
/, time she gets. That day you thought she
e was offering you some sugar candy, had
4 been to the school and given her penny
y when school was over, she came to give me
bit Of the sugar candy she had bought
Oh, ma'am, have mercy,-forgive me! Dc
D not send me awayp
e The lady, who had known adversely, and
b was not one of those rigidly righteous people
who forget the first principles inculcated by
D the divine Author Of the Christian creed,
I looked grave, it is true, but did not shrink
a from the lowly sinner as if she had the
3 plague, although she had become mother
(; before she had been made wife, by the gay
y cavalier who had deceived and forsaken her
Nor did she turn her out upon the wide
world, in the virtuous sternness Of her ia
y dignalion. To the great horror of some oil
e her neighbors, she told her servant, that her
I; child might come to see her every Sunday,
e beginning with the next. When the child,
who was no longer the moping creature
which it had been before i; was admitted to
? the mother, heard this, she Immediately and
$ anxiously inquired, How many days and
nights is it TO SundayT
o Some may sheer at this TO me there is
n something painfully affecting in the quiet
subdued demeanor of this offspring Of shame
a timidly watching to obtain glimpse of her
: who had borne it, at an age when happier
n children are never without those greatest Of
|. enjoyments, the caresses of mother Think
e Of the misery of this poor child, driven, from
: the mere instinct of longing for its parent
= to the staid demeanor Of age, whilst the 9th
;, err merry little ones were sporting around it
}. Think what she must have suffered as she
: gazed, day after day, at the frowning door
that shut ont more than all the worlds value
i to her. Think Of the Suffering mother
!, dreading TO lose, with her place and charac
i ter, the means Of supporting her hapless
u prematurely old nt.----Oh man, man
] thou hast much to answer for "
u NEVER YIELD.--Never yield TO discoura
n ging circumstances, If you can possibly helT
= it. Ifyonr prospects are discouragng, dom
l. look sad and relax your efforts What use