Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1844-04-05

""ec y" Tux hdt tndt lei III the SunSnIne-lt
was her poverty and her lonely, lowly state,
that made her especially the child of His
divine pity and tenderness and they, like
the sunbeam, changed to gold her daily care,
and smiled through every cloud that crossed
her little heart.
Seven years flew by-on butterfly wings
to Joy and thougtlessness, on leaden ones to
sorrow and hope deferred and our little
Virginia, now a lovely girl Of seventeen, had
earned money enough, by her bewitching
way OF offering matches for sale, TO intro
duce herself as a pupil into one of the first
boardlng-schools Of the country, not to
commence, but to finish her education for,
with a passionate love of books, she bad
found means TO cultivate her tastes and
talents in many ways.
The lovely and lonely little orphan had
struggled with hunger and cold and fatigue.
with temptation in its most aHuring and be-
guiling forms, with evil in thousand shapes,
yet had she kept the heavenly sunshine of
her soul pure and unclouded through it all.
She had never taken money as a gift, nor
as a bride. She had assisted, from her lit
tie store, many a child Of misfortune, still
humber and poorer than herself; and with
faith, truth, and purity-an angel guard
around her-by the light of her own inno-
cent smiles, she glided, like a star, through
the gathering clouds unframed, unstained.
unshadowed. In the words of our beautiful
poet
Peace charmed the street, beneath her feet,
And honor charmed the air :
and music-tha ,ous;c sc h. -
heart and silver voice went always with her
through the world.
II was on the evening preceding that
on which the annual ball Of the school took
place. The young ladies were discussing
round the school-room fire, the dresses they
were to wear. Virginia, a little apart, listen
ed to them, and half wished she had a fairy
god-mother, like Cinderella's, to deck her
for the festival. Pearls, diamonds, iaponi-
casl Satins, laces, %velvetsl She alas had
none of these! She had only the plain,
white dress in which she had been crowned
Queen of May the spring preceding. 1t
was SO very plain, not even a bit of trim
ming round the throat
And what are you to wear, Miss Linden ?
said one of the aristocrats Of the school,
turning, with what she fancied an imperial
air, toward the young stranger.
Virginia blushed, and said, simply, my
white muslin
And what ornaments =
Virginia smiled. oh, / can find some
bright autumn leavesf or a wreath
lmogen Grey would have given her dia-
mond lecklace for such a blush and smile
for her own sallow cheek was never so illu-
mined; but she sneered nevertheless at the
white muslin and the garland of leaves, and
deigned no further question.
Virginia's delicate and sensitive spirit felt
the sheer intensely, and she left the room
with a swelling heart and fearful eyes,
Once sale, however, in the asylum of her
own little chamber, peace descended again
like a dove into her soul, and after undress-
ing, she knelt in her night-robe, by the side
her bed, and said her prayer, and sung
her little childish hymn
or old tn Apostle walked the wave,
As seamen walk the land,
A power was near him strong to save,
For Jesus held his hand
Why should ! fear, when dangers near
I'm safe, on sea or land
For I've in heaven a Father dear,
And he will hold my hand.
Though on a dizzy height, perchance,
With faltering feet l stand,
No dread shall din my upward glance,
For God will hold my hand.
But oh ifdoubt should cloud the day,
And sin beside me stand,
Then frmest, lest ! lose my sOay,
My Father! hold my hand!
Doubt, and danger, and sin, were nearer
than she thought, but her little hand was
held by One who could not let her fall. As
she rose from her deyotions, she saw, for the
hrst time, a box on the table by the bed. 1t
addressed on the cover simply to 'Vir-
ginia. She opened it, wondering, and
a set of exquisite pearl ornaments, for
the arms, neck and head. Her little heart
beat with pirlish DELIGHT She burr;ad 20