Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1845-12-03


9 frightened at his guilt, he Ief. bis hons
with one. Of his companions, withou
even bidding her farewell. That was
: fearful blow for the heart stricken wild
, ow, and from that day she knew M
| happiness. She could not reproach he
self for having neglected him, ior 1
ever mother rightly trained child
! that one was the widow Mellen; bu
slher =conscience-sifiote herfor such bliffs
idolatry of a human being, and she al
most felt tia just punishment. Shc die
not censure him, for she now could trace
the. gradations of guilt, from the first
light wanderings to the last fatal, act
and pitied and forgave him.. % y,5.
But oh! that desolate mothers ago
ny! He had been her all, and now she
was alone in the world, with but the
one orphan niece, who became child
to her when her own had forsaken her.
But to have reared him to guilt and
shame! 1t was fearful-that mothers
agony; a1d in her suffering she cried,
my Godl why hast thou forsaken mel
But she was not all forsaken. Tears
washed away the healthy hue from her
cheek, and wrinkles gathered on her
brow, and every year her form gradu.
ally stopped. but after the first grief.
storm was past, she bore in mind, how
strong and pure and lasting as eternity
is mothers influence. Could the holy
spell which had guarded him in his ear
Iy youth lose its magic now! Must it
be that her self.sacrifcing labor for
him was to have no need this side of
the grave? He ,oouM come back; she
could not believe that her prayers and
her affection had been like breath up.
on the water, and acknowledging The
power that chastised her weakness, she
bowed her head in silent suffering, and
found in this her consolation. People
wondered how the widow, who had
lived through so many trials, could
bear this; butthey knew not the endur-
ing hope wlthin--the strength gained
through sorrow, as she knel! BY the
graves Of her household, and asked to
live for one erring child. To cheer
others in affection, and to minister TO
the wants Of the needy, became the
greatest relief TO her weary life. She
had likewise a sad pleasure in watch
ing the flowers Ned had planted, and
training over the door the honeysuckle
he had loved. In the dreary winter
she cherished the beautiful rosebud he
had brought her, the very day he went
away. A little; slip it was then, but
from year 10 year it put forth blossoms,
and curtained the window with its 70.
liage. Blu: the boy for whose sake she
tended it did not come. One letter came
to the friend he had wronged. with the
sum Of money he had taken, and in
that message for his mother. That
was blessing for her.. but when years
passed away, and she heard no more
Of him, the fearful conjecture came
home 10 the heart that he might be
dead. And now sickness came upon
her, and with this, new anxiety she
could not bear up as before; and when
October was putting on its funeral garb
for the death of the flowers. there was
increasing gloom in the Widows cot.
tage, and the kind friends said that she
would never see the budding Of anoth-
er spring-time. ID ,asvr. 9us os,ool
One evening when they had left her
to the care of her faithful Fanny. re.
marking, as they went, how unusually
cheerful the invalid seemed, she beg
ged to be quite alone, and silently she
held communion with her G cd, and in>
voking one blessing on her lost child,
asked once more in anguish that she
might see him. Just then shadow
fell where the moonbeams had flicker.
ed over her pillow, and with an intense
watchtulness she listened 10 a stra nge
step, and then heard a voice ia bitter
agony exclaim, rs It TOO later 5..@ .,... 90
~ The next moment BY her bedside
bowed a pallid, but!oh, how familiar
face, and the hloodless lipthat pressed
her thin, white hand taltered sMo,herl
oh, mother, forgive mel Ia eigi~asJ
~ She itwined her fingers about his
hands, and clasping them in hers, lifted
up aavoice of thanksgiving. 4 ,qais
ad'Lay your hands on my heed and
bless me, mother, as you used to do.'Da ,
Not in guilt, my SON. Look up and
toll vo,lr ir10fher that VIII hava variant.