The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1845-04-16
From the Remember Me.
THELOST CHILD.

sthHuS rumor that cOursed like wild fire
throughout one of those settlements wbic h
occasionally skirt the entrance TO our Ameri-
can forests. cry like this was enough to
thrust the warm blood back to the heart with
the chill OF horror to arrest the throb of low.
even III ITS gayest humors; and to send the
busy imagination forth with the little wan
derer IN the deep solitude of the forest; whom
1t pictured. seeking in vain TO discover some
opening, while he wiped away the tears that
were flowing over his young face like rain ;
holding himself in an attitude TO listen, till
his startled fancy brought back the growl of
some hideous inhabitant Of those dark places ;
then, running ward, would either fall a
prey to the very fate he was endeavoring to
flee from: or, after treadiDg the same little
circle, till fatigue overpowered his little
limbs, lay himself down despa iringly, TO die.
Such tagedies had been acted: aud the sons
of the forest well knew that it is easier to
pursue their course through the trackless
ocean without compass, than to ascertain
their pathway IN those deep wilds, where the
light of the sun is almost excluded, and no
: footprint guides to human habitation.
! In the present instance men crowded to-
I gether, scarcely daring to whisper TO their
own souls that the sweet son of Agnes Wade
! was lost. ale was the only son of his moth
er and she was widow" Can there be a
more pathetic appeal TO the sens biities Of
human nature! Can there be picture of
! more utter desolaticn, than the heart of the
| bereaved one under such circumstances
| Agnes Wade was the idol of the settlement.
She had been in it but few fleeing months :;
I yet they had been time enough for her men,
DRY and her interests to find a resting place
| IN every bosom. She had come there 10 re-
! side with the parents of her lost husband.
| They were in humble life; but it needed only
| 10 look at Agnes, TO know that she had been
educated IN refinement if not in elegance.
| And she had borne the change of circum-
stances with SO much sweet and pious resig-
! nation; she was so gentle. so condescending,
SO benevolent, that it was impossible to he
with her, and not love her. She always had
word OF encOura cement for the timid, she
always whispered consolation to the sorrow
! full; that consolation which comeih only from
above. With irresistible persuasion she en-
/ deayored 10 reclaim the vicious, and lead the
/ contrite spirit 10 ''the Lamb of God who Ia
| keith away the sins of the world"
| Agnes Wade was young. She had mar
ried the husband of heI affections; one to
| whom her fond VOWS of consistency had been
| yielded almost in childhood. His parents
/ had abored had to give him an education;
and it was during his college years that he
saw and loved the delicate and attractive Ag-
mes. There hearts as it were melted into
one. The opinions and feelings of Wade
were reflected into the mind and soul of his
sweet befrothed one, and when they welded,
! it was only to make the blending of interests
and emotions more closely intimate. But
! happiness so perfect cannot abide long in a
world which has beer blasted by the frown of
| the Creator. Dreams that are so delig htful,
must have a sudden if not a fearful waking.
| Two years had passed since Agnes felt all the
desolation and all the misery, which is COM
| prised in that one word-widow. She had
! known sorrow before in the loss Other young
est born, but it was as the few drops which
preceded the torrent. She committed lis
! body to the dust III the sure hope that its
/ spirit was even at that moment, mngling in
/ kindred holiness and happiness with the bles
| sed in Heaven; that it was bright angel
around the throne of God: and it was
| thought full of beauty, and full of consolation,
| that she had been the instrument of adding one
to those pure spirits who dwell in the. blissful
presence of their Redeemer. But when the
grave closed over hun, who had been her
! guardian, her counsellor. her support; who
J
who had been her companion in health, and
! piilowed her head in sickness, she felt as il
/ shut out from the loneliness of life forever,
/ and she would have willingly laid her throb
biug temples and despairing heart on the cold
earth beside him, never more to rise. Agnes
however was Christian. Andthough death
when it comes among us robbing US
Of our dearest and our loveliest, seems TO
palsy the hearts of survivors with the same
ch.lis that he f.s.ens on his victims, the
Lord Of life will not suffer our enemy 10 tri-
umph. lie pours into the stricken soul the
emphatic consultations of His gospel. He
comes with his purifying, vivilying influences:
He tells of a brighter world, where beings
thus sundered, shall meet again TO part no
more forever. 1t is in seasons OF the most
whitening aiiliction, when earth is robbed OF
its attractions by one mortal stroke, that
Heaven seems TO open upon us. The soul
looks towards it with the longing of child
towards its home-Oh what home of rest
to the bereaved one! And words cannot ex-
press, the heart of Christian mourner can
only feel bow peculiarly and how tenderly
Gud manifests himself Father even in the
midst of his severest chastenings. The
storm is no sooner past, than the bow offor-
giveness and consolation is radiant in the
heavens w men the Judgment IS ACCOM-
plished, as if greved at its necessity, God says
to the believer, Come now and | will heal
your sorrows!"
The tender and trusting nature of Agnes,
yielded at once TO the sweet soothings OF
Almighty love. Two Of her precious fam
4 il V, she trusted, were safely moored inthe
haven of eternal happiness: and she how're
solved TO train up her remaining little one, to
meet him, by Divine grace, in better world.
I'VE shall go to them," would she say. ''out
they will not return to u.s." She spenthours
in descanting upon the brightness and beauty
of their blessed home. She talked oil the
mercy and kindness of their God; fthe ex-
cellence and love ofJesus Christ; ofthe pure
and happy spirits they were associated with,
till his young soul caught the ardour of her
own, and in the simplicity of childhood he
would long to be one of that glorious and
blissful band. Then she would tell him ofhis
lost state by nature; of his redemption by
the Lamb of God of the love, the sufferings,
the death of that only Saviour, till the heart