The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1845-04-16

always able TO bestow the widows mite
charity. She treated her son as a compan
Ion-he was associated in her visits of beney
olence-he shared in her labors with all tn
strength and ingenuity his young days coul
furnish.
Mother" he would proudly say, "whe
l grow large, and am man, like grandfathe
you shall not take care of me any longer, bu
then you shall be my child and 1 will be tn
mother; and you shall not be obliged L
work as you do now,my sweet dear mother =
entwining his little arms around her as h
spoke, and imparting kiss of inlantine ell
dearment upon her pale, yet lovely cheek.
You will be comfort and support t,
me, if you are spared, my child And oh
may God save me from the added bitterness
of seeing you too fade before me. But an
poor, my son know not where shall OBJ
tain the means to educate and prepare vol
for future usefulness
''Oh, mother the barrel of meal vii
not waste, nor the cruise OF oil fall You
know the widow and her son, that God tool
care off,
Eyes, precious boy and he will not suf
fer us to want for any thing!" said the ionC
Agnes, clasping him to her bosom as he ut
tered this sentiment of faith, in the simple
and touching accents of early childhood
1.-The Lord will provide for my little father,
less lamb He feeds the young ravens wher
they cry unto him ~
And il was this darling son--this fair pledge
Of her young arections-that was now nc
where to be found. 1t was bright day in
the spring, and Agnes had risen with the sun
and gone several miles to visit a dying friend
On this occasion she left her little deal
Will behind, contenting herself with imprin.
ting mothers kiss upon his glowing cheek
as he lay wrapt in slumber. SIS he not the
sweetest of all the sweet children !'' thought
she, as she turned TO look once more upon his
sleeping lOveliness. sOh, if | were bereft Of
him, too, should have nothing to live for'
She frequently asked her heart the question
. il it was willing to surrender him enterely to
God, but her heart returned a fearful answer
And then she would try to govern it severely.
and seek to put a limit TO her love- YET
when the soul has but one object on earth
that il NAV call its own-but one, in which to
centre all its warm alfecticn-permitted and
rational attachment becomes indolatry be-
fore we are aware oft; and not till the idol
is removed do we feel how every tendrill OF
the heart was clasped around it. 1t was du-
ring this absence-this absence ola few hours
only, in which the mother seemed almost
to have presentiment of evil-that the
one little lamb, which alone death had
spared to her. disappeared; no one knew
how, or whittier, But the dark forest
stretched to an almost interminable length
from near her dwelling, and more than
one innocent had already found grave
in its BOSOM There was not doubt
then that the little fellow was at that
moment wandering alone, aad hopeless.
to find some avenue from its dreary soli-
tudes. The men of the settlement hastily
formed themselves into companies, and
departed. Each heart beat high with
hope, whenever they entered an uneX-
plored region; but anticipation was soon
changed to despair, when they had gone
over it again and again, without the least
shadow of success. Their wives in the
mean time had gathered aroung the Attic
ted grandparents, to be with them du-
ring the hours of suspense and suffering.
Their honest expressions of sympathy,
although they might have seemed cold
anu lldISll W luC iClllCu dilu StlSilih Z 81
of Agnes, fell on the ears of the old coup
lie like song of their native hills They
listened to the stories of others griefs, till
they seemed to forget their own, and de.
scanted upon the graces and loneliness Of
their grand-child, till they appeared &c
loose the remembrance that he was lost tc
them.
Thus the hours and moments sped
away until the time arrived when Agnes
was expected All who shall be the
! first to tell her of these heavy tidings
J All shrunk from the task. They could
have done it to being moulded like
themselves; and interlarged the intelli-
gence with many words of alleviatine
kindness. Education, habit, and socia
intercourse, had made them like notes o
the same instrument-tuned by the same
hand-mingling and harmonizing togeth
err, whether the song be grave, or gay
Agnes had endeavored to confirm hel
taste 10 theirs when she was cast among
them; but she was composed of more del
icate materials, and Involuntary shrunh
from the honest, but chilling expression:
of sympathy, with which they had otter
greeted her. Like the Eolian harp, which
pours forth music only at the breath o
Heaven, she felt that the soft whispering;
of Almighty love were alone adapted tC
griefs like hers-and one tear of sympa
thising friendship, shed more balm into
her soul than volumes Of verbal consola
+ ton. Their honest hearts were conscious
ofthe difference, and they sat gazing a
each other in silence and CONSERVATION
dreading lest the next foot fall shoulc
prove the mothers; and not able to i'm
agine what would be the effect upon he
sensitive and tender nature.
She came-yes, they could not helE
her coming-and they sat crowded i'll ;
little circle, as children press together
when they are listening to something
frightful-all eyes turned upon her will
sad and fearful meaning; but not a wore
was uttered.
"What is the matter7 she quickly
ouickly asked-'Where is my child
Something dreadful has occurred where
is nv child Father Mother Wi