The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-12-24

MARY IIoWITT.-WhO has done more Tor
the good of mankind than this Quaker lady?
Once we thought that her writings would
soon become dull and monotonous, and yet
size writes more and more, and everything
she writes is instructive aud beautiful, max
ing us think her pure mind is as fertile in
producing noble thoughts as Nature is III
bringing forth the leaves, flowers, aud in
Vulnerable ferns Of loyelincss. This story
is given in the September number Of How
tits Journal. We find il In the Louisville
Examiner II is about ga poet and his lit
tie daughter. Buffalo Com.
There they are, OF June morning, where
roses, aud yellow jasmine covered the old
wall, and the blackbird, aloft in the broad
lcaved sycamore, was singing as if he was
out Of his senses for joy-and Nature and
art consrired to make all glad. 1t was the
POETS own garden.
Was he happy? Did content smile upon
and bless him? Was his spirit in harmony
with the placer twas clouded with sad
and bitter thoughts; his heart was oppress-
cd; he had been disappointed; where he
had hoped for good, he found evil. And as
his little daughter ran up to him to tell about
TIE little charity children, full Of sympathy
beard him say TO neighbor:
"No, ! have no hope of human nature
now; iii apoor, miserable thing, that is hot
worth working for. My best endeavors
have been spent in its service; my youth
and my manhood's strength.-my very life
and this is my reward ] will no longer
strive TO do good. will work for moneys
sake as others do,-and not for the good Of
mankind 70
The poets words were bitter. and tears
canie in the eyes of his best friend. Never
had the child heard such words from her
father before he had been to her hitherto
as great and good angel.
81 will work." said he, ''for moneys
sake, as others do, and not for the good o.
mankind"
"My father, If you dos said the child, in
voice of mournlul Indignation, 81 will
trample all yonr writings under my feet p
Large tears rolled down her checks, and her
eyes were fixed upon her fathers face.
The poet took the child in his arms and
kissed her; an angel had touched his heart,
and he could forgive his bitter enemies.
81 will tell you something, my child"
said he, in his usual mild voice. The child
leaned her head against his breast, and lis.
tened. "Once upon a time man lived in
a great wide wilderness; he was a poor
man, and worked very hard for his bread
he lived in cave of a rock, and because the
sun shone burning hot into the cave he twin
ed roses. and jasmins, and honey -sucl<les all
around il: and in front of it, and in the lodges
of the rock, he planted flowers and sweet
shrubs, and made il very pleasant. Water
ran gurglng from assure in the rock into
alil,lc basin, whence it poured in gentle
streams through his garden, in which grew
all kinds Of fruits. Birds sung in the tall
! trees which Nature herself had planted, and
little squirrels, and lovely green lizards, with
bright. intelligent eyes, lived in the branch
es and among the flowers. All would have
gone well with the man, had not evil spirits
taken possession Of his cave; they troubled
him night and day; they dropped canker
blight upon his roses, nippcd of his jasmine
and honeysuckle flowers, and in the form If
a caterpillar and blight, ate his beautiful
fruits. 1t made the man angry and bitter:
the flowers were no longer beautiful 70 him,
and when he looked at themh he thought only
of the canker and the caterpillar, 81 can no
longer take pleasure in them,' said he, Il
will leave the cave and 90 clsewhere.' He
did so; and he travelled on aud on: but il
was vast wilderness in which he was, and
so it was many and many day before he
came TO place Of rest, nor did he know that
all this time the evil spirits who had plagued
him SO in his own cave, were still going with
him; but they were and they made every
place where he came 10 seem worse than
the last their very breath cast a blight up
on everything. He was foot-sorc and wea-
ry, and very miserable. A feeling like DIES.
pair was in his heart, and he said he nigh,
as well die rs live; he lay down IN the vii.
derncss, and scarcely had he donc,hat, when
he heard behind him the plcasahtest sound
in the worlds a little child singing like n
bird because her heart vas Innocent and full
Of Joy the next moment she was at his side.
The evil spirits that were about him, when