Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1847-07-22
BRATTLEBORO, THURSDAY, JULY %, Is47


Inc moiher TOOK her to her bosom, and soothed
het,
10 taKe tue ehlid away-Marion, SAID MI Bran
ure,h' ~ vexed tone, she annoys one so much
Mfs7Srahdretn looking with meek reProach to
nef husoaha-'hush, hush-you forget, she an
swefea imporlngy, still pressing her ln,e girl clos
e. TO her bosom, where the tears at last ceased
stella walked, or rather crep to her fathers knee,
ana sald genty-
rapa' dld not mean TO do harm Forgive poor
S'elia-she Is blind
;. was so-here was no light IN these large. blue.
hmpd eyes ,hat were lilted SO meekly TO the fath-
ef lace OK years iiad Inc l'tle chiiu looked on
Tue beautiful SKY, and seen tue flowers, aud then
shadow grew over her vision; gradually II darken-
ed ana darkcned, and the world grew DINNER, un-
W. al las'' she saw II no more. Now, all the Sisl-
Die earih was become TO her like scene once be-
held IN dream, and then shut out forever. Yet,
out ioi an uneasy wandering Of the eyes, no one
couIa nave told that those beautiful blue orbs were
sightless The sweet lace wore, at times, that pc
cular mourniul look which the blind always have,
but TINS was the only outward token OF the aiie,on
which had fallen upon her. Affection u could
hardly DO called, for the child scarcely felt il as
such her blindness had come on so gradually, that
Stellathad become accustomed 10 her helpless con-
diiion. And. besides, from her very infancy the
child had been quiet and thoughtful, caring little
foreshadowing Of how soon she was to be deprived
OF them. Gentle and subdued she was, as became
her helpless condition; II seemed as IL He. who
knew how dependent her whole life must be On the
Affection oil others, had endowed her with that IT.
resstlbie beauty which wins love, and the meek
spirit which preserves II.
But now Stella hardly felt her darkness, so illu.
minated was 1t ~ the light OF mothers love-
More than her own life. more than her handsome,
10 fttab t,ah al
OF her youth, did Mrs Brandre,h cling TO her blind
child; with passionate ieryor, an all-absorbing
love- that asoned 10 Stella for the loss OF the blessed
GIT sight Perhaps her own delicate health made
tins love more intense, from the feeling that she
would not always be with her darling, to cherish
her IN her hearts core, and shield her there from
all contact with the rough world which the poor
stricken one was so I'll fitted TO brave
The mother knew well that every year which I'M
folded, in new beauty, Stellas mind and person.
drew her own life nearer towards its close AT
last, when Stella aud Edmund still fingered on the
verge OF childhood, the mother was called AWAY
Gently, not rudely, came the summons, and yet II
was sudden-Jnst as an autumn leaf iuiters and
hutiers until 4 drops At once and is seen no more
Thus did Mrs Brandreth die--even before her
husband, who, alLunconscious oil danger, was on
journey, could reach his home, the wife whom he
had sincerely loved, though hardly with the tender
"SSS "eee 'o' "ei 6e"ue ""euae z, nau P"SSeS a""J'
80 swiftly came the angel oil DEATH that the moth
er had hsrdy Tune TO bless her two babes. and com
mend poor Stella TO her brothers care, IN charge
that fingered on the boys memory rom youth to
old age. Then,worn out with pain, she kept silence
aud lay with closed eyes still holding fast the iltls
hands OF her daughter. the thought OF whose desc
lalion troubled her spirit, even on the Threshold Of
paradise 1t was night, and the wearied child laid
her head on the pillow and slept Mrs Brandfe,h''
elder sister and tender nurse wished TO remove her
but the mother would not suffer II.
do not wake her, she whispered, family
lei my darling sleeP-i have kissed her and said
| good-night-a long good n'ght-unti comes Inc
eternal morning let her sleep
| NO more words passed through those white lips
Once or twice the eyes opened aud rested lovingly
hngcringly on the face OF the sleeping child thef
they closed forever =! When morning came, anolhe
and without tears. Inc sister unclosed Stea's warn
hngers from those that silfiened around them, ant
bore her away. si'il sleeping
Wildly aud resoluieiy the child strove TO return
TO her mother. her darkened eyes could not SCI
The change oil DEATH therefore she dld not oeiiev'
10 i's realty. An hour before she had heard TN
voice. had ielt me haha oo'h were tue same mo
feeble; she could not comprehend that one shor
s'eeP "au pa'.cu neI lno',e' rom he' so o',ug
,ng " ne' WIN p,os".', o'e',a eal''e e"u e'oou y
we 9vau sne oaneu, "u' we'e was 10 Sn'| W
! "he,e sue ""e'e Is she o''ea 'ns despair
,ha, hnd MA hsrs ,sbs ne. las,sJ ,hs;, masI
| coldness ,,ada ha, .,a,, aud ci;nr ,,arbI;ng :,
/