Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-03-25


apartment all the foI NAL ICY state Of DEATH
which the decent respect Of the family of
man for deceased member prescribss.
The infant was carried from the house,
and all unknowing what it had lost, was
soon loudest in its childish elee among
a knot of hospiiabIe little ones, who
forced upon it their toys, and shouted In
its wondering ears-'A happy New
Year! "a happy New Year :"
CHATTER n.
4 A happy New Year. While many
/, raise this shout, how many others Pine
in sorrow While one part Of the race
is rejoicing in hope, how many sink in
despair While these hear the con-
r. gratula,ions of friends, how DO those
quail before the eager pursuit Of enemies!
4 As Joy turns her radiant face on one,
she turns from others and misery's
tenacious hold upon earth, is only broken
in one spot, and elsewhere il may fas,on
deeper and surer. Some good souls
wonder how man can ,ejoice while there
is so much distress in the world. Bless
your honest hearts None could ever
be glad did they wait ill all sorrow were
off the earth. II Is ungrateful not to be
cheerful when Heaven blesses us--and
it is sinful to be an migrate. No sin 10
worse.
A worse ingrati,ude than mere morose-
ness is that, however, which forgeis the
woes Of others in our joys, their necessi-
ties in our plente eousncss, and their lone
iness in our troops Of friends. Little
Berlha's fate was better ordered, and
she was not forgotten. II chanced that
when in one house death was sweeping
mother into eternity, in another child
was called early to rest; and while IN
one a mother yesrned for her child, in
another child looked despair out Of it,
innocent eyes for a mother. Providence
directed the two bereaved ones. Bertha
ne stled in bosom which seemed 10 her
at first little strange, but soon she clung
as naturally TO her new mother as IL she
h had known no other.
Il Years passed, and the lady who bad
taken her to her arms even before she
| fairly laid her own dear child down, sad
into her heart while il was yet warm with
living love for the departed, had quite
forgotten that her adopted was not indeed
her own child. Lovely she grew, and
was reared with discriminating and anx-
'ious tenderness, for sorrow teaches the
heart 10 love, and bereavement schools
the afflicted how bes, to provide ior those
who are spared. There was only one
thing in which Berha's mother-ior so
we will call her-erred. That one error
was, perhaps, pious fraud. She covet-
ed the child's whole heart, and did not
tell her that she was not literally, and
by the whole of woman's destiny, her
mother.
She nigh, have been less reserved
for there seemed no danger thai any
would dispute her claim. A cold, dark
featured man did appear upon the fune-
raj scene, when the las, obseriies were
, paid TO Bertha's mother. He carefully
paid every due, and cancelled every de-
: mand. Nay, he was ever gracious o
: nough to say that the deceased was his
r daughter by marriage, bul having OF b's
: own will accorded 50 much informs'ioD
9 he skilfully parried, or rudefy rePe'Ied,
all questions. The child seemed sad
r annoy ance TO him, and it vas certain,
I If actions can speak, that he regretted
E more that the infant lived than that its mo-
g ther died. When the babes new friend ,
0 a childless widowed woman, timidly put
y forward her claim, as If she Scared %
n great boon would be denied, he who
Q should have clasped the infant to his
Q breast could i'll conceal his JOY at parting
Q with it and many less humane and
y tender heart than the newly beresved
;. mother would have discerBeS IN hrs pie a.
!, sure something more than the mere JOY
e he professed that his dear little infss
Is was so we'll provided for. Ifhe was liz
g tie curious to learn anything respsctias
d her who adopted the child he resigned
n she was we'll content that nothing shoei'
10 be known Of him. 1t was a pardonsbl'
h feeling that led her to consider the chiI'
Ie as scarcely less than gin from Hesve'
to her lonely heart !; and she was s"x
B. ious to forget all in conneeson with III
RS tie Bertha, excep, that the little chers
D., came to I'll void in her being even be