Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-07-29
Select Gales.
Il ENRY NELSON
BY PHILIP PHILIPS, ESQ.

by fiILIf PHILLIPS, Esq
In the eastern slope of the - mountain is /
a gorge or ravioe, through which runs clear
brook giving out merry voice continually, At
the foot of the mountain, the ravine widens into
a smooth field across which the stream flows
slowly. In the summer of 1920, cottage stood
on the bank of this stream, in which resided
widow and her soma boy of twelve at the date
of the commencement of this history. Their
story none knew, except that they had come
there six years previously, and the widow had
bought the cottage, where she still lived. Judge
Pierson of S, supplied her with money!
which she had placed in his hands
The cottage was silent now. All day long
the widow had lain awaiting death Night came,
and the light of life had not wholly faded from
the eye of the mother; and her boy still lay on
the bed with his tiny hand grasping hers in the
agony of fear, bitter agony is that, when the
loving and the loved are leaving US to return no
more forever!
The night, which had been cloudy and sultry
at the commencement, grew black and tempcstu-
Gus, and ever and anon flash Of wild light from
distant thunder-coud lit the mountain side,
and showed the ragged peak against the gloomy
covering of the sky Shortly the tempest, which
had seemed to be gathering strength and lingcr-
ing until it had grown mighty, swept down the
gorge, and moaned around the little cottage in
the glen. The mountain trees shook in the
wind and nodded their giant heads one to anoth-
er, and the wall of the storm that began from
afar like the wall of a desoate child, came creep
ing down towards the cottage in the glen, till the
whole dell rang with the mourntul shrek, as if
it was the shrek of angels falling from their
FTbo lirbtninc cro, 4
vivid, until the whole scene was illuminated by
a fearful succession of flashes that totally put to
nought the feeble fame Of the candle on the lit
tie table by the window; and yet the mother and
the boy, needless of the rolling thunder that
shook the mountains foundation, needless of the
crash of falling trees, and the wild cry of the
tempest, lay silent on the bed, and the storm
passed on.
1t was midnight. Far away in the east lay a
black bank of clouds, over the top of which one
star, bright as diamond on queens forehead,
shone, with calm holy rays, silvering the edges
with fringe of light, peering into the window
of the widows cottage, and falling on the fore
head of the dying woman with an angel kiss
Open the door, my son; grow stified i'll
this air
He rose and opened the door, and the cool,
pure air came in and famed the face of the sick
mother, so that she revived, and calling him to
her side, spoke in low, earnest tones, while the
boy stood by her bedside:
You will be alone soon, Harry all alone
in this wide world You have been told what
to do with the contents of the cottage, and
need not tell you again You will find in that
box yonder paper, directing you what to do
when am dead. In the hands of Judge Pier
son you will find a sum of money secured to you
when you become of age, till which time the in
come, small though it be, will assis, you. twas
mine during life, and when | am dead will be
yours. Again my son, let me warn YOU to be
true to the principles have made your guide
You have your bible and your God the last the
God of your father and your mother Your faith
er must speak of him now. have never
shown you this miniature Take it. | sold the
gorgeous casing in which it was once set, and
had this plain one fitted to it. Your father was
wealthy once But that matters not now. f.
nough for you to know, that he was one you
need not be ashamed to think Of lie is dead
and | shall meet him soon"
She paused, and seemed in deep thought
then spoke again. but her voice was fainter than
before, and scarcely audible:
1t was strange, very strange. He must have
died alone in the forest! How changed Those
were bright days in old Ireland Dear old Ire
land. Harry, 60 and sit by the door, and tel
me when the moon is rising
A half hour passed in silence, but the mother
prayed. Anon she turned rcstlessy, and looked
at her boy and said Harry, sing me a song o
Ireland-that song taught you by the stream
side in the glen, last summer
The moon was just below the verge of the no
rizon and the clouds, which had gone toward,
the northeast, left single faint line of silver w.
ing over the hill from behind which she was com
ing The boy raised his clear voice in the sol
emn starlight and sang song of Ireland
loated out on the night-air, and the angels hearc
it, and the mother listened and her heart spran,
back to the oden time when she was young, AM
heard anothers voice sing that song in her ear
and her cheek lay on his shoulder; and thus il
the quick throbbing of her pulse she remember
ed the golden past, and then her breast was still
She was dead The boy sang on. When
had finished he sat long and earnestly looking u
at the holy watchers, then turned to his mother
bedside, and spoke and when she answered nc
he saw that she was dead, and threw himself be
side her and wept till morning travee
found him lying on his face beside her. A hol
smile was on her lip, and was there too whe
they buried her.
have given the particulars of this scene, in
asmuch as they are important to the chain of ey
idence which was afterwards made up-as wi
appear in our history.