The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-09-22

December sun threw rich golden light over a
large extent of bare but highly cultivated country
the plough was merrily a-feld among the stubbe,
the lark was singing high in the clear air, and Iha
smoke assembled from many humble hearth, and
scarcely wavered in its upward course, while the
scene was bounded by the blue and waveess ocean.
dotted here and there with white sail and in the
far distance the outline of the hills of Caithness
stood out sharp and defined against the cloudle@
sky. As Ineared the sea, and caught fuller view
of the coast, the whole of the Moray Firth opened
before me in panorama scarcely to be surpassed
on British shores. But thought little of these fa-
mar scenes. as drove on my thoughts were bent
on the errand ! had undertaken; and as | slowly
descended the preciptous road leading to the pic
turesque seaport of -, / tried to arrange in my
mind few consolatory sentences, feeling all thu
while how Intellectual my own happy experience
would render aught could say to soothe such soT-
row as was about to witness-foI heart must speak
to heart in grief; and if the corresponding chord
have not been awakened in our own bosom, it 10
in vain we strive to calm the thrOb of anguish
which vibrates to agony in the breast of another
So | resolved to speak only the words that should
suggest themselves at the moment, and to attempt
nothing more.
The little town of - is very remarkably Situ~
ated nesting, as it were, under high and beetng
crags which scarcely leave room for the cottages Of
the fishermen to stand, dotted here and there in pic
turesque confusion, under the precipitous cliff The
one to which bent my steps stood on high bank
leading up from a terrace bulwark which had
been built to resist the eneroachments of the
mighty waters, now slumbering, with scarce a rip
pie on their surface, in the broad bay before ma.
As | turned to ascend some steps leading to the
door, | saw a gathering of many persons, and
ropes nets fishing boats, and gear Of that descrip
ton lying on the green, round which the crowd
had assembled, talking earnestly, but in subdued
tones. Not thinking that this had any connection
with the object of my visit, knocked at the low
door, and an elderly woman, the mother Of the
dead man, appeared.
Eth, mem, but it Is real guide o. you to come and
see us in our sorrOw-come ben to the fire; T" and
she busted herself in placing chair for me in thu
kitchen, where peat fire, burning in open IuRa,
which allowed more than half the smoke to find its
way into the room, rendered it so dark that ! had
seated myself before perceived, close to me in the
{" ingle-neuk," the figure apparently of young
girl who, loosely wrapped in dark blue bed-gown,
with her long, dark hair halfeoncealing her face,
sitting low stool and holding little infant
in her arms, over which she was murmuTing a teink
sound that might have been q fragment Of song.
started at finding myself Unexpectedly SO close
to another person, and the girl fixed pair OF large
dark eyes steadfastly upon me for moment, and
then, dropping her head again upon her bosom,
resumed her low chant ! turned to the woman
who was standing near me, and said " called to
see poor Jessie-how is she +"
"Deed, an it s a sar day WI her, the day No
but a days are sair and heavy moo but We see
like, an it aye brings back the sorrow upon her.'
Can see her {! % said.
Surely, mem, surely. She's there out-bg."
An indescrbable feeling came over me as turned
to the poor creature, and again met her steadfast
gaze. tried to speak, but q choking sensation in
my throat told me that the attempt would be yains
and, for moment, nothing was heard in the cot
tage but that low grooming sound-the wall Of a
broken heart.
She's quite quiet moo, mem, an sensible, p said
the mother, who, faneied, attributed my emotion
10 fear of the poor creature. She hasna graf ony
sin the bairnie took i'll but she's hantle better
noo;" and then | saw that the poor baby was at
tempting to find the nouTlshment of which it,
mothers agony had deprivedit.
She's a healthy-looking little baby, said /,
feeling must say something, and taking the tiny
hand in mine. " How old is she 90
Ten weeks, mem. She was seven weeks the.
day her father went"
Another glance from those dark eyes; but no
sound except the low moaning song.
Sc II is a heavy trial, indeed" l said, speaking
more to my own thoughts than to those near me.
GA heavy and bitter trial; but she will have her
children to look TO, and she will not want for
friends ;" and felt, at the moment, as if could
almost have gone down to the deep myself, to have
given back TO that poor creature the one light Of
her lowly life.
g No, mem, that Wilma she; she Wilma want
while puir GeOrdies auld father an mither hae q
pickle meal to gle her. But trouble 8 sair for the
likes o. her, but twenty-one years of age-irs sair
cen upon me, the mither O. him; but hae been q
fishers daughter, an sister, an wife, an mitheF,
an, in fiftythree years. haze lost father, an BIRTH
ers, an friends by the sea-an' moo my BARN, my
youngest and here two tears rolled down her
brown and wrinkled cheeks; but she needed them
not, and continued An I'm used 10 the trouble;
but it maun be sair upon her at the first"
No look this time-no sign that she took the
slightest interest in words which, in their touching
Ilalf
only that ceaseless song.
Sore, indeed" | said, at last But He who
afflicts will comfort in His own good time"
GAY, will He, mem an He does; an haR
proved it TO my comfort, an hope to my sauls
guild, said the old woman reverently. "An' He
has blessed US even in this, in giving us our pulr
Geordies corp. We hae laid him in the kirkyard,
by our ain folk, an that Is muckle to think o. for
it 5 sair when We Gamma think o. them that 3 game
as at rest; and when the broad sea itse' seems a
like grave %
What could say to this? Would il not have
been va n, indeed, 10 offer consolation to one who
knew so we'll where TO find it for herself; and, in
the depths of her own earnest and pOus spirit, had
found words, so pOetical in their unaffected sim
plicity, with which to express her feelings So,in
the hope of at length rousing the poor stricken crea-
ture beside me, ] asked for the other children.
The lasse 'sawa' at her aunt's, mem, but Geos-
die 3 near by the house: puir wee Geordie he .
gotten the name o. his father
The old woman went TO the door, and returned
with a tiny, curly -headed child-the eldest of the
three-who was crying silently, but evidently from
some deep feeling.
What is 7, Geordie, my wee manl' said thu
grandmother-fOr the mother never even raised her
eyes.
A burst of sobbing was the only reply for soma
minutes; and at last, one by one, struggled out tho
words" Muckle Willie 3 ava wi daddle's
claes--an' he says--they re no daddie's noo-and
he s gaun to keep emp -st
could not stand this so, hurriedy thrusting the
trife had brought for the relief of the poor crea-
lures into the cold hand that hung passively near
me, with a murmured s. God bless and comfort you
all n'-for | could not trust myself TO speak-I
found myself in the fresh air, and tears came to my
relief
Oh blessed be His name who has promised to
be husband to the widow and father to the
fatherless Were it not for this hope, how could
the heart even knOD of such misery, and not break
ID