The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1849-06-30


were 90 come, The twilight gathered around
rlieln and tho ELDERS Voise htoke tie still
ness. u WIS, soGer thAu ayer before and
they said IL lrembled ~ hs began 20 speak
Of the days long passed. 10 reeounled his
Tie, telling lknm Of oil no lrihls and difficult
lies md doubts, and spoke 81 his errOrs peni'
lelly, Then he charged them Cor lha lulure,
aud then prayed earnestly ior his wandering
son, Ills voice grew ihinler and fainter, and
more aud more broken, There was sound
ofhorHs's feet coming rapidly up Iho lane
and light step was heard in The entry, lhu
old man know llnt stop aud smiled, and ox-
claimed iu low voice, "Ihnuk God, thank
GOdI aud ~ lhe dnDF opened HHh mr. run
entered and itli On lis knees 10y his bedside,
be- laid his hand on hiF head aud murniurod
hudbly, "God bless you, Allan" aud bhiy-
~ ran through hiH giant irumei ana ho WIS
dead
J There was q silonce IN lho room lor many
moments, And NJ length Joslo's sob hroke
I lhe stiffness, She raised her hcnd,hul u Wah
/ DARK, and aho felt her way along the bodsido
and knelt by Allan md pat her arms around
bis neck aud her check against hls, nud HEY
Two wept together, while Iho paHIof prayed
Tic bell lopd tiXiy nine iu the solemn
night limeihy tens siS times. stopping Nc each
ionlh Stoke and then, slowly and heavily
counting up the weary later. years, q added
nine, aud ceased Aud all tle people Ia lhc
coumty round knew by that passing bell lhbi
Elder M'lsnn had gone from among them,
And cid men woke and turned rttllossly mud
/ feared 10 sleep again, and rising tat 10y their
windowH illl the morning dawucdlnud witch.
! ed lie clouds dtlnlug over the stars md
slro,u a. prepare ior death, Aud chldrcn
vrcpt from their rooms a. their mother door
and nskcd who was dead, and hearing II was
a
/ dian Otherwise believe 40 uuc W,pi iur
7 him but Jessie, and shc not very much nor
very iuur
/ They buried the Elder hy his wife, close
/ 20 tie door step of The church, 4 wee. at
/ forwards Allan and jessie left tho village to-
prihcr. II wna fuid they had some dtIicul'
| Is with their brothers, aud Allan impotupus-
/ " s.lcnccd them and took h,H sister away
with bin. Ncars pissed and uouc heard ct
Z them,AHd nae ii.!aGe changed aud lllt church
gov old,
ono autumn mGrninF,n hcuc followed ly
] u carriage entered the village. They pissed
down the road ~ tho Church, aud Il SERVANT
Ion them TO inquire ior tho sexton. lie wOs
easily found aud the church door oprngd ,nud
with his nid % coffin was lined ttom llo
hearse aud carried up the aisle, md placed
on the floor Ia front Of the pulpit. shortly
nicr,yafd the sexton was seen digging u
grave 10y tho side of Elder Mienn's, md old
Mrs B----who lived across the green instant.
" suspected tho ruth. Putting ou her shawl
and bonnet, she walked across 90 the church
/ door aud entered Two men were kpeclug
with their faces over the opru coffin, ono on
each side ofii, and child cAqui.iicly beau
| tnil, knclt az The head Jessie MLcan WAS
thus brought hnck to her homo, ficr nus.
band, brother mud child were tho mourGcrs,
who were waiting to lAy her hrridt her pa
rcnp. Slowly, aud ms usual there, the pco.
Fplc began Ia On the church, mud tho old clcr-
gyman, who had been sent for, cuulc up the
nlslc. TIC elder brothers had lcn the village
/ two years before, aud wcro not present
now AprNyor was offered nud there were
many tears shcd aud every ono passed 10y The
coffin andloohcd on the beautiful slccpcrdnd
then they laid her IN the grave aud there lcl'
| her.
eWill yan 20 .Mi,h nc. Rohcrt:" said Al
I Inn to the husband &C Jessie, who stood 10y
/ The grave long uflcr il wns filed up, holding
the hand orhis child who gured IL silent
woudrrmcnt
"Wll you go with INC, Robert" Allan re-
d peated, hot without reply
"Como. Robert, come" snid ho at length,
settling lis arm.
"Alllu, prumi-c 10 bury mo here
- will exchange tho promise with YOU
at shall be So
Grasping each the others hond they strobe
rapidly towards their carriage aud drove n
why.
meet them often in Wall street Allan
is married and happy hut lac tells me lac
should hnyo died ere this, without his fathers
iJtrs-i,t.., -Rnhcti B---iiyes with his Jessie, y
now blooming girl, Tie TTHFr -;''-LeE
mother LJook INTO her eyes md fancy The
stcp on tho stair I. the old Elders, aud am
oftcutimcs a boy again when ] see her. In
church, last Sunday, sho sat 10y my side nnd
starting up from n dreamy llstiessnosS inca
euipnil l. wns for nm instant carried bnck 10
tsS old church again, aud turned my eye
sSifty around, half fearing ihnt the Elder
had seen INC sleeping But ! saw only inc
cold, cnih fncc Of Allan, who wns sentod
near inc. and looking up at tho lofty roofnnd
around ut the splendid wnlS, aud stained
windows and massive pillars, realized how
| far AWAY was the hoyhood that dreamed
I of.
Sometimes dream oftho old church, OF
might, aud in my visions see eyes Tint have
! long nco dimmed and cheeks that blush no
more, and Inns that uro silent. Sometimes
| in deep sleep after toll, | hear M in former
DAYS, a quaint old psalm uf tire -eesanaLlcfs.
sung TO n grand tnnc aud 0s listen J sepa-
rate the voices M used tn in The old chnrch,
and ono dear VOICE alone at length sings ~
rnvishng melody, and That grows holier aha
/ fainter, and fainter and holer, ms II II were
floating owny into iho puro deep heaven.
1 Ilision and awake. Still recrdiug, yet still
more heavenly hear that voice in such songs
rs tho sornphus sing,until MT length Il dies a
way in the far of harnonics Tint the sp'fiI
uiono is capable of hoaring.
90 Touch w gently Time F" ! would no!
have my ears grow dull to these sounds