Lewisburg chronicle, and the West Branch farmer. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1849-1849, 1849-11-21
George, as she called him, turned round

ocofgV, 40 s'it Cdiicu ufi's iutuSb 'tbb'
: Towards her on his stool, and then, for tn
} frs! time the observer might see that h.
vas a cripple. Bo.h limbs had been am
pu'ated just below the knee. and patches o
coarse leather had been fastened upon III,
sxtremities. which served him for shoes
be could thus slump abou, his shop snt
yard li''e. but for all purposes Of q
heightened walk he was heipless.
Ten years before, George had bough
the lot OF wild land on which he lived, fol
a farm; and afier putting up smsli log
house, brought his wife there to aid him
10 f"rming, by years of labor, home for
their old age. They had spen, the early
years Of their lives. in the usual course ol
ungodIiness and selishness bu, they had
been changed. aud when they came into
their comfortable log dwelling. the frs,
evening Of their married life, they both
solemnly gave themselves up to God, and
expressed desire to do his will, and to be
dealt with according to his good pleasure.
! "Now Mary" said George tina, evening.
we must be honest in this.-~e must not
talk Of our submission to God in sunshine.
ard then resist the struggle, when i, comes
TO Storm"
Mary saw that this was very good chris.
iian philosophy ;-bu, the characteristics
Of the heart, based on innate qualities, and
long established habits. are not to be bro
ken up a, once by the perception of
principle OF sound philosophy. Mary made
IA resolution, moreover, that she would be
resigned and submissive if storm should
come but then these inherent tendencies
Of the soul do no, always give way to a
good resolution. Al any rate things looked
very bright and pleasant then. They had
"a beautiful lot Of land, ,"-as George called
his tract Of sturdy forest. He had a very
----E-..-iI> -A.--~n-----ii--.i --.i,u-z-Clrn,ure
they needed, food enough in the loft and in
The cellar for the present, and seed enough
in the ground for the fuiure-and a large
pile oi wood al The door, which furnished
maple logs for The fire, and pi:chpine strips
for candirs, Then her iu aginaten in look
ing forward, caught brish. glimpses of iu-
iure prosper..y--of framed house, with
two rooms, spacious barns, ,and smooth NOV
Iox-art. George rich farmer, and per-
haPs. when the ;o~n should be incoTpora.
tee, a "seIec,man." Under these circum.
stances Mary found ii very easy TO feel r.
signed and submissive 10 G ID, ard SIZE
thought ii would always be easy 10 be SO.
A 'ew years after this, ~h;.e George was !
making some clearings at . lite distance !
from the house, a tree fell upon him, and
after months Of sickness and suffering. he |
walked out one sunny spring morning in'o !
his door yard for the frs, time. but i, was
on his knees. Mary had watched over
him with grea, fidelity and love, bu. with
rather too much resllessne.s and eoIic,,ude .
to be consistent with her previous resolu.
ton. 10 he in all cases entirely resigned to
The divine will. When she though, of the !
greatness and wisdom and benevolence Of
G"d, and his past kindness to herself and
husband, she kner lha, all was right, but !
then when she thought of The iarm-,he
vast amount o. severe labor it required,
and Of her husbands inevitable helpless
ness,-and also of their utter want Of any |
other means Of support, and Of tho Ioneli-
ness and desliiution Of such home for a
hopeless cripple, she could no, help feeling
that all was wrong. George himself was
patient and conented; and he seemed to
have no anxiety for the future. Tempe
rament alone could not have effected this
Piety alone, ordinarily does not bu, piety
aided by happy temperament seemed TO
have made him entirely submissive and re.
signed, and (of course when the bodily pain
was a,suagedD conlen,ed and happy.
As we have said, he came out, for the
FIRST time. one pleasant spring morning.
with his crutches. upon the graa, fat stone
which lay a, his door. His li,lle son Fergus
was trying to cot wood with heavy are,
laboriously lifting it and then letting it fall
by its own weight upon the log. George
looked around upon his fields and clearngs
and then upon his son. Fergus laid down
his axe. and came running to NEE, his
crippled parent, esciaimins.
"Why, father, are you coming ou, ?"
"Yes, am coming TO look at my farm.
You will have o be farmer now--il's all
over with me"
"WelI father" said Fereus--"when
am lit,le bigger. lean Gu, wood pretty |
well now"
"Yes. see you are a, work. Bot let
me 90 aud try. believe can cut wood