Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-01-04
Obe 9tasons.
The Cheerful Heart.
A STORY FOR NEW YEARS

rON NEW YEARS.,
n cannot choose but marvel at the wav
III Whlch our lives pass on, from dav IN dav
Learning strange lessons in the humap,heaTt
And yet like shadows letting them depart y
MISS LANDoN.
HOW YEARLY the little news,boy plodded
aong the deserted streets on that New
Years Eve! The cold rain was BEATING
hereely upon him, and few, tattered gar.
inents served to protect him from its RAGE.
All DAY long had he been out amid the
1S'afm, and was now returning, weary and
tbe'gry, to his humble home. The street
see's were lighted, and as he passed by
AEEsAl yoS 2 lid see by the gleam that his
aJTg as fend as something Aarstl 'peen
>, here already to alternate his features, and
give him that wan and desolate look which
can be given only by some great affection,
somi pinching want or overwhelming grief
You could tell at glance that dark shad-
ow vas resting upon his pathway-a shad-
ow cat of which there seemed, Just then,
but little hope of escape. Born amid pow.
erty aud wretchedness, and left fatherless
while ye in his cradle, his life up to that
hour ha{ been nothing but misery-and the
whole record of that life was written in his
pale face and tattered rags. Yet with all
this, as he passed along a close observer
might lave noticed a strange light in his
clear, blue eye-an expression of kindly
cheerfulness, such as we may not often see
in this world Of care and gref-for Gods
blessing was upon him-the blessing of a
cheerful heart. The sorrow of his life,
however deep and abiding, the gloom upon
his pathway, however dark and fearful, dim
med not the light that burned SO quietly,
and yet SO steadily within. Like the Vestal
fire of old, it grew not dim, but threw its
rays far out over the fgreat gloom around
hm-even now the cold storm beat upon
him unheeded. There are waking dreams
that come upon us sometimes when we least
expect them-bright dreams of love, and
home, and heaven-beautiful visions of fu.
ture, all glorious with its burden of song
and gladness and such a vision, of such
a future, now filled and crowded and bles-
sed the heart Of that forsaken boy. He was
dreaming as he walked along of better days
to come-oi the time poverty in his path
way should depart, and the beautiful flow
ers should spring up to bless him with their
.presenee-of bright home far away from
that great city, upon whose cheerful hearth
the fire should not go out, and where hum
ger should never haunt him more. And
then into that dream Of better life--into
that vision of cheerful home far-of among
the green hills--came a pleasant facc--the
face of his beloved mother He could see
Sler as she sat by the lattice at the quiet
Fening hour reading the sacred Bible, with
e last red rays.resting like a. glory upon
widow anu tAe little Aiolets f,lded
Themselves TO sleep Very pleasant was the
Picture there passing before the gaze Of
That ragged child, very glorious the panora'
ma of green hills and bright flowers and
singing birds-very beautiful that humble
cottage, half covered by the clustering fol-
iage and his heart thrilled and heaved
with strange rapture never known before,
such rapture, such joy as the striker poor
can never know, save when some good an
gel comes down from the blue Heaven and
beckons them away from the haunts of woe
and want in which they suffer, to the free
air and the blessed sunshine.
But the dream had passed-the sun had
set-the flowers faded-the cottage disap-
peared. OF all that beautiful vision, so
cheering and so glorious, notrace remained;
no vestige of leaf or tree or bird no letter
of his mothers Bible-nc lovelight -of his
mothers eye The darkness came around
him. and he found himself there amid the
storm in the silent streets of that great and
sinful city. So gathering his garments
more closely about him, he hurried along to
his home with a prayer upon his lip and
Gods sunlight in his heart. Turning into
an obscure street, few steps brought him
to the door of a wretched dwelling, which
he entered Follow now and behold
scene of want and perjury, such as may be
found sometimes in this world of ours-a
scene upon which men look with uncon
Germ, but on which, thank God the angels
gaze with Joy; a home where poverty strug
+GIes with brave heart and is conquered.
Before the fire sat a pale, sad woman, up
on whose features the traces of great lowell
ness were still visible, though sorrow hat
shapened them somewhat, and ghastly wan
done much to dim their beauty. Upon heI
high and queenly brow the blue veins wert
clearly visible, as the blood coursed through
them with unwonted rapidity, Her larg'
dark eyes were dim with tears Some new
sorrow had started airesh the sealed fouu
tain of her gliol--and now as she gazed 81
lentIy upon the red enbers in all the ute
agony Of despair, it might seem that hop
49, gorye farexer and God forsaken her.
Mother P said the boy, as he entere'
all dripping with rain, 81 have come at last
and am tired and hungry"
MY son my son !" replied the mother
"there is no morseI of food in the house,
and her lip quivered. We must starve
we must starve God help us!" and he
; tears broke forth afresh.
Thus had it been for many wear
month. With scarcely food sufficient t
support life, that mother and her boy ha
struggled, and suffered, and wept, and pray
ed-and now that the cold winter was com
ing on, no wonder that her heart shudder
ed and her cheek grew pale at the hopeless
prosnect ahead. How could they pass tn
dreary days and long nights, the storm an
the terrible cold, without food and raiment
and shelter? And then where could the.
go when the heartless landlord should thrus