The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-06-15

I
hoy's check, and reHed upon il but he Wa
lslooping qglnly md sweelly, Tho lalbor
tfBGpiy rUkfeUef his hmFhHGsF Az hG gHzed
| upon his son; he felt also the "sensS Of dutyi'
yet ~ the night, talking tho matter over with
tho lad'a mother, ho resolved aud promised,
Instead ofpuniahnR, ~ De had threatened,
/ lo make amends Ia the boys nggroyod rpir-
! it in tho morning for tho manner N which
he had repealed nll explanation Of his Of
| fence.
liut that morning never came 90 that poor
child Ia health, lie 9woke the next morn
ing with raging foyer on his brninand wild
with dellrlum, In fouy-eighl hours he was
1 IN his Hhroud. lle knew neither hr father
nor his mother, when they were FIRST called
Ia his bedside, nor nt any moment anerwArd.
Waiting watching f.,f,.sts iskeR sf feoaFI1-
/ ton, hour nilef hour, iu speeehess agony,
did Tint unhappy father beud over tho couch
Of his dying son. Once indeed, lac thought
be saw n smile Of recognition light up hia
| dying eye and lac leaned eagerly forward,
for hu would have given worlds TO have wills
pcrcd one kind word IN his enr, aud have
boon answered; bat Ihat glenm of apparent
intelligence PASSED quickly AWAY, hnd was
succeeded by the cold, unmenpinF glare, and
the wild tossing fthe fuyered lhiba, which
/ lasted until death came to his relief
! Two days nherwnrd, the undertaken came
with The litile coffin, aud his son, n playmate
Of the deceased boy, bringing the low stools
on which Il wus To stand in tho entry hall.
| ~ was with Henry" seid the lad, "when
be- got into the water. We were playing
down nt the Ltng Wharf Henry, and Chas.
/ Mumiord aud l. and the tide was out very
I low and There WIS behnI out from the
wharf, aud Charles got out on II to got fiali
lno and hook that hung over where the wn-
ter was dcoW nnd the first thing We saw, he
had Slipped Oft and wns struggling in tho
Mntor Henry threw OIL his cnp and jumped
clear from the wharf into the water, aud, Af-
ter great deal Of hard work, got Charles
uut; aud They wadud hp through hu mud 10
/ whore the wharf wns MOI 40 wet aud slippe-
~; and then | helped them to climb up tho
side. Charles Told Henry not To say anything
about Il, for, II he did, his father would new
er let him 60 nenr tho whnrf again. Henry
was very sorryi aud, all the way going home
hc kept saying
"Wlat will luther sny when lac secs mo
tonight wish we had not gone 10 tho
wharf"
"Dear, brave boy !" exclaimed tho bereav-
ed ihtheT"nud Mis waa the explanation which
! cruelty refused TO hearl' aud hot aud Bit
ter tears rolled down>his checks,
Yes, that stern man now learned, and for
/ the first time, that what he had treated with
unwonlcd severity ns fuult, was but the i'm
pulse Of generous nature, which, forgeiiul
of self had haznrlcd his life for another. II
wns but tho quick prompting of that manly
spirit which he himself had always endeav-
ored 20 Ernn upon iilS susceptible mind, aud
which, young NJ he was, had already mani
tested ttsel! on moro thnn one OCCASION.
Lot mo close this Story in tho very words
of that father, and let tho lesson sink deep
into the henri of every parent who shall Pc
rurc this sketch:-- I'll,
"Eyorything that now sec, that ever be-
longed To him. reminds me of my lost boy
Yesterday, found some rude pencil sketch
es which II was his delight to mako for the
amusement Of his younger brother. Today
IN rummaging an old closet, | came across
his boots, stll covered with dock mud, as
when llc lnst wore them. You may think IL
strange, but TINT which is usually so insight.
y mn object Is now 'mosl precious to me. -
And every morning and cYcning. / pass the
ground where my sons voice rang ihc nor-
riesi nmoug his plnyn@les.
"All these things speak TO me yividly Of
his active life; bui ! cannot-ihough have
often tried i cannot recall any other express
sion of the dear boys face than that mute,
nouruldi one with which Inc turned from the
oil the night ] 80 hnrshly ropulsed him. =.
Then my heart hlccds afrcsh
"Oh, how careful should We all be that in
our daily conduct toward those little beings
sent t,s l,y IT Providence, -a+,.-iteJ
laying up for ourselves the sources Of many
Il future bitter tear How cautious thai, ,nci-
thor 10y incons,deratc nor cruel word or look,
we unjusly griove their generous fcelings!-
And how gnardcdly ought we to weigh every
action against It's motive, lest, in moment
of feXciloment, we he led 10 melc out to the
vcninl errors of the heart the punishment
due only 10 wiliul crime
Lt..t!,-,i.-, few i,ttttftts ss4ePees l'e.n
often the fierce rebukc, the sudden blow, is
answered in their children by the tears not
of passion nor of physical or mental pain, but
ora loving yet grievcd or outraged nature"
will add no word to reflections 80 true;
no corrclNliyo incident, to an experience so
touching.