The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-05-11

lirt HiIuuidur, ntti Wrifi anew hii rrtitrtt
ia my sOrrowi hags been TOO selfish Ia my
loves aud perhaps ttiE is ny JUST punishment
VIII you go back 80 your rnlat,yes hui-|
True, what irW lhry comprehend Of those
sunrfing-Y Fhey. arc too selfahi you viii
l,e ,hs object ol their ,ridicule. siny here,
Lena. YOU mny seek cunsolnlion thcrri
yalr heart iA nnt Latd aud worldly, like ininn.
&c, Hftti pray alrti.l 's's. t''.E'sf'@ get
umy hrcompnny mo 10 the heldi must see
ny child t0niRIE f0r, " u true, t4rnH, md
she shudderrd violently, ~ would not have
even hiu body brought under NY roof
"llut will love him still, ifil u Iruo" ihl'
tered Leua.
IL ,osa Lln,T, claimed tie widow. missing
her cycs, aud clnspinR her hands, "cdu
nOthcr iurgol her childy Con she forget ihc
lnrm ni grace aud beauty that eloquent voice,
that high, gourrus hrnu, that irom its lirSi
coo-ciousue#s lns poured nll ils uchrd
trrusugeA uppn hpTg Can fpothrr iufprl
all lhrsrs Oh! never ! loved my huN ]
would have loved him, aud saved him, ind ii
hrcu ia nv mower, even though hiH bands
Ind heen elIhfued in hlnod. Hut tits dts
guc0l I cannot hnte his body borne from
my Li.l4llaIluu II llll cnMnrd'n grnyc. Mhcfe
hc mn-t lic'wilh lhe irw Who have iugori-
ously died, --
Oi my God suslnin me IN this oycrwhelu-
ing sorrow; childle-s, alas! have nO eonso-
lntiun leG tlr me-" aud sinking upon q chair,
,he poor woman hurst into tears. They wero
the fret sho had ahail-hnd the flow relieved
her. Hut soon sunmoning anew all her nai-
urnl pride, That had always marked her feso-
luic character, she slowly rose, aud said with
lurccl cnlnlncss. @Mill you accompany me
10 ihg field, Lem
"Nlust We 50 alone ~
ayes, alone; what de- you leur, child Are
not God aud his angels guard suihcienty ]
ti'ur nothing --tli-l'eHor--'h" burning
hrnnd Of coward" and again she shuddcrrd
yiuirutiy, NJ rfr Thought oi bees child -
Lena unssrd from lhr room, and the wid-
ow fell upon her KNEES 10y lhe ldtlicc window
md struggled ior comPorure.
Hours passed, she moSrd not one would
have thought her statue, 80 moiiotlcss was
her symmetrical furm. Her soul wns fear
ing d0uhJiUg, hoping, HiteruHtCiy.
Now, clear NJ globe of silver, now bur.
ietl in the clouds the moon sailed slowly on
ward, flooding the silent room nt times wbh
tr-tt softer t.t,d more hsapillill linn ilat Of
-I,l,..- slaaE epened, aud Lena. niiircd IN
mantle and hood, entered, aud stood beside
the widow; she thought To fun her weeping;
but her eyes were dry aud glazed
~ nm fcndy-"molher, thc would have
said, but Size dared not; though yourniug to
give consolation.
81 sh6Il iH ia a lew moments; throw the
InWls uycr me, Lena, and tie the strings OF
my bonnet, my hands rrcmblr. Sut, ch"d'
YOU have eaten nothing"
Il want no,hiGs, cCJid nor cu{ replied
the girl ia broken voice.
"Thrn we will go now; Il is two miles from
here, and know not the way; God viii 1T
rect az. Take my arm, Lem, hut If your
heart fails YOU do moi accompany me-" she
continued, as she lclt the trctnulous grasp Of
the g,fi.
20 yes let me -; I was onlyihinking that
he hes bleeding, mauglcdi perhaps, aud o"ly
yesterday leo was alive"
The widow did no, reply, but moved on
moro rapidly. They were approaching the
ground of the actiru. The moon was NJ ilr
meridian, tho night calm and lovely. Here
and there, were lying few dead bodies The
hand OF love, or friendship, or colder charity
had reno, ed nearly all the dead and consign-
cd them To- deeper nLd darker resting places
The y. lanM and giIl srdly entered tile b,oud
stuiucd precincts.
~ r,.r,. - ,l,is,,4fed Mt,ds,,, ANalsliea
as she razrd hurIicdly nrouud her, "il y "A
fearful place for my poor child to sleep H.
II /. not this, nor ihi-;n she continued, point
ing TO several ghostly forms, while Len" shut
her eyes, aud grorcd 10y the sl,lr OF the w'd-
ow, unable 10 look upon 80 wrGlchtd view
OF death; "but here he lies; here Is the snsh
embroidered, here is the pale forehead have
kissed 80 oiten; now, God hc mercilul to me,
and grant tho honor OF my child bc unsuiii-
ed"
She kuelt, aud with firm hund pushed
back the clustering curls from his brow. Lee
mas heart throhhcd nudibly, but she stroNe
IN loo firm, although tie earth seemed glid-
ing beneath her feet.
Il CT, II * 100 rrTrr;h rT-sv-tt t'''.'t ''''''Nr
poiutng to Il rpot ucur tie rlelh shoulder
lie aiI rurn nom thc Ioe-IIe Hou INV lrut-
try lite, was dearcr to him than libery. The
n,oihcr ofa coward The sonSoi the brnyc
NInI.tirn. " WHonr none know tUrtu huuur
I.rna henrd her not \ cold apathy had
fallen upon her spirit her energies seencd
frozen; She heard n vuguc sound, wan IKE
II death dirgo. She felt that she WAS hurried
UInnr by the pressure ot another thihli H"t
whose wns The voice, or whose the hhnd' sue
kuc,y not she realized nothing uutl again,
IN the cottnrC, she felt the solt 6ugers OF
-rtUVtuTri tFuiSrIvir moving across hsr- brow
Then came back full tide OF memory.
UIIo,y strangely some are called TO suffer"
nIITmuTed the WidOw.UT ruusrIut7rrs- stew =
lv rcurncd;"my poor child, YOU are pate nnd
exbnnst,d. did wrong to tuke you with ne.
Let me assist YOU TO your chamber. Yes.
weep my chlld, you viii be better soon ]
wish could weep, btit tcnrs were ever dent
ed me. even when ! lost my tushahd'' '---
The next morning, common courtesy o.
hlired the widow to ask the stranger 1t he
would breakfast with them, Shc h"t' hot
the rcmotrst idea he would nccclh 'h1 NV
taton. nltcr the cool civlhy bes'o"rI upon
tin ihe nreccdiug night, but he did, und
.tr - ,l,., ,v,,InNy snt down tC her morn
inc meal. while the stranger devoted himself
,o hor so nssidnously, nnh conversed go
chnrminply, that before they Jett the 'a"'e'
sLc-bnd almost forgotten her prrIudire.