Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1851-07-02

cred down in fear. "Do you hear, or do you
want me to murder you? 2" and he rose from
where he sat and reeled toward her; shrinking
and shivering MS she bent over her babe, she
pressed its almost lfeless body to her heart, and
when he stood above her, she looked up in his
face in the agony of despair, and implored in
the mute utterance of her tear-worn eyes for
mercy. But he did not strike her, although she
was indeed well used to that, but he put out his
hand and taking from her bosom locket, which
had been dear sisters gift, and the last thing
left her but her babe and DEATH staggered to the
door, and, after looking back with menancng
and brutal expression Of his savage features, left
her. Although he was gone she moved not, but
sat wailing like dove whose nest has been be-
reft of that which made life dear, and sobbing
loudly in her grief she looked upon her child,
and saw the tokens Of pain and want upon its
meagre face, and could feel the throbbing of its
| little heart becoming more and and more feeble,
from hour to hour, as the shadow Of its life was
waning.
| And night came, and she laid her child down
! to rest, and again sat working and Watching
She kissed it when its low cry startled her in
the midnight silence, and hushed it again to
sleep, for it wanted food and that she had not.
The morning came but it was still night to her,
and the darkness of her woe sat lowering over
her frail soul like the shadow of great but ST.
lent misery. She hurried on in the delirium of
extreme weakness that she might complete the
wretched work she had, and get food for her fam
ished child. Intense suffering, long watching,
hunger, cold, and cruelty had blanched cheek
which had been more fair than snow, and had
carved wrinkles, like those of age, upon youth
! fu brow; death hovered over her like CHASTITY
7 IL .HS.x
rible, but welcome. And thus from hour to hour
and from day to day, that mother labored for her
lonely child, while he, whose heart should have
beat with the devotion of love for her whom
he had sworn to cherish, and whose hand should
have been ever ready to defend her, deemng
nothing too severe, nothing too difficult, which
could bring food and comfort to a woman's
constant heart, came only to rob her of her
last morsel, and to add fresh agonies to her al
most withered soul by imprecations and curses.
One morning, after she had been toiling long
in cold and hunger she became too weak to la
Dor more, and nature faltered. She stopped 10
kiss her babe and to ask blessing on its head
from Him whose benedictions come even to the
sorrowful and needy, and as she bent down
above its little shadowy form, her sorrows over
whelmed her, and she fell down beside her child
and tainted. With none to aid and soothe her
with none to nourish her in her distress of
heart, and no Kind hand to minister to the poor
watcher in that hour Of affliction, she lay in that
sweet peace which comes to the aching heart
when it can for time forget its sorrows and
better too, perhaps, for her. for her babe was dy-
ing, and in the Inconsistencies of temporary
death, she knew it not
She awoke at last, for even the forgetfulness
so dear to the wounded spirit will have an end,
and the grim bitter realities become palpable
once more; and as consciousness returned she
was startled from her partial dream by the icy
chill which fell upon her when she touched her
child. She shreked wildly, and fell upon her
face in the maddening agony of despair, "my
child, my child, oh, my child" she cried, and tore
her hair in frenzy. Now she became more calm,
and turned round to look upon the babe whose
soul had passed into that better sleep from which
there is no waking. She kissed its cold wasted
form, and bathed its little marble face with her
scalding tears.
"Oh, my child" she sobbed, "my poor child,
murdered by its fathers hand, the victim of his
cruelty; oh, Father Of all, Father of the wicked
and good, take my poor babe to thy fostering bo-
som, and let me die too, for my last hope is gone
the last link of my hearts affection is broken !;
Father of mercies, listen to the supplications of
chldess mother"
That step and the blood goes back to her
heart like an icy flood, and every pulse is with
cred, as with bleak and desolating frost; she
holds her breath, and with her dead child in her
arms, crouches down in the corner on the floor,
and in the silence of despair and terror asks her
God to bless and protect her, and to soften his
heart in such an awful moment as this. He came
to the threshold Of the room, and fell PROSTATE
on the floor, he attempted to approach her. he
was too much intoxicated to rise, and there he
lay muttering, in broken and inarticuate words
the most horrible oaths and imprecations. The
mother spake not, for although, even then she
could have prayed for him in her heart and
blessed him with her tongue ay, and still labor
for him with her hands, if by such she could
win back the old love which had made her youth
ful hours glad, and which had spread the rosy
atmosphere of hope before her. but which was
now thing of silent memory, of sadness, and of
tears.
Thus passed away the morning, and at noon
the drunkard arose from where he lay, and again
demanded what money she had she gave him a
few halfpence from her pocket, and he snatch
ed them from her and departed
To know that he had gone to procure the poi
aon on which he fed, with this last remnant of
the midnight toll, and when his child lay dead
within its mothers arms to know that for the