The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1851-01-23

and flxed like one who sees some fear
full object. Her words incresed my re.
morse. | knelt by her bedside, and
said
"God is my Witness Celilia, do moi
come to reproach, but to comfort you
| come to offer my forgiveness and be-
seech yours. Cecilia, we lave both
sinned, but you have suffered most
Cecilia forgive me, and letus pray that
God may forgive US both !D
The unfortunate creature gazed at
me in bewilderment, and then burst
into tears. At last she said, in low
voice
'Is somebody speaking kindly to me 2
and you! Did any one ask my forgive
nesse Am delirious 2"
/ endeavored To reaSsnre and onna-
pose her. At first she seemed inclined
to show towards me her former irrita-
bility and violence; but when, by per-
severance, and by detailed acknowl-
edgement of my wrongs towards her,
| had succeeded in convincing her that
| had really come to try to atone for
them, she hid her face, declared that
she was guilty wretch, and not worthy
to look at me: and when | took her
hand, she drew it away, telling me that
it was pollution to touch her. At last
her dread and shame seemed 10 abate
by degrees, and while she wept pas
sionately, I heard her say
"Oh wish you had always spoken
to me thus. If you had only said one
kind word to me that day, should
never have left you, for my heart was
not wicked then-I was only in rage;
and had not been an hour out of Lon
don before | would have given worlds
and worlds to go back to my poor baby;
but | thought you would kill mel did,
indeed! Oh, how | wish had known
youn'
| cannot describe the pain these words
inflicted upon me. She saw it, and
then she heaped upon herself vehe-
ment reproaches said that she was
vain, wicked, furious creature, and that
| had always been far too good for her,
and was the most generous of men
Poor soul never again during the ten
weeks Iremained with her. with all hef
impetuosity, did she make an illusion
that could have been construed into
reflection on my conduct such was
her generosity. | remained with her
till she died. Her bodily suferings
were dreadful to witness: she could
not endure me out of her sight; not
that, in her -self-abasement. she ever
asked me to remain but no heart could
have withstood her piteous look, when
ever she seemed to suspect was going
to leave her. She expired in my arms,
as her child had done
| had frequently, in her agonizing
struggles for breath, wished to support
her, but she would not permit me. On
the last day of her life, however, and
when the end was visibly athand, she
suddenly cried
take me in your arms once more
once more, ere die2
| complied with her request, and laid
her poor weary head on my breast.
=" "Ah !" she said "this is as your wife
should have died, not me. am un-
worthy of this. The hideous past seems
a dream.n
/ whispered as I kissed her chill, |
damp forehead
" ALI is forgiveness and peace be-
tween US now, my poor Cecilian
She made a dying effort to give me
a look of gratitude, and in fervent,
solemn, but lnexpressibly feeble voice,
said
My dearest, once my husband, God |
bless you. This is my last-o
She could not finish her sentence.
and never spoke again | laid her in
her nameless grave, far from home and |
kindred, and then returned to England.
EXTRACT FROM A SLAVES SERMON
Passing along one afternoon, while in
Montgomery, Ala, (says the editor of
the Central Christian Herald we visited
the Presbyterian lecture-Eoom, where
slave was preaching, who went on in
this wise:
My bredren, God bress your souls
'ligion is like de Alabam river: in de
spring it come fresh, and bring in all
de ole logs and slabs and sticks dat hab
ben layin on de bank, and carry dem
down in de current. Bymeby de water
go down; den log cotch here on dis
island, den a slab gets cotched on de
shore and de sticks in de bushes, and
dare dey lay, widren up and dryin till
nudder fresh come. Just so dere come
'vivals of 'ligion-dis ole sinner brof
in, dat ole backslider brof back, and De-
folk seem comm, and den mighty good
times But, bredren, God bress your
souls bymeby 'viyals gone den dis
ole sinner stuck on his ole sin; den dat
ole backslider is cotched where he was
afore on just sich rock den one arter
nudder dat had got 'ligion lays all long
de shore, and dare dey lays till nudder
'yival comes! Beloved bredren, God
bress your soulsg-keep in de current %
We thought his illustration beautiful
enough for more elegant dress, and too
true, alas of others thanshis own race.
GENERoUs.-"W Well, Tom, doessyour
girl continne to love you an
"Yes, more than ever.n
"Indeed! What evidence have vou