The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1851-05-22

door r-bell ring.
Somebody wishes TO see you in the par
or, Mrs. James,
Tell them am engaged, Bridget
4 told them you are at home ma'am, and
they gave me their names; but | did not
exactly understand
Mrs. James was obliged to go-to smile
when she fell sober--to be social when her
thoughts were elsewhere. Her friends,
however, seemed to find her agreeable; for
they made long call; and, when they
rose 10 go, others came. So, in the most
unsatisfactory chit-chat, all this morning
went.
On the next day, Mr.. James invited
company to tea, and Mrs. James was oblig-
ed to give up tho morning to preparing for
it, and did not enter her study.
On the next day following, she was
obliged to keep her bed with sick headache
and on Saturday, Amy having extra work
10 do, the charge Of the baby devolved up
on her. Thus passed the week.
True to her promise, Mrs. james patient
secure to herself this fragment Of her bro
ken time-with what success tho weeks
history has disclosed. With its closc, end
ed the month of December Being particu-
Iarly occupied on the last day of the old
wear, in getting ready for the morrow's fes
tival, it was near the last hour Of the day
when she made her good nights call in the
nursery. She went to the crib to look at
the baby. There it lay, in its innocence
and beauty, fast asleep. She kissed its ro
sy cheek gently, and s,roked softly its gold
en- hair, and pressing its little dimpled
hands within hers, she drew the warm cov
ering closely around him, carefully tucking
i, in; then stealing one more kiss, she left
il to its slumbers, and sat down on her
daughters bed. She, also, was swee,ly
asleep, with her dolly hugged close TO her
Her mother smiled, but soon it seemed as
if graver and sadder thoughts filed her
mind, as indeed they did. She was think
ing Of her disappointed plans. TO her, not
only the past month, but the past year,
seemed to have been one offruitless effort !;
it seemed to her broken and disioinied; ev-
en- her hours Of religious meditation had
been encroached upon and distracted. She
had accomplished nothing that she could
see, but keep her house and family; and,
to her saddened thoughts, even this seem
ed to her but indiaerently done. Yearn-
ings for sornsihiog Le.,er .l..a ahis, sho ,vaS
conscious OF.
What did she need, then? To sec some
of tho results of her life-work? To become
conscious Of some unity Of purpose, some
weaving together Of these io-thrcads, now
50 broken and single?
She felt, she was quite sure, no desire to
shrink from duty, however humble; but she
sighed for some comforting assurance OF
what raa duty. Her pursuits, conflicting
as they did with her tastes, seemed 70 her
frivolous. She felt there was some better
way Of living, which she had failed Of dis
covering. As she leaned over her child,
her tears now fell fast upon that young
brow.
How earnestly wished that mother that
she could shield her child from the disap.
pointments, selfreproaches, and mistakes
from which she was then suffering; that
the little one might take up life where she
could give il to her, mended by all her own
experience. Ii would have been great
comfort had she felt tina. she could iigh: the
battle for both. Yet she knew tha; il could
not be SO; that we must all learn for our
selves what are those things which make
for on. peace. With tears still in her eyes,
she gave the good night to the child, and
with soft step, entered the adjoining room,
and there fairly kissed out the old year on
another cherub check, which nestled among
the pillows; then she sough, her own rest.
Soon she found herself in singular
place. She was traversng vast plain;
no trees were visible, save those which
skrted the distant horizon; on the tops
rested wreath Of golden clouds. Before
her, travelling towards that distant light,
was female. Little children were about
her sometimes in her arms, and sometimes
at her side. As she journeyed on, she
busted herself in caring for them. Now
she soothed them when weary-now she
taught them how TO trayel--and again she
warned them Of the pitfalls and stumbling
blocks in the way. She. helped them over
the one, and taught them to be wary Of the
other. She talked to them Of that golden
light, which she kept always in view, and
towards which she seemed Fastening with
her little flock. But what was most re-
markable was, that, all unknown to her,
two golden clouds hoated above her, on
which reposed two angels. Before each
was golden book, and pen ofgold. One
angel, with mild and loving eyes, peered
constantly over the right shoulder, and the
other over the left. They followed her
from the rising to the setting of the sun
The watched every word, and look, and
deed, no matter how trivial. When it was
good, tho angel over the right shoulder,
with clad smile, wrote it down in his gold
en- book. When evil, the angel over the
left shoulder wrote it down in his book
Then he kept his sorrowfnl eyes on her,
until he found repentance for the evil; up
on which he dropped tear upon the re-
cord, and bot.ed it out, and both angels
rcjoiced. To the lookers-on il seemed as
| if the traveller did little which was worthy
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