Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1851-10-10

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ing with her books. and wishing not 10 lose the
morning whc,lv. she commenced IL letter. -
Bridget came to her door before she had writ.
ten half page.
what shall we have for dinner, ma'am P
There ant no marketing come, and you did
not tell me what to get
Have some steaks
we hant got any
'Well, will send out for some
Now, there was no one to send but Amy, and
Mrs. James knew it. With SIGH she put
away her letter, and went into the nursery.
'Amv, Mr. James has forgotten the market
ing. wish you would run over to the provlS-
ion store and order some beeisteuks | will
stay with the baby
Amy was none too we'll pleased to be sent
on this errand. She remarked, that she must
first change her dress
BE as quick as possible them said Mrs.
James, for am particularly engaged this morn
ing
Amy neither obcvcd nor disobcycd but
managed to take her own time in reality, tho
without any direct determination to do so.-
Mrs. James thinking she might get along a
sentence or two in the nursery, took her Ger
man book III but to this arrangement Charley
would by no means consent. Mamma must
there or not it was all one to him-bui amused
he must be. Half her second days time of
trial was gone. when ANY came in: and with
sigh Mrs. James returned to her room. Be
fore one o'clock she had been called down into
the kitchen twice on some important business
relating to the dinner, and for this day not one
cntir, pare of letter had been written.
On the third morning she rose early, made
every provision for dinner and for the comfort
Of the family which she deemed necessary, and
eatcd by success, IN good spirits and with good
courage she entered her study precisely at | |
o'clock. Now she was to have Il fine time of
it. Her books were opened and hard lesson
summoned to the conflict. Scarcely had she
read line, when she heard the door bell ring.
Somebody vans to sec you i'll the parlor,
Mrs James,
'Tell them nm engaged, Bridget
i told them YOU were to home, ml'am, and
they gavc me their names, but did not exact
ly understand
Mrs James was obliged to go--to smile
when she felt sober, to be social when her
thoughts were elsewhere. Her friends how
ever seemed to find her agreeable, for they
made long call: and when they rose to 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 obliged to give up
the morning to preparing for it, and did not en-
ter her study On the day following she was
obliged to keep her bed with sick headache
and on Saturday, Amy having extra work to do,
the charge of the baby dcvolved upon her.
Thus passed the first week.
True to her promise, Mrs James patiently
persevcred for a month in her efforts to secure
liz ,,t hnr br,l.
with what success the weeks history can tell.
With its close, closed the month OF December.
Being particularly occupied on the last day of
the old year in getting ready for the morrow's
festival, it was near the last hour of ,he day
when she made her good nights call in the
nursery. She went to the crib to look at baby:
there he lay fast asleep in his innocence and
beauty. She kissed his rosy cheek gently, and
stroked softly his golden hair and pressing his
little dlmplcd hands within hers, she drew the
warm covering more closely around him, care
fully tuckng 1t in, then stealing one more kiss,
she left him to his slumbers, and sat down on
her daughters bed She was also sweetly
asleep, with her dolly hugged close to her
Her mother smiled, but soon il seemed as If
graver and sndder thoughts filled her mind, as
indeed they did. She was thinking OF ter dis
appointed plans. To her, not only the past
month, hut the past year, seemed to have been
one Of frultess effort: 1t seemed to her broken
and dislointed; even her hours of religious
meditation had been encroachad upon and dis
tracted. She had accomplished nothing that
she could see, but keep her house and family
and to her slddcned thoughts even this seemed
to hve been but indlilerently done. Iearn-
inTS for something better thar TINS she was
conscioU Of; unSatstied long, - often cloud
ed an otherwise bright day for her, and yet all
this seemed to lie in Il region dim and misty,
which she could not penetrate.
What did she need then TO see some OF
the results of her lfe.work; To be conscious
of some unity Of purpose, some weaving to.
gether Of these life ethreads, now SO 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
was duty Her pursuits, conflicting as they did
with her tastes, seemed to her frivolous. She
feltthere WAS some better way of living, which
she, from want Of energy of character or ener-
gy Of principle, had failed of discovering. 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 dlsappoinlmcnts
and self-reproachcs, and mistakes, from which
she was then suffering, that the little one nigh,
take up life where she could give it to her
mended by all her own experience. 1t woulo
have been great comfort, could she have fell
that she had fought the battle for both. Ye
she knew that it could not be so--that we mus
all learn for ourselves what those things are
that make for our peace. With tears still il
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 OF
: another chubby cheek which nestled among the
piows-then she sought her own rest.
Soon she found herself in singular place
She was traverSng a vast plain No tree
were visible, save those which skirtcd the dis
: tant horizon--on their tops rested a wreath o
golden clouds. Before her, travelling toward,
that distant light, was a female. Little chill
dren were about her, sometimes in her arm
and sometimes at her side. As she juurneyet
on, she bused herself caring for theu Nov
she soothed them when weary--now she laugh
7 them how to travel and again she warned then
2 Of the pitfalls and stumbling blocks in he way
She helped them over the one and taught then
+; to be wary of the other. She talked to then
/ of that god n light which she kept constant
in view, and towards which she seemed to b