Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-03-03
satisfactory chit-chat all this morning

| to give up the morning to preparing TOR 1t,
and did not enter her study. On the day
following she was obliged to keep her bed
with sick head ache, and on Saturday Amy
having extra work to do, the charge OF the
baby devolved upon her. Thus passed the
first week.
/ True to her promise, Mrs. James patient
ly persevered for month, in her efforts to
secure to her self this fragment of her brok-
en- time, with what success the weeks his
tory 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, 1t
was near the last hour of the day when she
made her good-night's call in the nursery.
She went 10 he ID to look at the baby; there
he lay fast asleep in his innocence and
beauty She kissed his rosy cheek gently,
and stroked softly his golden hair, and pres
ing his little dimpled hands within hers, she
drew the warm covering more closely a.
round him, carefully tucking it 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. The mother
smiled, but soon it seemed as if graver s
sadder thoughts filled her mind, as indeed
they did. She was thinking of her disap-
pointed plans. To her, not only the past
month,but the past year seemed to be brok-
ell and disjointed; even her hours of relig-
lous meditation had been encroached upon
and distracted. She had accomplished moth
ing that she could see, but kept her house
and family and to her saddenec thoughts,
even this seemed to have been but in1lfer-
emily done. Yearnlngs for something bet
ter than this she was conscious of.
What did she need then? To see some
of the results of her lile-work? To be con-
scious of some uni Of purpose, some weav-
ing together of these life-threads, now so
broken and single
She felt, she was quite sue no desire to
shrink from duty however humble; but she
sighed for some comforting assurance ofwhat
scas duty. Her pursuits, conflicting as they
did with her tastes, seemed to her frivolous.
She felt there was some better way of liv-
ing, which she had failed of discovering
As she leaned over her child, her tears fell
fast upon that young brow.
How earnestly wished that mother that
she could shield her child from the disap-
pointments, and self-reproaches, and mis-
takes from which she was then suffering ;
that the little one might take up life where
she could give it to her, mended by all her
own experience. 1t would have been a
great comfort could she have felt that she
could have fought the battle for both. Yet
she knew that it could not so be that we
must all learn for ourselves what are those
things which make for our peace. With
tears still in her eyes, she gave the good
night to the child; and with soft step enter
ed the adjoining room, and there fairly kiss
ed out the old year on another chubby cheek
which nestled among the pillows; then she
sought her own rest.
Soon she found herself in singular place.
She was traversing a vast plain ; no trees
were visible save those which skirted the
distant horizon; on their 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
caring for them. Now she soothed them
when weary-now she Taught them how to
travel, 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
constantly in view, and towards which she
seemed to be Fastening with her little flock.
| D,,t hat oorlro hot
all unknown to her, two golden clouds float
ed above her, on which reposed two angels.
Before each was golden book and pen
of gold. 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 sui. They watched every word and
look, and deed, no matter how trivial
When it was good, the angel over the right
shoulder, with glad smile, wrote 1t down
in his golden book when evil, however
trivial, the angel over the left shoulder
wrote it down in his book. Then he kept
his sorrowful eyes on her, until he found
penitence for the evil: upon which, he
dropped tear upon his record and blotted
it out, and both angels re;oiced. To the
lookers-on it seemed as if the traveller did
little which was worthy such careful re-
cord.
Sometimes she did but bathe the weary
feet Of her children, and the angel over the
right shoulder wrote it down. Sometimes
she did but wait patiently to lure back some
little truant who had taken step in the
wrong direction, and the angel over the right
shoulder wrote it down.
Sometimes, with her eyes fixed upon the
golden horizon, she became so intent upon
her own progress as to let the little pill
grims at her side langulsh or stray; then it
was !he angel over the left shoulder who
lifted the golden pen and made the entry,
followed her with sorrowing eyes, seeking
to blot it out. If wishing to hasten on her
Journey, she left the little ones behind, it
was the sorrowing angel recorded her pro-
gress. Now the observer felt, as she look
ed on, that this was faithful record and
was to be kept to that journeys end. These
strong clasps of gold on those golden
books, also impressed her with the belief
that they were to be sealed for the future
opening. Her sympathies were warmly ex-
cited for the traveller, and with beating
heart she quickened her steps, that she
might overtake her, and tell her what she
had seen, and entreat her to be watchful,
and faithful, and patient to the end IN her
life's work, for she had herself seen that its
results would all be known when those gol-
den books should be unclasped That she
must not think any duty which fell in her
way to do trivial, for surely there was an
angel over her rights shoulder or one over
her left who would record it all.