Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1852-02-06
BY ALICE y, NEAL.

Never hear, repeat with peasure such things
n uav diShonor Gud-hurt ihlup own charac,ei--or
njure thy ne lhbor- -BlShop Wilson, 100.
Mrs. Maxwell clasped her elegantly bound
prayer book, Il bridal gift from her husband, and
drew down her veil as she stepped into the
crowded aisle The MaXwcils attended
very tashiona bic church. Some OF thc,
best families IN the city had pe"s there
and the music was really worth the price, as
some one reverently observed to them when
talking Of the last Sundays voluntary. Miss
lie Mote, who had made her debut at the musi-
cal Fund Concerts, sang there, and the orgt
st was thoroughly inbued with Il love for the
modern italian school, disdlining such sober
minded studies as those Of Handel and Gluck.
You could frequently detect whole aira from
Lucia or i Puritan,' in the voluntary, beaut>
fully varied, however, and solcmnzcd by a lew
heavy chords in the base. To be sure, some
Of the older vestrymrn objected to this, and
thought that true worship -ht be better eX-
pressed by the whole congrcg CATION giving IN Il
church Chant the ttrvent and impassioned songs
of praise which the monarch of Israel has left
to US. But they were speedily ovcrruled by
their wives and daughters; ladies' who had pas
sed DAYS, and months. and years, IN acquiring a
rood vocal style, but had probably never sung
Il bar OF church music in their lives, and would
be perfectly maryrcd to hear the unframed
voices Of eruy body joining IN the psalm or
hymn.'
However. Mrs. Maxwell was one Of the few
" no persisted in following the good old coun>
trv fashion to which she had been accustomed
al her lie and her rich voice was never cielr-
or than in the clad outpourlng oi her thankful
heart, responding TO the invitation
Oh come. let Us >in- unto the Lore,
Let us heartily r,3oce IN the strength oar Slyoton.
And as she left the church door that bright
June morning. her spirit seemed more closely
in union than ever before with tno purity Of
earth and heaven.
Had any one looked into her heart that morn.
nr It's voice would have sounded thus
oh how very thankful | ought to be that
the lines lr,ye fallen in such pleasant pla ccs
How can ever be murnurng or ungratctuI,
or mar the peace of my soul by sinful thoughts;
How softly the shadow Of the foliage lies along
our path What is there like the rCpose OF II
beautiful Sabbath morning: And thank God
that no heavy unrcpcn,ed sin shadows my soui
am 50 guarded from temptation. Try so
earnestly to do right. am sure never wills
ingly offend human creature
And vet, Mrs. Maxwell was no Phlrsee.-
We all nave our better moments, when all Is
| peace WITHIN.
There we're crowds of well dressed, fashion
able looking people pouring from the different
churches as she passed. Some in a hight tol-
| lctte. far more suited TO an opera or Il concert
room. The poor with decent Sabbath faces
| the rich with light smiles and lighter words ;
! for how can they, whose every hour Is rest, know
/ the thankful caAnness of the lrborcr's seventh
day of reposa? All spoke of the beauty OF the
/ DAY; many diyerged to the late dust Of tine
roads, and said that il would be far peasanter
now that RAIN had come. Young ladies re-
marked upon the dress of a new neghbor, or
the bad tit of their own bonnet and mantlla:
their brothers talked Of engagements to visit
Miss - or Of what wrctcheI arm Mrs. -
had displayed in her thin muslin. So they
came from the solemn audience OF their CREA-
Ton.
And in such an atmosphere, how could olyl
thoughts long abide; First the rustllng OF a
rich silk drew the attention Of Mrs. Maxwell
from her silent thanksgiving.
i he breath Of the world passed by, with it,
light and careless touch dispellng 1t.
is she not beautiful she said eagerly, t.
her husband; and such a sweet, sad face
i did not notice it,
'Oh, but you must look at her, the next time
you see that deep Leghorn with the lilac
spray
Mr., Maxwell smiled. I'm afraid shall for
get your woman's wayamrks. But why mus
look at her, Anna"
'Oh, pity her so much. She always dress
O. elegantly, as you can see. Haven't you no
tced her IN the side aisle? and lately they
, have taken the house in Pine street, Just rounC
the corner from us. fyou notice it the win
dows are never open, and she never goes ou
except Oh Sundays, and is always alone in th'
morning. | was quite Interested in her before
she came to our negIborhood, and particularly
since heard her story
Is tia very sad one:
Why, should think it so, as happy wife
as am and she smiled afectonately, to al
answering kindly glance.
';She was an orphan, at school in Paris, ant
her husband, then young man. was travelln!
there, and thinking her an helress proposed t
her. So they were married, and he brough
her homc; but as soon as he found ont that sh'
had only enough to complete her education, h
flew IN sucha rngc, and called her every thing