Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1852-07-14

asked tl,c child. sitting upright on his j.. >
and fixing her full beautiful : apoT num-
chow strange; | thcrs'.,. ay wiiat mamma
said, that ga h",.i lie: almost.
-s4I3y y.s-.t .,afnn,s said" exciaimcs! her
father hastily, while a feeling Of anger shot
through his heart the sudden surmise that
his wife had been striving to ALLEVIATE the
child's affections from him what did man.
ma say, El!enl" he demanded sternly.
"Dont look SO hard at me, father" she
replied, pressing her snowy hands over his
eyes, "mamma didn't tell me, but she told
God"
More and more astonished, Charles gazed
upon the child without speaking, and after a
moments pause, she continued, " | went in.
to mammals room this afternoon, before
knew she was sick, but heard her talking,
so | went on tiptoe. She was kneeling
down by the bed and praying to our Father
in Heaven; and she cried and sobbed rs |
do sometimes when | am naughty, but
knew she was never naughty, good, dear
mamma, was she never naughty, papa Z" she
asked artlcssly, and waiting for reply.
"She never was-to you or me-" answer
ed the father, choking down his emotion.
We'll, then / heard her pray; knew
she wouldn't care if did, because she takes
me with her sometimes; and she asked the
dear God if he would make her husband
love her; and said that he went away from
his home and liked other people better: and
she said her heart was breaking, too; and
oh she cried so bad, continued the child,
giving such mournful emphasis to the last
two words that the fathers lip tren,bled and
the tears came into his eyes. And then
she turned round and saw me land she called
me to her and ,hugged ME tight, and said ]
was precions CHI pad lsaat a;F.:sssis
the Wild light in her eyes almost frightened
me. kept telling her she was my blessed
mother, aud loved her better than any body
in the whole world except my father; aud
then She told me that | must love you dear.
", for you were kind father to me and
perhaps she wouldn't live long; and if they
did put her into the cold ground, Imust make
you forget it by my goodness and affection !;
but never could forget it, could you father,
if they put my own sweet mother into the
cold ground I"
This was too much; Charles Crosby
started from his chair, and placing Ellen on
a low seat strobe rapidly through the room.
The tears were raining down his face, but
he kept them hidden from the little one, who
sat .midly still on her cricket, almost afraid
to move for fear she had angered her father.
Not so. 4 flood of the old tenderness had
rushed back upon his heart; instead Of the
demurc and gentle Alice, his memory pie
turcd an angel of whom he had been all un.
worthy; pure, radiant spirit, who had sat
by her household hearth in loneliness and
sadness; with slowly, surely breaking
heart-a heart yearnng and dying for love;
unapprcciated, lightly esteemed, seldom ad:
dressed in the language of affection, and
vet returning smiles for cold looks; never
complaining. Oh had such an one blessed
his dwelling and he had not dreamed how
priceless treasure he possessed Bitter
was his selfaccusation, hot and copious his
tears. Suddenly he paused before her por-
trait, the young wife in the robes of the bri.
dial seemed SO joyous, yet subducd; just as
perfectly happy as she had appeared on the
day he could first call her his ow,l. Now,
only one thought echoed and rc-echoed
through his brain. "Should she die--oh !!
should she die"
For sometime he stood transfixed, striving
to check the bursting sob that was almost
sitting him, when he felt slight pull at his
coat by Ellen, with her pretty lips half part
ed. Papa" she half whispered, "mayn't
60 up stairs and tell mamma you do love
her dearlys"
lie caught her to his breast and clasped
her with the warmth of his new love close
in his arm; he kissed her again and again,
blessing his Maker that "out of the mouths
of babes and sucklings he has ordained
praise" then releasing the delighted child
he said, eyes, darling, you may if you wish
| to-"
The child flew up stairs, while her father
followed more slowly, mamma" she
screamed, bounding into the room, "you
won't cry any more, nor have headache
now, father says he loves you dearly, my
own dear mamma"
The poor woman sprang to her feet; she
could not comprehend tho scene; she was
bewildered; her pale cheeks flushed and
4 grew pallid by turns She looked first Al
4 her husband, and then at little Ellen, who
had expected her mother to laugh outright
and appeared as gleeful as she; little limo
}, cent being.
Alice" said her husband in falterins
tones " our child is our peacemaker; slit
4 has made me better man; do love you
Alice, will you forgive me for my coldnes
and neglect"
With low, thrilling cry Of delight tn
wife fell within her husbands arms. III
I was forgiven" she was happy; in that mo mo
\ mcrlt old barriers were broken down, old as
/ socations forgotten, and he solmnly re
:, solved, with the help Of God, to be no NOR
H. 3d. hor fbn