Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-12-30

STOCKED with cattle and sheen, and therefore
emgrated from the old Bay State to the COLI
regions of Vermont, that he might realize hi,
Visions, surround himself with wife and chill
dren, and take his place among the really indie.
pendent lords of creation. He purchased q
hundred acres of wild land, inhabited principally
by bears and wolves. The first season, with his
faithful axe, buried to the eye at every blow, he
let In the sunlight on several acres, erected
himself cabin, with the logs cut upon the spot
and ere the year rolled round moved home his
wife, and had fairly made a beginning.
The location selected by Gabriel was Judi
clously chosen piece of table-Iand, high up
among the hills-an elevation which afforded a
prospect of the surrounding country at once
grand and imposing Away to the northeast,
at the farIhest boundary of vision arose the
snow'wreathed submits of the Whthe Hills Of
New Hampshire while 10 the southeast stretch
ed in their verdure and grandeur, the Green
Mountains of Vermont. Here, amid the handi-
work of the Great Architect, his soul was eIe-
yaiad from nature pp.io Natnre's Great First
Cause.
Time moved on. Plenty surrounded him.
One after another, bright cberubs, in the forms
of children, surrounded his table and cheered
him in his labor. ii
Death is at all times an unwelcome visitor
When he gathers in the old-those ripe for his
sickle, and they are borne to their long sleep
we weep perhaps, but at the same time rejoice
that their weary pilgrimage is ended When
the infant is removed, in its innocence and
ovellness, we feel that one too pure for earth is
carried on angels opinions up to the paradise ol
God. But when good man, in the prime oil
life, the head and support Of a family in the
midst of his usefulness and influence, is sudden.
y and without warning, cut of; it seems as
though main pillar in the social fabric had
clumbed and fallen. Such was the death o
Gabriel Wilcox. He went forth in the morning
to his accustomed toll, and before the sun wen
down was brought back on litter by his neigh
bors, morally injured, tree having fallen upon
and crushed and mutilated him in most shock
ing manner. Amid the struggle of the las
agony, when the soul tears itself from the BODY
his mind was tranquil and serene; it was stayed
on God. Gabriel Wilcox was a Christian: moi
only in name and profession, but in deed and il
truth. When the Infdel dies, he sees writer
on every tombstone the gloomy inscriptions
" Death is an eternal seep?" while the Chris
tian sees written there, in letters of light
" Absent from the body present with the Lord ,
As the body, when severely injured, is some.
times affected with numbness, which frequently
continues considerable time before the feel
ngs are restored and acute pain experienced 81
the mind, when sudden, crushing and ovewhelm
ing calamity comes upon it, is affected with a
sort of mental stupor, which is frequently prolon
ged 10 days and even weeks before it is aroused
TO a full sense of the extent of its wretched
ness. When the widow Wilcox awoke to a
eavement-when she Yooksd upon herf 'sif nov nov
fatherless children-when she consi dered The
deep responsibility of her situation, and her
own weakness and helplessness, was le'
to cry out, in the deep agony of her feelings, t.
the sympathislng neighbors who surrounded he
-" Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, o
We my friends, for the hand of God has touche
me. "
At the close of the day, after the funeral rite
were over, and he whom they held near an
dear had been consigned to his narrow restin
place, this lone widow gathered her famil
around her, and opening the " Book of books
where the atfi icted may always drink from
fountain of consolation pure and holy, she turne
to that beautiful portion, the 23d Psalm" Th
Lord is my sheapherd, shall not want. II
maketh me to lie down in green pastures: h
leadeth me besides the still waters. He n
storeth my soul.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me a
the days of my ife" She felt refreshed. Tt
comforting language of the Psamist seemed
dry up the fountains of her grief Then closr
the book, with her little children kBeeing arour
her, she poured forth her full soul in prayer
80, thou God of the widow and fatherles
listen-assist by thy grace a feeble worm
the dust, rightly to perform her duty to the
little ones that we,-when life's brief journt
is ended, with their father, whom thou in Il
providence hast suddenly removed from us
may NEE. in thy heavenly kingdom, where SO
rowe and sghs shall have an end, and tears sh'
be wiped from all eyes," When she had don
her heart was strengthened and her soul invlg
rated.
Years passed away, The widows little fan
) y, comprising son and three lovely daughte
grew up around this heroic woman, in that ha
py contentment always enjoyed by those W
scrupuIously perform their relative duties
each other and to their Maker.
AS might naturally be anticipated, this wild
had many offers Of a second marriage; but nc
of them coming from persons whose quaIif'
tions came up to the standard of what &
q IluUuRW ROOu uuoOhHu olOulA pOSoSSSi
d wisely refused them all. One offer was from
q less parsonage than Deacon Gershom Grim
J. Now, Deacon Grimes had the reputation
a being an exceedingly pious man; and if pi
j.: consists in making long prayer, in putting on
l.; elongated, lugubrous visage, in selling and b
r ing in nasal, canting twang;of voice, and
!. ways securing the best end of the bargain
g robbng the widow and fatheress, and oster
,r tiously making donations to Bible and Missi
ary Socities-then was Delcon Grimes pi
f. man, par excellence. When the day of reck
); ing comes, and such mems garments Of
rs righteousness are stripped off, and their hypo
Mt sy appears in all its nakedness, how will Il
- hlasted snuls shivar n nd shri,lk m maat tho