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

through lis heart the sudden surmise that
his wife had been striving to ALLEVIATE the
| child's affections from him what did mann
ma say, El!en!" 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 q
moments pause, she continued, :" went in.
to mammals room this, afternoon, before |
knew she was sick, but | heard her. talking,
so 1 went on tptoe. She was kneeling
down by the bed and praying to our Father
in Heaven; and she cried and sobbed as |
do sometimes when / am naughty, but
knew she was never naughty, good, dear
mamma, was she never naughty, papa I" she
asked artlcssly, and waiting for reply.
"She never was-to you or me-" answer
ed the father, choking down his emotion.
"Well, 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 go bad, ,'-continued the child,
giving such a mournful emphasis to the last
two words that the fathers lip trenbled and
the tears came into his eyes. And then
she turned round anu saw me ;and she called
me TO Shersand hugged me tight and said2I
iaassa pfeci chill aaaS ssss
Is sfsis Sure very sure Till
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
ly, for you were a 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 y
This was too much; Charles Crosby
started from his chair, and placing Ellen on
a low scat strobe rapidly through the room.
The tears were raining down his face, but
he kept them hidden from the little one, who
sat ,imidy 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
demure and gentle Alice, his memory pie
tured 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 yearning and dying for love;
unapprccated, lightly esteemed, seldom ad:
dressed in the language of affection, aud
yet returning smiles for cold looks; never
complaining. Oh! had such an one blessed
his dwelling and he had not dreamed how
priceless treasure he possesseda Bitter
was his self-accusation, 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 subdued; just as
perfectly happy as she had appeared on the
day he could hTstc;df her his own.--Now,
only one thought echoed and rc-echoed
through his brain. Should she die--oh
should she die"
For sometime lie 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 mp stairs and tell mamma you do love
her dearly9"
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 mayif 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
grew pallid by turns She looked first at
her husband, and then at little Ellen, who
had expected her mother to laugh outright,
and appeared as gleeful as she; little inno-
cent being.
&C Alice" said her husband in faltering
tones our child is our peacemaker; she
has made me better man; i do love you,
Alice, will you forgive me for my GOODNESS
and neglectl"
With low, thrilling cry Of delight the
wife fell within her husbands arms. He
was forgiven" she was happy; in that mo-
ment old barriers were broken down, old as
sociations forgotten, and he solmnly re-
solved, with the help Of God, to be no more
! an alien from home ); to remember the vows