The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-01-13

ubN WhtCD tUt sun ect upDI the mountains
over the lake. In the spring We went out again,
for there were violets blossoming all along the
edges of the forest where the genial sunshine
had fallen, and farther back in the shadow
was the trailing arbutus, the glory of our
Northern spring-time
Darlings Of the forest
Bossoming alone
When earth's grief is sorest
For her jewels gone
Ere the last snow -drit u,olts, your tender buds
have blown.
- We're your pure lips fashioned
Out of air and dow, .u
Starlight unmpassioned,
Dawn's most tender hue
And scented by the woods that gathered sweets for
you
"Were not mortal sorrow
An immortal shade
Then would / tomorrow
Such a flower be made,
And live in the dear woods where my last child
hood played"
wandering and she who went with me grew
each day more beautiful and spiritual. until
look ed at her again fearfully, and the dread of
losing her came back upon me so strangely
that it seemed a dark shadow about me every-
WUtTt, Nv Tile uTtSiuc uuu VII tuc DlllS, stlH n
cloud-curtain to be lifted on earth no more.
Darling Bessy! Remembering her as do
now, with fearful wonder, those beautiful
words of Mrs. Norton have deep meaning to
my heart Children they are q sacred hap
piness. Nearer to glory they stand than We
in this world and the next 1t was a gentle
and not unholy fancy that made the Portu-
guese artist, Si9uiera, in one of his sweet pic
e r. G. a.. Al a
of Heaven; dividing it thus from the fiery vault
beneath, with its groups Of the damned and
lost. For how many has this image been real
lied How many have been saved from despair
or sin by the voice or smile Of these uncon-
scious little ones"
The fifth Christmas after the advent of our
Bessy brought with it storm of sleet and
snow, such as the winter had not seen before
1t was dreary night to US as we gathered
closer to the freight and listened to the wall
ing wind and the sleet driving in rafting
showers upon the windows Father had gone
to Montreal; and, for some mysterious reason,
we were not to hang up cur stockings for our
annual gifts until he came home The servant
man had also gone three miles away to visit
dying relative so our prospect was at least q
lonely one in that stormy night, alone and I'M
protected, on that remote hillside We sat
untilnearly midnight-motbsr, Elsie, and for
Bessy had been tucked into Aer little bed long
before, with the last words OF that worldwide
child-prayer upon her lips
|" If / should die before wake
pray the Lord my soul to take"
To while away the hours my mother told
long stories of what had happened when she
was little girl which it was always my de-
| light to hear--of her mother and her step
mother, of the hardships and sacrifices of early
settlers in more Troublesome tisscs.;
lay wide awake long thS that night re.
calling what my mother had told me, and
listening TO the wind as it moaned dismally
through the attic, heapiug long, white drift,
upon the floor. Then dreamed of Christ
mas tree, that flung wide shadows over the
snowy sward, and whose top was lost among
the stars And there were white-robed chill
drcn that had wings, looking down through it,
branches-beautiful faces, on which there was
no trace of sorrow, no line of care; and glorious
eyes solemn, serenely earnest eyes, looking
down upon me the whole night long. And
there was one of these children, far up towards
the shining stars, which, as it disappeared
looked downward wistfully wildly, so that
thought recognised her, and awoke with the
cry of Bessy upon my lips. Elsie was standing
with frightened look at my bedside, and she
said
"Bessy is very i'll, darling you must come
Immediately to wait upon mother, while | 20
for Mrs Giles"
arose quickly. My mother sat holding
Bessy in her arms from whom heard hoarse,
labored breathing which | recognised at once
Us the terrible croup-terrible, as they only
can know it who have watched out the life of
precious child, powerless to render efficient,
seasonable relief. The only remedies at hand
had been vainly used, and Elsie started out
bravely in the storm for Mrs Giles, the nurse
of the neighborhood; for there was no physi-
clan nearer than five miles, and the neghbor
was mile away.
An hour went by-an hour which, measured
by the sufferings Of the watchers Of the death
couch, had heightened itself to months and
years. The child breathed quicker and hoars-
err until the stified respiration seemed scarcely
to come at all and she threw up her arms
spasmodically in her death struggle, wrestling
vainly under the hand pressing every moment
more heavily, more agonizingly, upon her heart.
Once again the blue eyes opened beseech-
ingly, and then she lay still, looking upward,
while an expression of quiet heavenly rapture
settled down upon the beautiful face, and
felt that she WAS dead Dead dead how ter.
rible its agony for him who feels its meaning
for the first time; how real the consciousness
which it brings to the soul Of the presence of
supernatural agencies, felt known, rs surely
as though the actual sight, rather than the
spiritual instinct, had disccrned them
They came at last--the kindly hands to which
we looked for aid came only to wrap the shroud
about the dreamless sleeper, and fold the little
dimpled hands over the breast whossto Joyous
throbbngs were stiIled forever. OH not less
wonderingly than at the first looked upon
her. and longed to know more of the land
whittier she had gone, as for the first time
u vague dread Of the mysterious "to-come v
sank deep into my heart.
looked over into the little coffin when they
carried it out the lonely dwelling, ! watched
the lowering it into the grave, and shuddcred
at the rafting of the frozen earth upon it
"that final sound which mortality awakens on
the utmost verge Of sense, as II IN the vain hope
of bringing an echo from the spiritual world "
Oh, how solitary seemed the old house with
out the merry voice the quick pattering Of lit
tie feet the bright eyes that had made it
CHEEKY 30 long
To-day - her birthday to earth and 10
heaven-I remember that she has been IN Par
adise for fifteen years.
Brief, blissfu life it has not been vain
thing upon the earth; for weeping eyes looked
yearningly after her, and loving hearts, cher
ishing still her memory, desire the more earnest.
ly to be there where the long-lamented shall
be seen and rejoiced in again without fear
for there shall be no more death, neither sor-
row, nor crying, neither shall there be any
more pain, for the former things are passed
away
For the National Era.
TO THE CITIZENS OF PENNSYLVANIA.
FELLow-CIrIzENs: Active exertions are now
heinv made INV the - Uniformed Militia" OF