Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-04-08
miscellaneous.
AMY, THE CHILD.

teuder-heartOd child aud when the CLERGYMAN
altF spe9nking OF our duty towards our ncghbor,
taid iAll people who would please God, must do
gooa according to their means, be those means ever
SO Mtle," she could not refrain from weeping.
qgrYr Amy was very poor, and felt mnoccnty per-
suaocu ,tnat she had no power to gladden. by her
ioNc OF klhahess any earthly creature, not even
child. 81 P'''
50 Amy came out of church with sadness in her
near,' tlnnkng that God would take no pleasure in
her because (but that was only her own idea) she
had never yet done good to any one.
Not wishing that her eyes, now red with weep
ing, should be seen at home she went into the
helds, and laid herself down under wild rose
bush. There she remarked that the leaves Of the |
shrub iarnishcd with dust, were dry and dropping
and that the pretty pink blossoms looked pale and
faded For there had been no rain for very long
time.
ia She FASTENED to n brook that flowed BY Mt no
great distance, drew water in the hollow Of her
enni, tor cup she had nonc) and thus tofully aud
ny slow degrees, often going, often returning |
she washed the dust away from the angushing
rose bush, and 80 refreshed its roots By the timely
moisture that it reared itself again i'm strength
and beauty, and ioyfully aud fragrantly uufoldcd
its blossoms to the sun.
Anor that, little Amy wondered on by the side
OF tho Drcek IN tho meadows, whence she had OBJ
taned the water As she gazcd non IT, she e.yicd
the silver stream, because it had been able to do
gbod to the rose tree
On what she herself had done. she did not bcstow
a single thought
Proceeding little way further. she observed a
great stone lying in the bed of the narrow brook
and 81 choking up the channel that the water could
only struggle past it slowly and as il we're, drop
by drop. owing to this obstacle, all the merry
prattle Of the stream was az au end This arieyed
tmy on the waters account; so with naked feet |
she went into the stream. and shook the heavy !
stone. Some time elapsed before she could move
1t from ITS place but at length by taskng all her
strength, she rolled it out, and got il to remain on
the top Of the bank, Thea the strcamet flowed
mcrFiy ly, and the purling waves seemed to be
nlurmurng thanks to the gentle child.
Z And onward still went Amy, for at home she
knew there was no who cared to inquire after
her, She was dislikcd hy her stcp-fathcr and even
lHcr own mother loved the younger children much
better than she loved her. This constituted the
great sorrow of Amys life
Going far about. and ever sal because she had |
done good to no one, she at last returned to the
village. Now hy the very first cottage she cam e
TO-, there lay, in little garden, sick child, whose
moaler wus gone to CLEAN in the ncighborin . !
fields. Before she went however she had made n |
toy little windmill, pu. together with thin slips
OF wood and had placed it by her little son, 10
nmuso him, and to make the time appear shor.erl
during her absence
Every breath Of air, however, had died away be-
meath the trees, so that the tiny sails Of tho wind
mill turned round no more. And the sick child
missing the playful motion, lay sorrowfuly upon
the green turf under the yellow marigolds, and
wept
Then Amy stepped quickly over the low garden
hedge needless that il tore her only Sunday frock
knelt before The little windmill, and blew with all
her might upon its slender sails Thus impelled
they were soon in merry motion, as at first. Then
the sick child laughed, and clapped his little hands
, and Amy, delighted at his pleasure, was never
weary OF urging the sails round and round with
her breath.
last the child, tired out by the Joy which the
little windmill had given him. fell fast asleep. and
Amy, warned by the evening shadows which began
to gather round her, turned her steps towards home
Faint and exhausted was she, for since morning she
. had eaten nothing.
-. When she reached the cottage door, and stopped
there for moment, with beating heart, she heard
her step-father's voice, loud and quarrelsome re-
sounding within. lie had lust returned from the
alehouse, and was in his well known humor, which
the least cause Of irritation might swell into n
storm. Unfortunately, rs Amy, trembling, entered
the ROOM her torn frock caught his eye. His pas
sion was kinded at the sight Reused TO fury in /
moment, he stumbled forward, and. with his pow
erfn FIST, struck the poor little child the fore
head
Then Amy bowed her head like the withered
roses in the field for the blow had fallen upon her
temple. AS she sank, pale and dying, to the
ground her mother, with loud lamentations,
eisprang forward and kuceed beside her. Even the
stern and angry man. suddenly sobered by his !
own deel, became touched with pity.
So both the parents wept and mourned over
Amy and laid her upon her little couch, in the
branches, and various kinds Of flowers, such as
marigods and many colored poppies; for the child
'AEas dead
But while the parents bitterly rcprouchcd them
selves, and wished thoy had been kinder to poor
Amy behold a wondcrl
The door Of the chamber gently opened and the
waves Of the brook which Amy had set free, came
ripping by. in tie stiffness, and sprinkled the
mouth and eyes of the dead child. The cool drops
flowed into her veins and once set the arrest
ed blood into motion.
Then she again uncosed her eyes, which so late
had been dim and motionlcss, and she leard the
soft waves, like gentle voices, murmuring these
words IN her earl
This We do unto thee, in return for the good
thou didst unto u.s."
Yet a. little while, and tie chamber was again
stirred By the presence Of some kindly power.
This time 1t was gentle Breeze. which entered
with softly futering wings. Tcnderly 1t kissed
the forehead Of the child, and lovingly il breathed
its fresh breath into Ler bosom.
Goa Then Amys heart began to thrill with quicker
life, and she stretched out her hand 10 the MANY
colored flowers, and reuiced in their beauty.
And the Breeze softly said-
-i 81 bring thee back the breath which thou didst
expend upon the sick child's pleasurew
Then Amy smiled, as If she were full o. bliss.
When tie Breeze had ceased TO murmur its soft
words, an Angel came gliding in through the low
door OF the little chamber, and in his hand he held
garland OF fresh fragiant roses. These he laid
against the check of the pale child and 10! they
W ~ lile HueS OF liie ana Iney bOOmed
again And the flowers seemed to wlsper;-
!" This We do unto thee, in return for the good
thou ddst unto u.s."
And the Angel kissed Amy on the forehead
eyes, and mouth aud thea came life back 10 her
III Its strength.
And the Angel said to herr
"forasmuch as thou hast done good according 10
thy means, and thou knewest it not, therefore shall
tenfold blessing rest upon thee"
FALLS OF the Missouri RvKR.-Gov Stevens
in letter. speaks of the falls of the Missouri river
and expresses belief that the river is navgable