Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-07-20
G8e storp Caller.
From Arthur Home Gazette.
THE DARKENED PATHWAY.

1dE UARhEN ED PA1d w "A I.
To some, the sky is always bright while
to others, it is never free frem clouds. There
is to me mystery in this something that
looks like partial Provideace-for those who
grope sadly through life IN darkened paths,
are, SO far as human judgunent can determine,
often purer and less selfish than those who
move gaily along in perpetual sunshine
Look at Mrs. Adair. 1t always gives me the
heartache to think of whatshe has endured in
life, and still endures. Once she was sur
rounded by all that wealth could furnish of
external good now sheis in poverty, with
Eve children clinging to her for support, her
health feeble, and few Friends TO counsel or
lend her their aid. No woman could have
loved husband more tenderly than she loved
hers, and few wives were ever more beloved
in return; but she has gathered the widows
weeds around her, and IS sitting in the dark
ness of an inconsolable grief What a sweet
character was hers Always loving and un-
selfish-a very angel on earth from childhood
upwards, and yet her doom to tread this dark
ened pathway If Heaven smiles on the
gOod-if the righteous sare never forsaken-
why this strange, hard, harsh Providence in
the case of Mrs. Adai1l / cannot understand
it. God is goodness itself, they say, and
loves His creatures With love surprising the
love of mother but would any mother con-
denim a beloved child 60 such a cruel fate
No-no-no! From the very depths Of my
spirit | answer-No S. am only weak,
erring, selfish creature,s but
Mrs. EndlcOtt checked the utterance of what
was in her thought, FOR, at the instant, an
other thought, rebukiHg her for an impious
comparison of herself with her Maker, fitted
across her mind. Yeslshe was about draw
ing parallel between herself and Being Of
infinite wisdom and love, unfavorable to the
latter!
The sky of Mrs. Endicott had not always
been free from clouds. MANY times had she
walked In darkness; sad why this was so
ever appeared as one Of the mysteries of life,
for her self explorations had never gone far
enough TO discover those natural evils, the ex-
istence Of which only State of intense mental
suffering would manifest to her deeper con-
seriousness. But all she had yet been called
to endure was, she freely acknowledged, light
In comparison to what poor Mrs Adair had
suffered, and was suffering daily-and the case
of this friend gave her strong argument against
the wisdom and justice OF that Power, in the
hands of which the children of men are as
clay in the hands of the potter.
Even while Mrs. Endieott thus questioned
and doubted, domestic opened the door of
the room in which she was sitting, and said
Mrs. Adair is in the Rarlor'
Is she! Say that will be down in mo
ment'
Mrs. Endlcott felt little surprised at the
coincidence Of her thought of her friend and
that friends appeatanceas 1t was another of
those iife-mysteres into Which her dull ewes
could not penetrate, and gave new occasion
for dark surmises in regard 10 the Power above
all, in all, and ruling all. With sober face,
as was BETTING an interview with one SO
deeply burdened as Mrs Adair, she went
down to the parlor. A
My dear friend = sIps said, tenderly, al
most sadly, as she took the hand of her visitor
Into the eyes of Mrs. ssAdair she looked,
earnestly, for the glittering tear-veil, and up
on her lips for the grief cdFve. To her sur
prise neither were there ;sbut cheerful light
in the former and gentIessnie on the latter
How are you, this momingl'
Mrs. Endicott's voice was low and sympa-
thizing. Er
: / feel little stronger kto-day, thank you,'
answered Mrs Adar, smiling as she spoke
How is your breast q
Still very tender
And the pain in your ssidep
| am not free from thata moment
Still she smiled as she answered. There
was not even a touch of sadness or desponden-
cy in her voice.
Not free moment How do you bear
itl'
Happily-as often said to myself have
no time to think about thepain, replied Mrs.
Audir, cneoTluIly. III Is W0nuerlul now men-
tai activity lifts US above the consciousness Of
bodily suffering. For my part, am sure
that if had nothing to dqbHt to sit down and
brood over my ailments, Ewould be one of the
most miserable, complaindRg creatures alive
But kind Providence, even in the sending of
poverty to His afflicted one, has but tempered
the winds to the shorn LASH,
Mrs. Endicott was astoaished to hear these
words, falling, as they I'D, with such con-
fding earnestness from the pale lips Of her
much-enduring friend.
How can you speak 40 cheerfullyp she
said. 'How can you feelso thankful to Him
who has shrouded your shy in darkness, and
left you to grope in strange paths, on which
falls not a single ray of lightp
Even though the sky IS clouded, was an
swered, Il know that the snn is shining there
as clear and as beautiful is ever. The paths
which wise and good Pfeyidence has called
me to walk, may be strahke, and are, at times,
rough and toilsome but you err in saying
that no light falls upon Mem.'
But the sky is darlSr-whence comes the