Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-01-05


ing, her mothers sweet eyes would look down
upon her as she awoke, and how she would
reach out her hand for Matte to spring up in
to her bed and lie in her arms. But now the
cold dreary rain was falling on the heap Of
fresh mould in the graveyard, thatcoyered her
mother from sight; and here was little Mat
tie, crouching in bed at the top Of the house,
all alone in the lonesome nighttime.
The child lay shivering and shuddering as
a thousand fearful images passed before her
mind her mother lying in her shroud, SO
white and rigid; the coffin, with its haunting
smell of vanish, that could never be banished
from her senses the huttering grapes, and the
funeral hearse, and the yawning grave and
then the terrible sound of the earth to earth
upon the cofin-ld! Oh! she never would
forget it, and the dull rain that was pattering
down upon the roof now reminded her Of it
1t was SO lonely, so dreadful. up there Oh +!
| if Patience was only with her If she only
dared to 90 down stairs And then the child 5
wild terror found utterance in sharp cry
wrung from her lips by mortal fear and, leap
ing from the bed, with frightened bound, she
ran out of the room, aleng the dark, narrow
passage, and down the long stairway, crying
aloud, all the distance for some one to come
to her.
Sakes-a-messy what does all dat chile =
grumbled aunt Patience, as she heard little
Mattie's cries. i wish de debbe 'ud fly
away wild her!' she muttered, as she went to
the door to call her but the door was flung
open as she drew near it, and Matte Loring
bounded in, and threw herself in the arms of
the old negro, sobbing so wildly, begging SO
pitifully that she might be allowed to stay
with her, that the woman's heart was softenod
to remorse and contrition. There was some
thing in Mattie's face, all white and rigid as
it was with her terror, and something in her
dilated and flashing eyes, that awed the old
nurse. 1t was such look of her mother that
shone out
Hush, Matte hush, chile said aunt Pa
tience, soothingly. Dere's nothin' shall
ketch you while auntys about. Lay your
head on my lap, and 60 to sleep honey mar
den.
Then she put her arms round the child, and
folded her close to her bosom; for Patience
was not really hard hearted and evil, only
cross sometimes. She did not mean to be
cruel when she left Matte alone in the dark,
because she was never afraid herself, and she
thought il very foolish for any one to be. She
loved little Matte dearly, but she did not un-
derstand how to treat her always.
Aunt Patience was rocking Matte upon her
knee, and singing cradle-songs to her just as
she used to do when she was baby. Sud-
denly the little girl sprang up and said she
heard carriage, some one had driven up sure
ly. Aunt Patience put back her cap to listen.
She heard distinctly the tramp of horses, and
then voices outside; and presently manly
step rang along the hall, hand turned the
door-knob, and gentleman in travelling hat
and cloak strobe into the room. Aunt Pa
tience uttered cry of joyful surprise, for she
had recognized her master. He grasped her
withered hand and wrung it warmly then,
turning from her, he caught up little Matte
in his arms, and covered the child with his
kisses and caresses. Patience attempted 10
tell him of his wife s death and burial, bnt he
silenced her with gesture of anguish.
Tell me nothing / know it all, he al
most groaned. knew before reached here
that my poor little girl was motherless.'
Then he clasped his child to his breast with
passionate emotion, calling her repeatedly
his poor, motheress darling while large,
burning tears, wrung from him by bitterest
agony, fell down upon her face. Such sor-
rowful welcome to home did the wanderer re-
ceive
All that night Matte lay folded in her ia
theirs arms, nestled closely to his bosom like
dear little bird. He would not retire to his
chamber, nor would he suffer her to be taken
from him; but sat down stairs in the large
armchair, before warm, bright fire, all
night-alone with Matte. His very heart
was gushing over with fathers love for that
little child. He looked upon her delicate face,
now calm and sweet in slnmber, so like her
dead mAher's, and covered it with kisses
kisses in which tender, pitying love for the
child, with strong, struggling grief for the
lost mother, SO unspeakably beloved. Alone
with the sleeping child, he lifted up his heart
in earnest, anguished prayer to Him who had
taken the mother for tenderness, to be both
father and mother for power, to shelter her
from evil example and temptation; for knowl-
edge, TO teach her truths Of Gods holy word !:
for wisdom, to rear her In the way she should
go; and strength, to be guide and protector to
her so long as both should live.
How that prayer was answered, Matte Lo-
rings after-life has shown already, and will
yet prove more fully as time advances. How
fondly her father cherished her | cannot tell ;
scarcely a mothers love, that passeth all 9TH
ers, could nurture her more tendenly. The
father and the daughter were never apart from
each other, and whatever was noble and beau
tiful and holy in his own, was poured into his
daughters heart. He was her father, her
mother, her teacher, her all and all the deep,
passionate love of her earnest nature was con-
centrated ON him.
Her father, as man, filling an important
public station, was compelled to travel in ma
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