The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-04-26
THE LAND BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS
BY HELEN BRUCE


The child was dying His weary limbs
were racked by pain no more. The flush was
fading from his thin cheek, and the fever that
for many days had been drying up his blood,
was now cooling rapidly under The touch Of the |
ICY hand that was upon HIM.
There were ,unds and ,oke ms Of bitter, but !
suppressed grief, in that dim chamber, Tor the
dyin. little one was very dear 10 many hearts
They knew that he was departing, and the
thou sht was hard to bear; but they tried to com
| ,nand their feelings, that they might not disturb
+, the last moments of their darling.
The father and mother, and the kind physi.
clan, stood beside dear Eddy's bed, aud otched
his heavy breathing. He had been Silent f,n
some time, and appeared 10 sleep. They
thought that it might be thus that he would pass
away. But suddenly his blue eyes opeued wild,
and clear and beautiful smile broke over his
features. He looked upward and f,rward at
first, then turning his eyes upon his mother {
face, said in sweet voice:
| Smother, what is the name Of the beautiful
country that see beyond the mountains, the
high moantains?'
y 81 can nothing, my child said the
mother. there mountains III sight Of our
home.
"Look thsrs, dear mother" said the child
pointing upward, "y0nder are the mountains
Can you see them nO,o?'' he asked in tones o.
her head ''They near now-st
large and high, and behind them the county
o LOOKS beautiful, and the people 81 happy
e there are no sick children there Papa, cal
gu not see beyond The mountains2 Tell IN,
he name Of tina, land "
y The parents glanced at each other, and witt
n united voice replied" The land you
= Heaven, is IL not Jny child?
"Yes, it IS Heaven | thought that must b
~ | 4 oh iofr ,Yn--h,tt hnu shall or
lie those moun'ains' Father will you not carr
lie m? Oh take me in your arms and carry IN
for they call me from the other side, and ma.
- go
g There was not dry eye in that chamber, an
ID upon every heart there fell solemn awe, as
he they stood upon the very verge Of eternity
&c if the curtain which concealed its mysteri,
was about to be Withdrawn.
rs "Ny boy said the father, evil YOU no. sta
oh with US a little while longer, You shall Gro
to the mountains soon, but in stronger arms tina
:. mine. Wait-stay with your mother a litl
longer; see how she weeps at the thought
on losing you
sh 80 mother, 0 father, do not cry, but cor
IS with me, and the mountains oh come
and thus h entrea' ed with strength and earne
- ness which astonshed all.
- The chamber was filled by wondering
awe stricken friends. At length he turn
towar his mother, with face beamins vi
"a ,turous delight, and stretching out his lit
nv arms To her for one last embrace, he crit
Good bye, mother, l am going; but don't y
a. be atraid-ths strong man has come to cary
0rer the mountains
the These were his parting words, upon
,h mothers breast he breathed his last, and III
laid the fair little body down again upon
ing pillow, and closed the lids over the beauti
ale, blue eyes, over which the msis Of death i
in gathered heavily, and prayed with subrniss
o,r vet bleeding hearts, and said "The Lord z,
and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be
name OF the Lord.-JureniLe Instructor.