The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1854-09-06
Selett Mlistellanp.
From Blackwell Magazine-1
THE GREAT DROUGHT.
(coNCLUDED.)

1 NCONCLOOED.l
"OR tell them how he aud Alice es-
capped from the great drouth,n said Ell
len. "But, alas it is far more likely
he and she will perish in it, and then OF
use is this knowledge to him?"
"Why-his soul It is a thing i'm
mortal like thyself; and if what he
knows is of no use here, it will be use
full elsewhere.
"What !" said Ellen, smiling-'are
there railroads and telescopes in anoth-
er world ?n
"For aught 1 can tell. At all events.
the powers that contrive them here may
contrive something from the same prin-
ciples hereafter. "
"But we can tell nothing about the
other world, ," said Ellen.
t" Nay this is another world to the
stars; and if we know nothing about our
destiny, the only way we have to judge
is by what we actually are, and tend to
be, now So, while life remains, 1 will
teach my boy all know, and go on as a
man of this world ought to do; then
we shall be ready for every thing"
Accordingly, Paulett every day car
ried on his sons education, as far as the
boys age permitted, and instructed him
in all that he would have learned had
the world been as it was formerly
Only, like man in shipwreck looking
forward to desert island as his best
hope, he dwelt most upon what would
be most useful, supposing Charles (being
preserved) to have to provide for the
physical necessities of a new race of
men. Next in order came science and
arts: and it was to make him feel the
merits of these more than of the exploits
of men, especially when they consisted of
and of the deeds of conquerors; for the
heroic virtues seemed to take a new
character In the present circumstances
of the world; and whereas they used to
kindle and blaze In personal danger and
at the sound of the applause of men
they now burned brightly in the en-
duranee of a worlds dissolution, which,
all its terrors and prolonged impressions,
must be met by the calm self-sustaining
spirit, rising superior to the greatest ex-
cess of physical injury. The boys soul
replied to the call upon it. He learned
to look on the dangers before him and
to consider the possibility of escape with
quiet calculation of chances. He in
nured himself to privation readily and
eagerly tried to spare his mother and
Alice from it. He and his father, hand
in hand, walked over the desolate land,
realizing the idea that they were in fact
spirits, superior to all physical things,
and divided from spirits and their sphere
only by their frail connection with a
body. They talked of virtue and duty,
and how good it was to dwell in these
] painful bodies, since they were the place
wherein virtue was practised and duty
learned; !; and the father taught the son
that the opportunities occurred, not only
in enduring the dissolution of the frame
of present things, and in the untiring
exertion to aid and support life in those
who were of weaker sex than they,-but
in abiding with even and cheerful tenn
per the vexation of every day, and in
the adorning as far as possible, as well
as preserving life. TIE mother was
heroic, good, and patient, too.
She broug int her children night and
morning to the mouth of the cavern, and
there they all ,kneeled by Paulett, who
prayed aloud with them and for them.
! Then Ellen made ready their meal, which
must be prepared without water, and
which consisted of the stores from for