M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1855-01-19

then occurred to the pet darker future
that, Ill now, had risen before her.
Her mind became bewildered; her head
grew dizzy, and she sank into a char
and sgOoned away.
Like portentuous thunder cloud,
that for while seems to threaten ruin
to aIllwithin its reach, and then rolls
murmuring away to be succeeded by a
brighter sunshine, so rolled the burden
ironfthe heart OF that widowed moth,
err She felt that some unknown hand
had brought relief at the moment of
her esapest disquietude; her heart dis
solved in tears, and she wept like an
infant for very joy.
But who was that unseen-unknown
unexpected friend, who had thus car
ed for the widowed stranger and her
orphans9 The first impulse of her
grateful and pious heart, was to attri.
butte it to the direct interposlion of a
kind and watchful Providence; but she
remembered that God works by instru.
mentalitieS. Ye! what angel in human
form had been sent with this boon from
heaven? Between her gratitude to the
giver, and her anxiety to know and
thank him, she scarce knew what to do.
Atlength her mind grew calm, reason
resumed its throne, and deep sense Of
her obligations to a higher power sug.
gested the course OF duty. She must
thank her Maker, first; and where so
fitting a place as at the grave of her
buried husband
The "place Of graves" was but
short distance from her house, and for
getiul OF every thing else, with the pa
lper whose source was such a mystery,
still grasped in her hand, she hurried to
the sacred spot. 1t was an elevated
piece Of ground in the ou' skirts OF the
village, beautifully ornamented with
trees and shrubberv. Beneath the
spreading branches of a stately elm,
was her husbands grave. As she ap-
preached it she discovered a change
since she visited it last. A plain white
marble stone stood at its head, ,on which
was chiseled the name and age of the
deceased. But more than this, above
his name she discovered the mystic
implements Of the Cralt-ihat Graf
which, in former years, she had much
abhored. The truth at once flashed
upon her mind. Her husband, unknown
toher, had been a Mason, and fraterna
hearts had reared this memento OF thei
affection for brother who had passed
away! Another thought followed, a:
though an angel had whispered tito hel
heart--these same despised brethren
had redeemed her loved home from the
grasp OF avarice, and saved her, and
those she loved better than life, from
starvation and beggary! These strange
thoughts crowded upon her mind like
flashing gleems Of sunshine through
the rent and parting clouds. She be
lieved--she felt that these 8urmise:
were true; anu falling upon her knees,
with clasped hands, she lifted hel
streaming eyes to heaven and poured
out her Acknowledgements in the ears
of Him who had prompted the deeds
of love.
Mrs, P. lived again. She pressed
her children to her throbbing bosom
and told them the names of those who
had been her only earthly friends when
all else had seemed banded against her.
She continued the business OF her late
husband, encouraged and counSeled by
true friends, until the son became old
enough to relieve her from the burden
There were happy hearts in that cot.
tage now, and pleanty and competence
crowned the evening Of that Widows
life.
After her decease, a brief note Of the
foregoing history was found writer
upon the ny-leaves Of her family Bible
and at the close was this commentary
in her own hand writing: "Pure re
HgiOn and undefled be- fore God and
the Father, is this,-T0 riSit The faith
less and widopS in Their aDliction, AM
to Keep himself unspOtted from th'
worid."
She never forgot her newly .discov-
cred friends, but made them her coun
sellors ever afterwards. Her prejudi
ces against Masonry, too, vanished
like the mists of the morning, and she
carefully instilled into The minds OF hel
children reverence for that Institution
which could furnish her friends wher
friends were few, and most needed.
| Reader, do you ask-''is this story
true, or mere fiction?" The princi pa
features of it are substantially true, ,anC
the minor portions are of little impor'
tance--like shadings upon picture -
III. main facts occurred but a few
years since, and they constitute beau
tful exemphfcatiOn OF genuine Free
masonry.
| -~----~~>~~~~~-
A FAIR REToRT.-A correspondent o
j the Home Journal in a notice of a wed
ding he had recently attended, gives ar
amusing account Of the discontinue o
OF beau, in an attempt TO get the up
per hand OF young girl, whom, frou
her downcast eyes, and unpresumiDI