Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-04-20

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'Our Father The mothers voice was
low, and tender, and solemn.
Our Father On two sweet voices tho
! words were borne upward. 1t was the nno-
cencc of reverent children that gave them ut
| tcrancc.
Who art in heaven
who art in heaven, repeated the children,
one with her eyes bent meekly down, and the
other looking upward, as if she would pcne-
trato the heavens INTO which her heart aspired.
llallowod be Thy name
Lower fell the voices of the little ones. In
gentle murmur they said, lIallowcd lie Thy
| name
Thy kingdom come
And the burden of the prayer was still
taken up by the children - Thy kingdom
Thy will be done on earth as it is in
heaven, filled the chamber.
And the mother continued-' Give us this
day our daily bread
Our daily bread, fingered a moment on
the air, as the mothers voice was hushed
into silence.
And forgive us our debts as we also for
give our debtors
And lead us not into temptation but
deliver us from evil. For thine is the king
dom, and the power, and the glory, forever
Amen.
All these holy words were said piously and
fcrvently by tho little ones, as they knelt
with claspcd hands beside their mother
Then, us their thoughts, uplifted on the
wings of prayer to their heavenly Father,
came back again and rested on their earthly
parents, warmer love came gushing from
their hearts
Pure kisses-tcnder cmbraces-the fond
good night What sweet agitation per-
vaded all their feelings Then two dear
heads were placed side by side on the snowy
pillow, the mothers last kiss given, and the
shadowy curtains drawn.
What pulseless stiffness rcigns through
out the chamber Intent the parents
ears are bent They have given these limo
cent ones into the keeping of Gods angels,
and they can almost hear the rustic of their
garments as they gather around their sleep
ing babes. A sigh, deep and tremulOus,
breaks on the air. Quickly the mother turns
to the father of her children, with look Of
earnest inquiry on her countenance And lie
answers thus her silent question
Far back, through many years have my
thoughts been wandering. At my mothers
knee thus said | nightly my childhood : even
ing prayer. 1t was that best and holiest Of
all pTqEHrf doqr F&ther that sa she taMsHt
confident, and self-seckng Once | came into
great temptation. Had fallen in that temp
taton. | would have fallen, sadly fear,
never to have risen again. The struggle in
my mind went on for hours. was about
yielding All the barriers | could oppose to
the inrushing food seemed just ready to g i've
way, when, as ! sat in my room one evening,
there came from an adjoining chamber, now
first occupied for many weeks, the murmur
of low voices. listened At first, no arti-
culate sound was heard, and yet something
in the tones stirred my heart with new and
strange emotions. At length there came to
my ears in the earnest, loving voice of II
woman, the words Deliver us from evil
For an instant it seemed to me AS i the voice
were that of my mother. Back. with n sud
den bound, through all the intervening years,
went my thoughts and a child in heart
again was knccling Mt my mother 5 knee.
llumbly and reyercntlv said over the words
Of the holy prayer she had taught me. hearts
and eyes uplitted to Heaven. The hour and
the power Of darkness had passed. was no
longer STANDING !" elillrEy places, with II
flood Of waters ready 20 sweep me to dcstruc-
ton; but my feet were on rock. My pious
mothers care had saved her son. In the
holy words she taught me in childhood were
living power to resist evil through all my
after life All that unknown mother, as
she taught her child to repeat this evening
prayer, how little dreamed she that the holy
words were to reach stranger ears. and
save him, through memory Of his own child
hood, and his own mother. And yet it was
50. What a power there is in Gods word,
as it flows into and rests in the minds of iuno-
cent childhood
Tears We're in the eyes Of the wife and
mother, as she lifted her face and gazed with
subdued tenderness upon the countenance
of her husband. Her heart was too full for
utterance. \ little while she thus gazcd,
and then, with u trembling joy, laid her
hand upon her bosom. Angels were in the
chamber where their dear ones slept, and they
felt their holy presence Home Mission,
| by r. s. Arthur