Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-03-08

"You may not have felt all the wicked
ness Of your soul rise up against your pcrse-
cu'ors, prompting you to curse them as lhove
cursed them time and again, and curse
them now. Oh, the good Christian souls!
who pretend to be so pious and holy, who roll
up their eyes at the very sight Of me! |
should not wonder it some of them had more
dealings with Satan than myself"
"No doubt of it," replied the old man.
Old Sue wen on, feeling a strange thrilling
pleasure in telling her wicked thoughts to
the one at her side, whose eyes CLEANED
brighter, and looked more evil, the mOre
wicked she grew.
"And was thi king what mockcry it
would be for me to say the Lords Prayer
Our Father -"
The old mln gave an uneasy start as she
said these worls; yet remained quiet, as she
repeated no more; but smith her skinny
hands together, exclaimed
"Why should call him NY Father. Has
he treated me as child! Has he not lift
me here in my old age, to rags, and poverty,
and abuse, when he might have taken me to
his blessed home beyond the skies long be-
fore this! Death would long ago have oeen
welcome to me-"
"Why do you pot kill yourself, then!" ask
ec the old man softly.
81 was thinking of tha, just as you came
in. But it is an ugly, horrible business to
take ones own life. If there were only
some easier way to rid ones self of the
world. Did you ever hear" continued she,
speaking in low, cenfdetal tone, "did ever
you hear any old woman that dried up and
blew away"
The cunning-eyed one for while spoke
not word. He sat there still and quiet,
looking fiXedly int, the fire. But all at once
he burst out with nwilG stave of song
The words so wrought upon the inagnations
of mother Ward, that-she knew not why
, she began te stamp her feet in accompan-
mcnt, and when he came to the chorus, she
Joined her shrill treble to his cracked base,
and the strange melody rang out clear and
Piercingly:
| walked inc out the other night.
The wind was blowing high;
cla<ncd my cloak about me tight,
And wished that might die
CuoRts o tor these rar, good times oi.old,
When women, I've heard say,
II winds were high, or weather cold,
Dried up md blew away.
Quoh |, o, wind! o. bitter wind!
Why blow so chi ON mel -
I'm old ana lonely, nearly blind
What are my rags to thce!"
q Tor those rare good times ofold, &c.
Yet sti the cold, cold wind blew on,
And pierced me through and through,
1t said to me, in quiet scorn.
Away with hags like you"
O for those rare good times Of old, &C.
curse thcc wind, with all my might,
cu-se thy chilling breath,--
Unless thou blow me of tonight,
Ill curse thee till my death.
q Tor those rare good times of old, &c.
! "Chorus again!' shouted the old man,
stamping his loot. And they sang it throu5h 5h
again; Till the old walls of the room echoed
with the wild scream of their voices.
/ "Those good old times may come again."
said the old man, after they had finished the
singing. "Dut there is cert'in state of
feeling to which every one must arrive, be-
fore they can vanish from earth. People
in the old times oltcncr reached il, than at
present"
"Wha is that state! | will attain unto
it," said mother Ward.
81 think you will; perhaps you have
Know then, good mother, that all things hcre
ON the earth are vanity. What is lighter
than vanity! Doth not the slightest breath
stir the leaf of the willow! But vanity is
lighter than even the willows leaf. | said
all things were vanity; all things but love
are so. 1t is this which binds men to earth.
Were it not for the love which human DoingS
bear to one anuther-putf--an away they
would 90, mine for ever. Now, mother
Ward, tell me, have you rid yourself altogeth-
e. Of love. lind many who declare they
have done thus, and when wonder they do
not blow away, 10! down deep in their hearts
covered over it may be with the glitter oi
mammon, with the dross of seliSlneSs, one
little particle of love, which keeps them from
, being altogether vanity. But am preach
t ing! Telme,I say, have you rid yourself
, altogether of lovon
, Olc Sue sat still and thought. Her mind
/ went back through the path OF weary years;
to the days when happy child she had clung
, with affection 10 those whe chevis he'd her
under their roof, who called her their darling
| she traced her own life as she grew up q
Y wayward beauty, her love poured out in Its
wealth and tenderness upon one her parent:
deemed unworthy; her rebellion and !orsak
> ing Of all for love of him who was to be faith
" er aud mother to her her few short month
of happiness and terrible awakening as thu
earth received to its bosom her love, her on
ly 10y. save an infant life which only KEEP
e her grief from laying herself by his side il
= the grave.
c Old Sue buried her face in her hands an
y wept as the memory of these times came 81
!! vividly upon her. The evil-eyed looked
. g!oomiy.
But memory would not stop herc--as hi
death and as her lreasurers birth. IT tol
over ter wrongs. The CONSCIOUSNESS OF ind
= ing herself without money, and consequent
.. without friends, in Il great city, the lon