Smyrna times., 1855-05-16
most imploringly; /; al never did anything good


81! Why, yes, J" said the lady, soothingly, "you
have done great many things Don't YOU
know how we'll you taught, in our Industrial
School-and how much the children all liked
you! That was good.'' L. .....,. ....e.
Yes, and what did do it for 90 she replied
IN an earnest despair. " 1t wasn't to do rood ::
was thinking all the while of the money!
just the money! s .#a.s & r..4
swell, that was good. They needed the
money at home; you gave it to them when you
might have kept it yourself, Was not that
good % -.
"No it wasn't 1didn't care any thing about
thenl' just did 1t because | wanted to-; and
WASH SICK, but went home, and sat there
al day, and made mother wait upon me when
She mad SO much to do-and didn't care. Lam
not SICK now, and haven't bit of pain but [
Just lie here because will.'' ...-...
" But you are sick, very sick, if you are not
IN pam; and then no one can look in your face
ana feel that you are bad girl"
ies, know" she replied quickly "it's
just IKE an apple-very beautiful outside, but
rotten all through. Sometimes ! wish [ was
insane for then it wouldn't be true that am
so wicked and that shall have to suffer so
much" .. - ''-'-''T' : :. =
!" But think, my child, you are insane on
TINS point; not on any other"
"Oh no! oh dear!" moaned the poor girl
" you think so; but no one but God can read the
heart. -.f
At the suggestion that God could forgive, she
answered, "No, he can't forgive me. | com
mltted SINS enough before | was three years
old to make it impossible for me ever to be for
given.' ~ ,-'a q.
Why. what did you do!''
:" used to muss in the food when mother
told rne not, and knew. better all the time
but don't care. And it's Just so now. don't
waht to be any better, and that's Just the trou-
bic about it. ~ -. = = ....'
1t was useless to talk with her. She seemed
rational about everything else; but on this
point she was fixed. From her babyhood she
had been taught that child Of three wears
might n'enough to merit eternal punishment:
and, in her present state, her own guilt mapni.
ned till it seemed too great to be forgiven. 1t
was terrible despair--one that made the soul
heavy to witness; and we Joined in the feeling
OF thahkfuIness that it was Only inSanity
The mother was far more wild and hiphty:
but there was method even in her madness. :
she feit that she was doing some great work
Tor others, by moving about restlessly, and con-
tmually unplnnng the sleeves of her dress;
and that 1t was her solemn duty to finish this
work; but that good was coming from 1t, and
she would finally be happy
"Why," said she, " isn't it going to benefit
orr sex %
ooh! certainly" We said. -..s -#- a
" | Thought so," she replied, with eager de-
light; else don't think could have gone any
further; but thought zee should be benefited
-Uomen should be-" ~
Had this Thought found its way to her heart
when she was toiling to earn scanty subsis-
tehce for her dependent family, making shirts
Tor shilling, or teaching for paltry hundred
dollars year, In a beleUotent* school and had
Il fingered through all her madness--mingling
the ruling motive of her Hfe-that rigid, ortho-
dox sense of duty-when everything else had
gone, when she had forgotten her friends, and
was not sure even of her own identty--doubt-
ing whether she was among the dead It.was
strange and passing sad. A few days after,
when saw them again. the mother was more
at rest; bat the hectic was burning brightly on
the daughters cheek She could not eat and.
at my kindly goodbye at parting, she repeated
phrase she had not used betore:r "Oh! it is
agood-bye to you, but it amt to me. THERE'S
nothing good to me-" 4.,..... ..r....... F..
The father and younger children have now
separated, and gone to different friends in the
country; the mother may yet recover; but her
chlld must sleep soon, and awake to learn that
God can forgive. ...-
And this is the fruit of toll and starvation
wasting to'l, that could not buy food enough for
all those beloved ones from its pitiable wages.
Nature. was ineXorable. She never forgives.
When her laws are broken, her children always
suffer. ''
t'4mo7 "l za1Da ANrorNErrE l.. BaowN
-------- o stag1 .af aal fo -ea .t.f.sq ar: ..i.
It. Is cheering to be able to state that this