Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-08-28
My First Sight of Death.
BY A MINISTER.

Long ago when, l was little boy, my
employment in summer was TO tend my faith
crs cows on meadow pastures that lay
alo.g the bank Of the river Earn. 1t was
at sharp turn ct the stream, few hum
dred yards below the spot where. the Scottish
Central Railway now crosses it.
The employment was easy, and the scene
was sweet. [ like to revisit the spot yet to
hear the murmur of the stream, and sec the
trouts Ieaping from its BOSOM and the will
lows waving on its edge, and the tall trees
hanging over it--all the very same as when
saw them in the bright morning of my
youth. One spot of the river, above the
turn and visible from the railway bridge,
looked upon with mournful interest. 1t
was there that first saw death. 1t hap
pcned thus:
On sunny Sabbath morning was sit
ting away in a corner Of the pasture ground
with the COWS grazing near me, and busy
learning my psalm and chapter for my faith,
er in the afternoon, when my eye was at.
tracted by several people running towards
the river at the opposite end of the field. !
ran to see what was the matter. On reach
ing tho bank l learned from the nearest by.
standcr that the hord-boy on the other side
oil the river had gone in to battle, and had
been carried down the stream into a deep
place. and sunk.
With an eye we'll practisel, soon saw the
dim shadowy outline of the naked body on
the bottom, slowly moving down with the
stream. Meantime some men in boat were
making their way up to the place. They
reached it. By means Of pole. one raised
the body to the surface. Another seized it
by the hair, and lifted it iuto the boat. Oh
how my blood ran cold at the sight This
was the boy had talked with, over the wa
ter from day to day. He was poor boy
engaged by the neighboring farmer. He had
no father to make him learn chapter dur.
ing the day, and hear him say it at night
He had no one to tell him to keep the Sab
bath holy. He was herd-boy in bothy
where seven or eight careless men were his
only companions He had no use for the
Sabbath, and he employed it in amusements
saw him raised into the toat all stiff
and his hair hanging wet over his shoulders
He was laid along on a plank. He moved
not. He never moved, it was death ant
| had never seen the dead before. 1t brings
a sigh from my breast to look at the puring
eddying river yet, as it glides unconsciously
over the spot.
believe that sight made an impression o
the Sabbath's sacrednoss on my heart, while
it was young and soft, which remains still
| knew that God orders all things A spar
row cannot fall without our Heavenly Faith
er. Most certainly that sight was made al
instrument to impress upon me, deeper thai
otherwise | would have had, reverence 10
the Sabbath day. The first time that dealt
showd his gastly form to chill my youn
heart, it was death that came through a
idle ill-used Sabbath.
1t helped to make me dread an idle, i'll
used Sabbath. hope this story may max
some readers dread, too, q misspent Sabbath
But it is not enough to fear broken Sat
bath 1t is not enough to drive common wor
and amusement out of it, If the day is lei
empty, it will be a weary day. We mul
not only empty it of the world, but fill
with God. 1t is not good for man young G
old, to be alone. When we find our commo
cmployments, and other company. For con
pany, the Lord Jesus and for employment
His word and His work. Fill it, thns, and
will be the best Of all the se,cn."- Ma
sion0ry Record.