Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1857-08-13

nd deep crimson spot burning with pain
III brightness on either cheek. remember
hat her steps became unsteady, and her
loice fainter and more gentle day by day,
i'll at last she sank to her bed, and we were
allied upon to witness her spirit go forth to
the presence of Jehovah. They took me to
Ter couch, and told me to look upon my
mother before she died. Their words had
10 meaning to me then, but the whisper in
which they were spoken thrilled painfully
through my infant heart. and | felt that
very terrible was about to happen.
Pale, troubled faces were around the death
men with sad heavy eyes
women overwhelmed with tears and sympa-
thy-and children, that huddled together,
and weeping, they knew not
wherefore.
Filled with wonder and awe, / crept to
my mother, and burying my brow in the
mass of rich brown hair that hoated over
her pillow, heavy with the damp of death,
but still lustrous in spite of disease | trem-
bled and sobbed without knowing why, save
that all around me was full Of grief and
lamentation. She murmered and placed her
hand upon my head. My little heart swelled,
but lay motionless and filled with awe.
Her lips moved, and voice tremulous and
very low, came family over them. These
words, broken and sweet as they were, LETT
the first dear impression that ever remained
on my memory" Lead us not into temp
tation, but deliver us from evil" This was
my mothers last prayer In that imper-
feet sentence her gentle voice went out for
ever. Young as | was, that prayer had en-
tered my heart with solemn strength.
| raised my head from its resting-place,
and gazed awe-stricken upon the face of my
mother, Oh, how an hour had changed it
The crimson flush was quenched on her
cheeks, a moisture lay upon her forehead,
and the gray mysterious shadows of death
were stealing over her thin features, yet her
lips still moved, and her deep blue eyes were
bent on me, surcharged with spiritual bright
ness, as if they would have left one of their
vivid unearthly rays as the seal of the DEATH
bed covenant. Slow y as sunbeams pale at
nightfall from the leaves of flower, went
out the starlight fire of her eyes; mist
came over them, softly as the dew might fall
upon that flower, and she was dead Even
then knew not the meaning Of the solemn
change | had witnessed but when they bore
me forth from my mothers death-bed, my
heart was filled with fear and misgiving.
All were overwhelmed with the weight OF
their own sorrow, and I was permitted to
wander around my solitary home unchecked
and forgotten. stood wondering by as they
shrouded my mother, and smoothed the long
hair over her pale forehead. Silently |
watched them spread the winding-sheet, and
fold those small pale hands over her bosom
but when they closed the blinds and went
forth, my little heart swelled with sense Of
unkndness in shutting out the sunshine, and
the sweet summer air which had so otter
, called u smile to her pale lips, when it came
to her bed fragrant from the rose thickets
and the white clover field which lay beneath
the windows they had so cruelty darkened
The gloom of the death-chamber made INT
3 very sorrowlul but went to the bed, turnet
: down the'linen, and laid my hand caressingl,
Y on the pale face which lay so white and mo
S tioness in the dim light. 1t was cold as ice
. [ drew back afrig hted and stealing from tn
n room, sat down alone wondering, and full 0
e dread.
i They buried her beneath a lofty tree o.
; the high bank of a river. A waterfall raise
n its anthem near, and the sunset filings his las
+ golden shadows among the long grass tia
: shelters her. | remember it all-the gray
G with the newly broken sod-the coffin place
d on its brink-the clergyman with his blac
: surp!ice sweeping the earth, and the COZ
5, course of neighbors gathered around tina
', grave, each lifting his hat reverently as tn
e solemn hymn swelled on the air, answere
d by the lofty anthems surgng up from tn
l, waterfall, and the breeze rusting through til
l. dense boughs of that gloomy tree The
a came the grating of the coffin as it was low
= cred into its narrow bed, the dull, hollo
e sound of the falling earth, and those mo-
n solemn words of L" Dust to dust and ashes I
ashes" With mournful distinctness wei
3 all these things impressed on my young mind
- but my mothers last prayer is written MOI
e forcibly than all in characters that deepe
IF with maturity. 1t has fingered about m
'e heart, blessing and safeguard, pervadin
or it with music that cannot die. Man
j, times when the heedlessness Of youth wou
r, have led me into error, has that sweet voic
lg now hushed forever, intermingled with m
H. thoughts, and like the rosy links of a fair
'e chain, drawn me from my purpose.
I'd Oft when my brow has been wreathed wit
m flowers for the festival, when my cheek hi
n, been flushed, and my eyes have sparkled vii
es anticipated pleasures, have caught the +
T. Election of those eyes in the mirror, al
re thought of the look which rested upon n
d, when my mother died-that broken supple
m ton to Heaven has come back to my memory
st the clustering roses have been torn from n
er head sad and gentle memories have drar
tn the unnatural glow from my cheeks, and n
ot thoughts have been carried back to my 10
IL parent, and from her up to the heaven 81
vii inhabits. The festival, with all of its a
or fractions; has been lost in gentle reflection
he and have been delivered from tempt
nd ton" Again, when the sparkling wine CT
I'd has almost bathed my lips, amid merrime
I'm and smiles and music, has the last sad pra
as err of my mother seemed to be mingled wi
Nv its ruby contents, and | have put away t
i'll goblet that :" | might not be led to tempt
an ton" When my hand has rested in that
ne the dishonorable, and trembled at the tou
re- Of him who says in his heart there is no &c
nd as that voice seemed to flow from his uri
W. accents. l have listened to it and fed
fiom theserpent of my native forests
Again and again, when the throbbings
ambition have almost filed my soul, and t
praises of my felow-men have become
precious incense, the still voice of my mot