The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-03-25

a truthful, holy child !" Ittied to ban
ish from my thoughts this last petition
of my dying mother but the more res
olution was my purpose the more dis
tinc,ly did those pleading tones fall up.
on my heart, till, bouing upon the win
dow, I wept convulsirely. But tears,
Bessie, could give me no relief.
My agony became every moment more
intense, till at length, rushed almost
10 terror to my fathers bedsido. fFath
erl fathcrn but could say no more
Tenderly putting his arm around me, he
laid my throbbiug head upon his bosom !;
and then he gently soothed NE, till I
could so far control the torrent as to
explain its cause. Then, how fervently
did he plead with Heaven that his sim
ming child might be forgivenl
Dear father, will you go with me to-
night to see poor Amy y?'
''To-morrow morning, my child !''
Delay was torture; but, striving to
suppress my disappointment, I received
my fathers kiss, and went back to my
room. But slumber still fed from YEA
ry eye-lids. My longing to beg Amy's
forgiveness amounted to frenzy and af.
ter watching for morning what seemed
to me hours, my anguish became SO in-
iolerable that fed once more to my
father, and, with tears streaming down
my check 1 knelt by his side, beseech-
ing him to 60 with me to Amy that min
ute; adding 10 whisper she may die
before she has forgiven me- He laid
his hand upon my burning cheek, and
after mom6nt's thought replied:
H. Il will 60 with you, my child I'
TIN n few minutes we were on our
way. As we approached Mrs. Sinclair s
cottage, we perceived lights hurrying
from one ro I'm to another Shuddering
with an undefnable dread, drew closer
to my father. He softly opened the
gate, and silently we passed through it.
The doctor, who was just leaving the
door, seemed greatly surprised to meet
us there at that hour Words cannot
describe my feelings when, in answer to
nv fathers inquiries, he told US that
4AAt..y-was A A sick with brain fever.
'Hcr brother tells me, % he continued,
-'that she has not been we'll for some
days, bat that she was unwilling to re-
main from school, She came home yes.
terday afternoon, it seems, very unlike
herself. She took no supper, but sat at
the table nautc, as if stupified with grief
Her mother tried in every way to draw
from her the cause of her sorrow but
in vain. She went to bed with the same
heart broken appearance, and in less
than an hour l was summoned. In her
delirium she has been calling upon you,
dear Ruth, bcseechiug you with most
mournful earnestness, to pity and to
save her."
Bessie, may you never know how his
words pierced my heart
'.My earnest pleas to see Amy just
one minute prevailed with her widow ed
mother. Kindly taking my band the
murderer 's-she led me to the sick
| chamber. As I looked on the sweet
sufferer, all hope deserted Inc. The
shadows of death were already on hel
forehead, anl in her large blue eyes
kneeling by her bed, in whispered word:
my heart pleaded, o, SO earnestly fol
forgiveness But, when looked entreat
ingly towards her, in her delirious gaz,
there was 10 recognition. No, Bessie
I was never to be comfortel by the as
surauce of her pardon.
When I next saw Amy, she was asleep
The bright flush had faded from he
cheek, whose marble paleness was shaded
by her long eye-lashes. Delirium hat
ceased, and her aching heart was still
That small white hand which had beer
held out tremblincly to receive the blow
of he harsh ferule, now lay lovingl,
githin the other. Never again woult
tears flow. from those gentle eyes no
that bosom henves with sorrow. Tha
sleep was the sleep of death.
| "My grief was wilder if not deepe
than that mothers of whose lost treas
ure l bad robbed her. She forgave me
but could not forgive myself. Wha
d long, long winter followed. My sui
ferings threw me into fever, and il
my delirium l called continually upo
Amy. But God listened to the praye
of my dear father, and raised me fror
this sickness, Aud when the light foot
steps of Spring were seea upon the gree
earth, and early flowers we're springin
: up around the grave of Amy, for tn
first time was allowed to visit it.
"My head swan as read, lettered 8
carefully on the white tablet:
"AMY SINCLAIR,
isFELL ASLEEP SEPTEMBER THIRD.
"Beside that fresh turf I knelt dow
and offered, as I trust, the prayer o
faith. I was there relieved, an,
strengthened too. Bessie" said ann
Ruth, as she laid her hand tender.y up
on that young head bowed down upo
her lap. Poor Bessie's tears had Ion