The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-11-19

or mislad, a moments oversight in handling q
deadly weapon-and the whole scene of life is
| irretrievably changed
Ii was but day after the scene in the arbor,
and sl was mourning in the so lately happy,
hospitsble house; everybody looked through
tears. There we're subdued breathings, a low
murmur as of many listeners, a voice of prayer,
and the vail of q funeral hymn-snd then the
heavy tread of bearers, as, beneath the black
| pail, she was carried over the threshold Of her
home, never to return.
! Aud Olivia and Albert came forth behind
their dead. The folds of the dark veil seemed
a refuge for the mothers sorrow. But how did
the flowers of home, the familiar elms the dis
tant smiling prospect, look through its gloomy
fods-embem of the shadow which had fallen
between her heart and life When she looked
at the dark moving hearse she wondered that
the sun still shone, that birds could sing, and
that even her own flowers could be so bright.
Alb, mother! the world had been Just as full
Of sorrow the day before; the air as full of
"iareweis 10 the dying, and MORNINGS for the
dead" bat thou knewest it not. Now. the out.
er world comes to thee thrcuzh tie D,o.raing
cell!
But alter the funeral comes life again-hatd
cold, lnexorable life, knocking with business
ike sound at The mourner's door, obtrudipg ita
commonplace pernsciiy on the dull ear of
sorrow. Tne world cannot wait for ma. the
world knows no leisure for tears it moves on
ward, and drags along with It's motion the
weary aud heavy-ls1en who would fam rest.
| Ohvia would have buried herself in her sor-
| rows. There are those who refuse to be COM
iorted. The coincidence Of friends seeps onlv
a cckery and, truly, nothing so showz the
emptiness and poverty OF human nature as it's
efforts AZ coincidence.
| Father H4VgDn hnxuavor r-o. a. =.
would not be denied there was something of
gentle authority IN his white hairs, that might
not be resisted. Old, and long schooled in
sorrow, ms heart many times broken in past
| vars, he knew all the ways of mourning Fis
vas no ttEcial commonplace about 4" effl;c,ivs
| dlspensaiiors." BE came rat with tina, ten.
Der aud reverent silence with which the man
acquainted with grief approaches the divine
mysteries OF sorro" and from ii ne to time be
Cast on tne troubled waters words, dropped like
seeds, not FOR present frutfulncss. but N ger.
nitrate after the floods had suhsidad.
| He watched beside soul in fl otion "a
mother waits on the crisis OF a fever whose
turning Is TO be for life or for dean for he
well ew that great sorrows never leave "a az
they hhd us; that the broken spirit. Ill eel.
grows callous and distorted ever after.
lie had wise Patience with every stage of
sorrow; ne k!sow that 4, frs. the soul IA Hind
and deai, and dumb He was not alarmed
when returning vitality showed itself only in
moral spas ms and convusions, 10. in all GREAT
grleis come hours Of conflict, when the soul 4,
tempted ard complaining, murmuring. dark.
SSep''cal thoughts arr whirled like @ithered
leaves through all its daso'ate chambers
What have l learned by 10 king tbropph
this veil?" said Olivia to him. h;,tArIv ona
day, when they were coming out of a house
where they bad been visiting mourn iny family
was trusting IN God as an indulgent Father;
lie seemed beautiful to me In thu light Of Pa
goodness; now see only His inhexible severity
never Knew before how much mourning ard
sorrow th-re had been, even in this G;tle ~.
lage- There is scarcely house WHERE anne
thug dreadful has not az some time haonansd
DO" many families have been called 10 mourn
ing since We law,
|, ''~Ve no. taken up paper in which
nave NOT seen record OF two OF three accident.
al oeatns, some o. them even mo.e bitter and
cFue' 'nan what has befallen Us. / read this
| ihofhing OF a poor washerwoman, whose hopse
was burned, and al her children coDsnmed
while she was away working for her bread.
read the other day Of blind man whose only
son was drowned in his very presence, while he
could 90 nothing to help ham. | was visiting
| yesterday that poor dress.maker whom you
Know. She has by toll and pains been eduts
ung line and dutiful son. He is sr,itten
down with hopeless disease, while her IDIOT
child, who can do nobody any good, IS spared.
Ali this mourning veil has indeed opened nv
eyes; but 1t has taught me 10 add ali the sor-
rows OF the world to my ownI and can | be-
heve in Gods love 2"
Daughter said the old man, Il am not
igaosant ca these things. have buried seven
ehitiren; | have buried my wife; and God has
4 m IN
yersy, and contempt. Each cross seemed, at
the time, heavier than the others. Each in its
day seemed to be what least could bear and
l would have cried, 'Anything but Misp And
| yet, now when look back, cannot see one of
these sorrows that has not been made ioy TO
| me. With every one, some peryersity or SIN has
been subdued, some chain unbound, some GOOD
purpose perfected God has taken my loved
ones, but he has given me the power of submis-
sion and Of consolation and | have blessed
him many times in my ministry for al have
suffered tor by 1t have stayed up many that
were ready to perish"
"Ah," said Olivia, "you indeed have resson
to be coE,forted, because you can zee in your.
self The fruit OF your sorrows; but ] am not
! Improving; ! am only crushed aud de:kene1-
not amended"
Have patience with thyself. child; weepirg
must endure for night; a.. comes not At once
No trial for Isd present see meth joyous but
GttertaaScis it yieideth the psaceable fr.it;
have faith in this 0fteyacar7s. Some one saws
that It Is not in the tempest one wa ks the beach
to look for the treasures Of wrecked ships: but
when the storm is past, we find pearls and
precious stones washed a4hOre. Are there moi
oven now, some Of these 10 your path {? Is nor
the love between you and your hn band deeper
and more iniima'e since this sffl tt;on {? Do
YOU not love your other children more tenderly2
Did you not tell me that y0a had thought on
the sorrows Of every house in this village?
| Courage, my child that is a good sign. Ocee.
as you reed the papers, you thought no hing of
! those Uho lest friend now you nodee and
feel Take the sorrows of others 10 your hear,
they shall widen and deepen it. Ours is a reh-
gion OF sorrow. The Captain Of our Salvation
was made perfect through Suffering; our Fa.
ther is the God OF all consolation: our Teacher
Is named Inc Comforter; and ali other mys,e.
ries are swallowed up in the mystery of the Di-
VINE sorrow. IA al eur Affections, He is sf.
nicted.' God resUseth not to suffer; shall we?,
There y 40 grave SO desols.e that flowers
WI! nos at last spring on il. Time passed with
Albert aud Olivia with healing in its wings.
the secret place OF tears became frat a tenn ole
! OF prayer. and afterwards of praise and The
heavy cloud was remembered by the flowers
that spruog up after the rain. The vacant
chair in the household circle had grown to be n
tender influence not u narrowing one and thu
virtues of the lost one seemed TO SOW them-
selves like the sc=t,ere6 seeds of a fallen flower.
and TO spriDg ap in the hearts Of the SURVIVING
| ones, More tender and more blessed ia oftan
the br)oding influence Of the sacred dead. Than
the words of the hving
\ Olivia became known IN Tho aboJ.. r