The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-11-13

enough for me. j hayo had such q hap
py life, ! might bear just a little pain Al
the last.NoI I.la brs,l 20 oa1 'Ffi b,iz p.
| A little later her mind seemed to wan
der. "Mamma, mamma" she said, hur
riedly, II put the things all away; The
lilac muslin and the barcge. Mamma
that veil, the mourning veil is in the
drawer. Oh, mamma, that veil was fu
you; don't refuse it !; our Father sends il
and he knows best Perhaps you will
see heaven through that veil.p i..a 70 aol.
1t is appalling to'think how near tc
the happicst and most prosperous scene
of life stands the saddest despair. AL
homes are,haunted with awful possibili.
ties, for whose realization no array; ;oi
threatening agentsis required, ,--noilight.
ming, or tempest, or battle; a peaceful
household lamp, gust ofpcrfumcd even.
ing air, n false step in a moment OF gay
city, draught taken BY mistake, q match
overlookedpr mislaid, moments overnight
In handling 0 deadly weapon,-and the
whole scene Of life is irretrieyably changed
1t was but day after the scene in the
arbor, and all was mourning in the 80 late-
ly happy, hospitable house; everybody
looked through tears. There werc subdued
breathings. . low murmur, as Of many
listeners, voice Of prayer, and the wall OF
funeral hymn, and then the heavy tread
of bearers, as. beneath the black pail, she
was carried over the threshold of her home,
never to return. - .....,l..,. n. q.
And Olivia and Albert camo forth bahind
their dead. The folds ofthe dark veil seem
cd refuge for the mothers sorrow. But
how did the flowers Of home, tho familiar
elms, the distant smiling prospect lock thro'
It's gloomy folds-emblcin OF the shadow
which had fallen between her heart and
life When she looked at the dark moving
hearso, she wondered that the sun still
shone, that birds could sing. and. that even
her own flowers could be so bright. 60.
All, mother! tho world had been just as
full of sorrow the day before; tho air Us
full of"farewells to the dy ing and mournings
for the dead !" but thou knewest 1t not =
Now the outer world comes to thee through
tho mourning reii! -. 49,. -
But after the funeral comes life again
hard, cold, inexorable life, knocking with
business.like sound ut the mourners door,
obtrudins Its common. place pertinacity on
the dull car Of sorrow. The world cannot
wait for us; the world knows no leisure for
tears Ii moves onward, and drags along
with its motion the weary and heavy.laden
who would lain rest. ii7wr4-Irsy0l q.
Olivia would havo buried herself in her
sorrows. There arc those who refuse to be
he comforted. The coincidence of friends
seems only q mockery and truly, nothing
50 shows the emptiness and poverty Of hu.
man M ture as its efforts at coincidence. oa
Father Payson, however, was visitor who
would not be denird; there was something
of gentle authority In his white hairs that
might not be resisted. Old, and long
sclioolcd in sorrow, his heart many times
broken in past years, he knew oil tho ways
OF mourning. Ills was no oHiciaf common.
place about affective dispensations." Ho
came Grst with that tender and rcyerent 81.
lence with which the man acquainted with
grief approaches the dvi 10 nysteries OF sof.
row and from time to time he cast on the
troubled waters words, dropped like seeds,
not for present fruitfuiness, but to gcrmin-
ate after the foods had subsidized.
Ile watchei bcside soul in afiiction rs q
mother waits on the crisis ofn fever whose
turning is to be for life or for death for he
well knew that great sorrows never leave us
as they find us; that the broken spirit, i'll
set, grows callOus and distorted ever after.
He had more patience with every stage
Of sorrow; he knew that at first the sonl
is blind, and deaf, and dumb. He was
not alarmed when returning vitality
showed itself only in moral spasms and
commissions; for in all great gricfs come
hours of conflict, when the soil is tempt
ed, and complaining, murmuring, dark,
skeptical thoughts are whirled like with
cred leaves through all It's dcsolate cham.
bcrs. Zoo ..' '.- ."
"What have learned by looking through
this veil1" said Olivia to him, bitterly. one
day when they were coming out Of house
where they had been visiting mourning
family. III was trusting in God Us nm in.
dulgent Father life seemed beautiful to me
IN the light Of his goodness (; now see only
his inacxiblc severity. never knew before
how much mourning and sorrow there had
becn even In this little village. There i
scarcely house where something dreadful
has not ut some time happened. How many
families here have been called to mourning
since We have! have not taken up q paper
in which have not seen q record OF two OF
three accidental deaths some of them even
more bitter and cruel than what has bcfall.
en- us. read this morning Of poor wash.
erwoman, whose hous, was burned, and all
her children consumed. while she was away
working for her bread. read the other day
VI u blind man whose only son was drowned
in his very presence. while he could do moth.
ing to help him. was visiting yesterday
that poor drcs.maker whom you know
She has by toil and pains been educating q
fine and dutiful son. llo is smitten down
with hopeless disease, while her idiot child,
who can do nobody any good, is spared
All, this mourning veil has indeed opened
my eyes but It has taught me to add all
all tho sorrows OF tho world TO my own I,
and can believe in Gods lore ?"
"Daughter," sail the old man, NJ am
not ignorcnt Of these things. have
buried seven children; have buried my
wife; and God has laid ON me in my time
rcproach, and controversy, and contempt.
Each cross seemed, at the time heavier
than Others. Each in its day seemed to
be what least could bear; and | would
have cried, .Anythiny bat Mis: And
yet, now whan look back, cannot sec
one Of these sorrows that has not been
made JOY to me. With every one some
pcrycrity or SIN has been subdued, some
chain unbound, some good purpose per
footed. God has taken my loved ones
but he has given me love. He has given
me the power Of submission and Of con
ISOLATION; and l have blessed him many
times in my ministry Tor all l have sui
fercd, for byit have stayed up many
tha were ready to pcrish.' O. a1. %.
.s.Ah,r said Olivia, '.you indeed have
reason to be colnfortcd, because you car
sec in yourself the trui, Of your sorrows
but am not improving; am cnl,
crushed and darkencd, mot amended,