True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-03-03
% .4N. INTERESTING .STORY
r [FRoM aoDEy's LADY's BooR.]
The Mothers Blessing.
q 'Bv VIRGINIA. DE FORREST.

Ny mother! my first, best friend j.
As 1sit here. looking far back into the
past, ! can trace in every act that did mt
+" credit the Influence Of her love, her ten
der care; and on every unworthy deed
seem still to see the sad, grieved face,
the brimming eye, and quivering lip she
bent over me, trying BY sweet, winning
love, to bend my stubborn will, and make
me regretthe acl that caused her SO much
sorrow! Surely, The, best gin in oul
b heavenly Fathers sending is mothers
love | am an old man now yet though
the hand that carressed me, the lips that
:" were so often pressed to mine, and the
voice that made such music to my ears
o.are still andsilent, even now the influence
remans;;' and ,Ioqdestion 10 myself:-
I" HaveI done this as mother would have
had me !'"Ad 9H 'al'5oel" q .s7a !.
2a There lived many nan 'y years m ago, in the
house that joined mine, in the village of
Clifdale, q widow and her only child
Her husband had been drunkard; and
,,thhse. villagers told, how patiently and
meek1y she had borne .lhe most cruel
treatment, her only care being to try to
Shield, her little son from injury and the
evil Of, the example his father set before
him, y Even this was sometimes denied
hef. The boy vas precocious and very
talented 4 and, in defiance of his mothers
l,Pgayeis, apd tears, he was often carried 10
the village tavern 70 make, sport, BY bis
smart sayings and actions, for the noisy
,bfsWlers' there assembled. The father
died When The child was but FIVE years
old; and yet the, seed ot future misery
was already sown in the young heart.
has The, first time, ! eyer saw Margaret
Leslie, i was called in to see her little
boy, whom ! III found very illi The room
into which ja | was shown. WAS neatly,
.Shough simply lurnished;, and The sewing
by WHICH oihe, widow supported, herself
and ebild was lying, OF, The table, beside
rhheE.sid Eagaer's toys and clothes were
lying -iosngJ On the tthpss floor, where be had left
them the previous hight. =, Margaret was
seated beside my little patient watching
se md listening to- his ,labored breathing,-
He ha4 always been a delicate child and
ylhls ll'Ile Pale fpee was scarcely less white
S1'Et Ssthan lhs pillow upon which it rested, Al
first though he .wasoyery ILL., / found no
dangerous symptomsin bis, case; bu, nv NV
oE medicines AN iysrsi Pogerlessr 80 stay the
tdflB tdlBseaasge; andp ig a.lew days, i thought
gtlhlse, gthls widow would bs left cbjidless., She
was n quiet undemonstraiiye person but
her agony, as il CLEANED upon her was
fearful. No inducemeni could draw her
for an instant from sher sons bedside. III
'"God spare me my boy!" was her
prayer from morn otilI light! She had
been isorely tried !; and this was her only
'SsomfoFt h could she part with il Z To
my surprise the disease took a favorable
turn ;lnand they boy recovered His
f6otheFda gratitude was fervent, though
more silent tlnn her grief had been and
child though he was, I think he appreci.
'ated The deep, pure, affection Of his onlv
parent He was a wayward boy, with
strong passions, and governed much aby
inpulse.' Generous, confding and brave,
he was also bigh tempered and daring
!twas'no easy task to govern and con-
trol such 9 character as Edgar's; and, no
lniiGehce but The constant, tender affec-
ton OF smother could have kept him in
5ne right way through his childhood ~
Many sehooLboy troubles into which his
hlgh spirits tempted him were lepented of,
and confessed to that gentle, mother when
he'had defied the greatest harshpess and
ssvefest punishments of'his master. As
he grew to manhood, bis fathers tempt.
alton became his also. As the handsom.
est and most talented young man IN The
village, his society was eagerly courted
BY the best people; and, anione those
wh0ilinyiled him 10 their parties, and
courted endicaressed him; there was. no
hand to hold him back from temptation, h