Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1858-03-12
THE OVERLOOKING CUP.

A company of Southern ladies were
one day assembled in friends parlor,
when conversation CHANGED to turn upon
earthly affliction. Each had her story of
peculiar trial and bereavement to relate,
except one pale, sad-looking woman,
whose lustreless eye and detected air
showed that she was the prey to the deep
est melancholy. Suddenly arousing her
self, she said in hollow voice, Not one
of you know what trouble is
viii you please, Mrs. Gray, said the
kind voice of lady who knew the story,
tell the ladies what you call trouble.
will, if you DESIRE she replied, for
| 1 have seen it. My parents possessed
competence, and my girlhood was sur
rounded by all the comforts of life. l
seldom knew an ungratifed wish, and
was always gay and light hearted. I
married at nineteen one | loved more
than all the world beside. Our home
was retired, but the sunlight never fell
on lovelier one, nor on happier house
hold, Years rolled on peacefully. Five
children sat around our table, and a little
curly head nestled in my bosom. One
night about sun down, one of those fierce
J black storms came on which are so COM
mon in our Southern climate. For many
hours the rain poured down necessarily.
/ Morning dawned, still the elements "a
we'd. The whole Savannah seemed ahoat
The little stream near the dwelling be-
came raging torrent. Before we were
aware of it, our house was surrounded
by water. l managed with my babe, TO
reach little elevated spot, on which a
few wide-sPreading trees were standing,
whose dense foliage afforded some pro-
lection, while my husband and sons strove
to save what they could of our property.
At last fearful surge swept away my
husband, and he never rose again. La
( dies, no oAe loved husband more, but
that was not trouble.
Presently my sons saw their danger,
and the struggle for life became the only
consideration. They were brave, loving
/ boys as ever blessed a mothers heart, and
watched their efforts TO escape with
such agony as only mothers can feel
They were so far off l could not see
them closing nearer and nearer to each
other as their little island grew smaller
, and smaller at every moment.
The sullen river ragged around the
, huge trees: dead branches, upturned
trunks, wrecks of houses, drowning cat
tie, masses Of rubbish, all went floating
past Us. My boys waved their hands to
, me, then pointed upward. l knew that
, it was a farewell signal, and you mothers
, cannot imagine my anguish, saw them
all perish, and yet-that was not troub-
lie.
:, 1 Rugged my babe close to my heart
I ard when the water rose to my feet
. climbed into the low branches of the tree
r and SO kept retiring from it until an AL
] Powerful Hand stayed the waves thai
= they should come no further All my
! worldly possessions were swept away
a all my earthly hopes blighted-and tha
D was not trouble.
4 Ny baby was all had left on earth
I labored night and day to support hin
e myself, and sought to train him in tn
= right way; but as he grew older, evi
t companions won him away from me; h
II ceased to care for his mothers counsels
: he would sheer OF her entreates and ago
: nizing prayers. He left my humble roc
/. that be might be unrestrained in the pur
?. suit Of evil; and al last, when heated b
IF wine one night he took the life of fe
Is low being, and ended his own upon tb
l. scafold. Ny Heavenly Father had fill
ed my cup Of sorrow before, but now
z ran over. That was trouble, ladies, sue
lie as l hope Ills mercy viii spare you fror
= ever experiencing"
l. There was no dry eye among her Ii.
lie teners, and the warmest sympathy wa
1t expressed for the bereaYed mother, who's
sad history had taught them useful les
OF son.
D.