Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1859-01-28
nARE WE RICH -? II0TEER."
" Mother, are We rich ?'

Mother, are We rich Z"
ayes, darling, very r;ch," answered
Mrs. Lawrence, quietly, as she leaned FOR
ward toward the window, in tae deepening
twilight, to thread her needle once more,
for the last stitch in the garment she was
completing. There was something in her
tone which made little Anna turn and
look earnestly at her. There had been,
for the past half hour, an unbroken silence,
during which tho child had been sitting
in musing attitude, gazing earnestly III
to the glowing fire. The mufled sound
of the embers falling from the crate,
minglirg with the low murmur Of the
wind without, as it shook the falling snow
from the branches of the trees, only deep
ened her reverie. Now, Ler question re-
vealed the subiec. on which she had been
pondering.
"Do you really mean SO, mother? Are
are uery rich %
"Yes, my child. 1t is true; We are
rich; :; perhaps lot in the sense in which
you understand the wo-L but why does
my little Anna ask the question? Has
she not all that size can reasonably de
sire ?"
"Yes, mamma, surely" And Anna
turned and surveyed the cosy little Parlor,
With its blazing FIRE; the o.d-ilshi0ned
easy chair, with its worsted plaid covering,
in which, as she bad been tod, grand
ma" used TO sit, iu ber double. ruE..I cap
and spectacles, reading with claspel hands,
revereutly, tie Bible on ber knees; the
large old clock, which had stood fyr f.,y
years IN It's present position, Aud tod out
the hours now with the same regularity
and precision as when IL its youthful days
it vas placed there tie old mirror with It's
shining black frame, which grandpa used
to tell his eldest graEdchi!d, had been
bought with Continental money, aud cost
tcu hAV1sdL4 uv4la4S III Oil ~ ~ al
pet, now faded and ,hreadbare, tu; rea,
as household care could make tall these,
with the centre-table, covered with its
bright crimson cloth, told her, that st least
they were rich il comfort. But she was
thoughtful still.
"Why did you ask the question, my
child ?"
"Because, mamma, We had a new schol-
ar, to-day, at school. She told me that
her father was very rich, and asked me If
my mother was! l told her that did
not know, and SIZE thought that, strange.
p..S eaTu tnat sue WAS PROUD. Do
you think that people ought to be proud
of riches, mamma 2"
"NO, my child, unless they have OBJ
tanned them By their own industry, aad
then have made them the meaus Of sub
stantial good to themselves, or others
Even then, pride is not the proper feeling
1t should be gratitude to Him who has
given US the ability to acquire, aud the
wisdom to use our acquisitions Alright"
BY this time, the twilight had yielded
to darkness. Mrs. Lawrence laid aside
her work, and stood for some minutes 1t
the window, looking out pensively upon
the starless night and the Increasing storm
"God pity tie poor. God pity The home
less"' she prayed in the depths of her
heart; and then, with thanktulness fer
her own share of earthly comfort, she let
fall the full curtains, and turned to the
genial heart cheering warmth of her own
freside. Seating herself in the old time
hOnoged arm chair, she took her little girl
of ten years upon her Auee. The darkness
grew denser without, and the fire glowed
more and more cheeriugly within; ocea-
sionally, it sent up rich rudy gleam that
lighted up the walls, and the few old PIC,
tuIes that hung there, among them one
dearer than all, that seemed to smile pro-
lection upon the widow and her tatherless
child.
"My darling, | will answer your ques-
tion now, more fully. | said, truly, that
We are rich-no! in money, or in lands,
but in something far better. We are rich
in the proofs Of Gods love constantly sur
rounding US; in friends and health, in
home and happiness. Our wants are all
supplied by this good providence, and |
humbly trust, my child, that We are rich
in gratitude and love to God and man.
You have been too young, as yet, to know
the story Of the past; but yoa shall hear
it now, and understand how we, the wid-
owed and the fatherless, have been shelter
ed from the storms Of life, beneath tue
everlasting arms
"Your worthy father, whom you never
knew, was once, though not wealthy, III /
very comfortable circumstances. Prudent
and always thoughtful for the welfare Of
his growing family, he made preparations .
in the season of health, for time when !
rro,,,,ura ara or sickncsq rriDht crinul :. 7