The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1859-11-24
coUDERsPoRT, POTTER COUNTY,

Here he stopped, for his road now lay
in an opposite direction but he gaFniAl- /
ice litrle hyrnn, book, and told her td
keep it in remembrance of an cid friend,
prayed that God would himselfteaeh her
the only way to be happy, both here and
1hereaf, Ter. 70 gg0f e6j o1 s5asisp1bnI 80
Alice went on, popdering over the
ltrange. words she had heard. She paus-
ed at the NNilsol S cottage, and watched
her friend Ellen basily engaged making
an tidy before her'fsthef'S retern.9 30 +
she thought, IL ann sure that Ellen has
the light that the gentlemanspoke of, be-
cause she loves God, and that may be why
she is happy, while am miserable" but
she had DO time for further thought, for
che heard the angry voice of her mothe,
screaming, " Come along, you idle little
gaeabond, or Ii see if l cant make you
walk smarter!' Sass ...-....-.. --.s ....
Poor Alice hastened on with her bur
den, bat did not escape an angry blow as
she entered the cottage. The sticks
would not burn, they only sslnouldercd
among the embers, for they had been gatlf-
cred from the nearest and dampest corner
If the wood aud after fresh torrent Of
abuse, the poor child was sentsupperless
to bed. She lay shiverng on her straw
pallet, thinking that she could never sleep,
and feeling that all was very dark, both
without and within.
.s But children dc not often lie awake,
even when Geld and hungry; so-Alice fell
asleep, and she dreamed dream. @
She fancicd it was day, and time for
her to take Nancy, TIE COW, to the till-
side but when she reached the door, there
was scarcely any light coming from the
sun, for a dark shadow seemed OYER it,
and there was a mysterious chill in the
air, just as she Remembered d feeling when
there had been a wonderful eclipse
{" Mother mother!" she cried, running
into the cottage again, "why is it SO
dark f." as sEs .
Dark !" repeated her mother, "apd
the sun shining so bright. You're not
awake yet, or you're blind, or idle, aud
that's more like to be the way of it, Get
to your workx child, or I'll give you a
beating tilatll make you~see right"
Alice did not wait second bidding;
but as she went out again, she met sever
al people, and when she spoke t6 thern of
the darkness, she saw that they only wen
dercd, and thought that she was 'bfpd /;
but there was an unusual lfstW III the Vii
son S cottage, so she turned in there. El-
In stood with her little bohnet and hood
on, and a small bundHs and dslantern i j her
hand. i 2 7-aa's
, 90! Ellen" she said, where are you
,sSplg2g gsSlggg.?"
Ellen looked as if surprised at the qucs-
tioh: '@'I"cannot stay here she said;
this place. is too dark | am going to
the Beautiful country you have heard
about, that needs neitherthe sun nor the
moon to tighten it2 a:sTs.'
Alice asked, care you going alone2p
90, no !" said Ellen, "that would new
cr do. I have Friend with ne, though
you cannot see him, and he has promised
W tttHO i!C SdiCiy
.Aice asked if 1t would be long jour
ne. :. .a .aar
!" I am not sure" Ellen replied; "but
it is a pleasant road, and you see what a
bright light I have"
She held up the lantern. aad Alice read
in golden letters all around it, "Thy word
is lamp unto my feet, and a light unto
my path" ..., Is. s..a
"Father is going to follow me, con
tinued Ellen, ''and you must come too !;
but | have no time to wait for you"
So she-trimmcd her little lamp afresh,
and left her h5pe. @47'A A''
q Alice watched her as she fastened on
thfougil rugged deGle among the hills ];
sometimes the road looked very rough,
sometimes smoother again, but she saw
that the light which had burned duly
among the fogs of the valley, grew bright
er and brighter as Ellen ascended the
hill, till it threw quite glory over the
pathway and around her little figure and
Alice could see that the way was covered
with golden Inscriptions. One was, ":Her
ways are ways ofplcasantncss, and all her
paths are peace J" another was "This is
the way, walk vein it, But the one
that pleased Alice best was this: ''The
path Of the just is as. the shining light
that shineth more and more unto the per
feet day'h She gazed aud gazed upon
the ghttering words until she forgot. to
look anyT more at Ellen. At last She
seemed to hear confused noises, and
dreamed something about thunderstorm,
till awak ened by violent" shaking from
her mother, and astofm of angry reproach
for having slept1so long. 20 q -"
-r.The poor cbild ross. in a lhomsnt;, rand
hastened.toher morning work but tho
her dream was gone, its pleasant memory
remained' = Che eagerly told il dll to FL