Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-01-12
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA,

from worlds literature-when scrap ot
paper was put into her hand.
The reluctant eyes glanced over the
scroll. She pansed-for one moment
crushed it-threw it on the floors stamped
it under her feet-and commenced her
Lecture.
During the delivery of this lecture, her
face was observed to flush up several times,
and then become deadly pale: still contin-
ual effort ogercame the emotion, whatev
or it was, and the lecture was completed
amid the deafening applause of the multi
tude.
i With rather more haste than usual, the
beaassfu lecturer rut aside her admirers,
and hastened into her carriage. When she
arrived at hopee she shut herself in her
Iprivate apartment, while her attendants
looked on in dismay-
The note received at the commencement
Of her lecture was written by her old Sun
day-school teacher Mrs Loyctruth, and
ran in these words:
My Dear Pupil-Y our Mother is dying
and longs TO see YOU, before she closes her
eyes forever on this world. Nothing
earthly, can absolve you from duty and af-
lection to one who gave you birth. Amid
the awful wreck of your faith, are there not
still on the tablet of Your memory some
faint tracingS Of the word of life? O pom
der we'll before you refuse your parents
last request.
Your true friend
ELLEN LovETRUTH.
Every word Of Holy Scripture she had
ever committed to memory while sunday
school scholar of the writer Of this note
now stood out in bright glowing relief from
the tablet Of Minerals memory. Every
glimpse her mental vision had, ever per
ceived of the happiness of Heaven, of the
horrors Of He'll, now like appalling spectres,
haunted her troubled memory. Terror
filled the poor young girl as she realized
her lonc.incss-yet her pride forbade her
to see X witness to her weakness. Her
adopted mother, her counsellor was gone;
OF whom could she seek comfort or coun-
sci None. To 90 to her dying mother
would be an inexcusable weakness-she
might be betrayed, in the absence of
her best friend, into ruinous weakness
might be betrayed into compromise of
her philosophy. At length she came to
the consoIing conclusion that it was a trick
played upon her credulity; and undcrthis
deIuSlon she undressed and went to bed
She closed her eyes and endeavored to
sleep, but that soother of woe came not at
her desire. The DYING mother. the words
OF the note, the scripture longslfUu, still
from her minl--osss;;I ~ ft{ts. fss Verse, chapter
after chapter, before her vivid recollection.
! And if all this be true, sin, death, eternal
life or death, an offended God, crucifed
Saviour, what will become Of those who
have scofed at religion, and blasphemed
Gods Holy Word.
The agony of thought became so intense,
this young reprobate, who had in early
:. childhood, received the holy rite of Baptism,
who WAS made a child Of God, was trained
in the religion of the Cross till the age of
eleven years ; this apostate, trained, educa-
ted exalted champion of infdelity, trcmbIed,
and quaked for fear of her righteous Judge.
= Only eighteen years of age, though mis-
| guided, her heart was not yet hardened
entirely. The good seed sown in early
life, was too deeply rooted to be wholly
eradicated at so early an age. Actual sins
, of enormity had not yet barred the door to
remorse or hardened the heart against the
still small voice of conscience.
o With her adopted Mother it was widely
z" different. No loving Saviour had ever been
:, presented to her infant mind. No
IL God Of Judgment or mercy, no promises OF
" heaven, no threats of hell. No blessed
} water of baptism had sealed her a child Of
God, and thusmade her aparty, in covenant
with her Maker. No pious teacher haC
taught her infant lips to lisp the Saviouri
RS name. All was dark, hard, cold impeni
S trable no fears alarmed, no hopes allureC
her. Her all-absorbing thirst for fame, fo
), aduIation, like canker at her heart wa
ID sapping the fountain of her hopes, her fears
G. which was to end at all events her morta
Sc life And she was content to have it so
knowing no brighter, purer or more endu
nj ring reward.
r. Minerva arose from her wretched, gui
'h ty pillow, and rang the bell with all he
power. 4 servant came
a %! Nancy, is it YOU? am glad it
t" YOU
le' Well, poor child said Nancy, | am gla
"a too, what can | do for YOU?
OF 20! Nancy, promise me you will neve
Ter never, tell what am about to say
Ill 4 promise,' said Nancy, and now VIII
, is it,
he l have this night, said Minerva receive
by a note from my old Sunday school teach
zen Mrs. Lovetruth, begging me to 90 to II
ell mother who is now lying at the point
m death, and wishes to see me before she di
os, O! Nancy tell me what | must do. Mar
ma is absent and know shall incur her d
der pleasure if 60 Q tell me Nancy, WI
not will be best to do
If YOU will do, as think you ought, Y
Pu- will 90 at once to your dying mother.
1er- What right has any one to keep a ch
S OF from her dying mother9
men Go, surely Co. said Nancy.
tied And if | take your advice Nancy, Y
zen will not surely tell upon me. Mrs. Woc
ties, byman will never forgive me. She v
her think it such weakness. And then
if-O! Nancy.
ng If what 2 asked Nancy.
con IF / should be SO weak as to listen
&C those | shall find there. Then, all onr
With rious plans for the elevation of our sex
W. l. n