Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-10-31
DEACON PALMER's FAMILY.
/ -Gnchided


stateliness and austerity OF manner beat a
heart where were all fair and fragrant blossoms
and golden fruits of charity and love q
heart in whose pleasant and goOdly paths
the angel Is loved to walk with their shining
faces, and ofwhom they wrote, "Of such is
the kingdom Of heaven
The minister found the family in the
kithen, where we LETT il, utterly cruChed down
by a grief which expressed itself neither by
means nor tears Mrs Palmer sat in the large
armchair before the FIRE, where her husband
had placed her, the crimson light futtering
over her face, which seemed frozen to stone,
and her fearless eyes fastened ina blank gaze
on the wall; and il was well perhaps that
alarm for her reason or her life had some
what diverted the thoughts ofthe deacon and
his daughter from the dead to the living,
though it seemed to the minister that the last
hour had done the work Of years for both OF
them.
"My friends said the minister, speaking
in his deep, solemn tones, ~ should not have
come into your house Of mourning tonight;
feeling that the Lord could speak to your
hearts better than but l remembered that
it was twenty-four years ago this very month
when you brought Reuben up to the altar to
dedicate him to his God, and felt that had
a right and title to come"
And these words unlocked Mrs. Palmers
face. She turned suddenly towards the old
man as the vision of that Sabbath morning
rose and walked up its long path Of years and
stood before her.
al see himl l see him n she sobbed out
"with the little brown curls dancin' round
bis face, and the merry brown eyes blinking
under them. Ny little Reubenl be was the
sweetest baby that ever gladdened amothers
heart and I was so proud Of him, and l
thouEht God would spare him to be the staff
of his mothers old age, because had given
all the others to him o, Parson Hunter, It
can't be true that ] shall never look into his
face again, never hear the sound Of his voice,
that he's lyin' of there on the battlefield, and
his mother was not there to smooth away the
hair from his forehead, or give him the kiss
when he looked up for her face the last
time"
The old man sat still, overwhelmed by this
| mighty burst of a mothers agony. He closed
his ewes for the tears that filed them, and felt
that for her he had neither help nor eonsola-
tion.
"The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken
away: blessed be the name OF the Lord
The low, solemn tones of the preacher,
scarcely above a whisper, fell into the hearts
of the hearers and stilied them, as mans never
: could. as only Gods can. Blessed Bible
words which we read over in morning lesson
and evening service, and never know the full
ness and richness, the depths ofmeaning there
are in them, till some awful sorrow OF our
own touched the springs, and then we 60 in,
and 10 these old familiar passages are like
stately rooms resting on massive pillars, and
} garnished and adorned with all fair and beau
tiful things ;or they rise before Us like gardens
! filed with trees whose branches are burdened
with gold and purple fruits, whose winds are
full Of The breath OF sweet flowers, and whose
silence is stirred by the voice OF soft falling
, waters, amid which the soul may walk and
be refresed Q, reader, for you too, sooner
or later, must come this time when all earthly
help shall fail you, when no human words
can be Of avail or healing to you, and in those
silent and awful sorrows, when only the voice
of God can speak to the heart you too may
iud whatit is to have the windows of the
D promises opened, and your soul shall sit down
under their blessed shadows and ne healed
Days passed away. A young man walked
1, along the country road slow and weariiy,
leaning upon a stout oak staff; his lace was
q CHASTITY white, and be wore the blue uniform
: Of the continentals. He had terrible
wourd in his right shoulder, and had been
D left on the battle field for dead. He opened
= the back gate softly, and gazed all about him
at the WO0d-pile in one corner OF the great
yard near the sunhower stalks, and the small
: ounce trees which grew on one side Of the
!. | old brown homestead of Deacon Palmer
: Suddenly the kitchen door opened, and ke-
> becca Palmer came out of the door with a
tin basin in her hand, and the mans heart
leaped as be heard her say in her quick way ;
q Never mind sprinklin' them clothes,
mother, III attend to itas soon as I've hunted
I'D a few O. them winter pears to stew toI
supper" and he saw the light, rapid figure
> hasten round the corner of the house; to the
b old pear tree just in the edge Of the pasture
Re which he remembered climbing so many
times in his boyhoOd, and amid whose
2 branches he had gathered the faded birds
nests every fall.
He followed the quick figure stealthily
and stood sull moment just outside the bar;
and she did not see him, for her back wa
turned, aud she had dropped down on thi
r. yellow grass, and was searching amidit FOL
the fruit which the wind had shaken of.
= Cheeky, Becky, say Z"
b, She turned quickly, and as her eyes fel
e upon mis- face, CHASTITY pallor crept owe
3. hers. She covered with shrek, not loud
for it seemed to lie for very terror in he
throat
HWhy, Becky, do look up herel Nov
haven't you got better welcome than thl
. for your brother when he's come back fror
= the dead like p
Al But she covered closer down in the grass
/ i 4 - Slvo4
Of the old pear tree.
f9See here, now, what on earth ais yOu
P If YOU take me for a spirit, Jest look up an
Ie ri be able to convince you I'm honest hes
and blood yetF'
He lifted her up with one arm, for SD
IL was too weak betwixt fright and wonder
zee resist; but the old familiar, hearty tone
Sie half reassured her! She lifted her face fror
her hands and looked at her brother nc
= ment with a strained, wild glance, and the
. the glad truth broke into her heart, for th
y hazel eyes had their old, roguish glanc'
:. though they were set in a pale, waste
z, face.
30, Reuben, Reuben, l thought it was
. ghost" and she fell upon his neck with vii
. sob of joy.
It was long before be could get her to tai
: nationally. She would throw her arm
E- around his neck, and hugging him tight,
no murmur such tender words over him betwil
: sobs and laughter as Reuben Palmer had nC
heard since he lay a babein his mothers cri
? 'You precious, darling fellow, have you rea
ly come back TO Us alive? Bless your hear
how white and changed you arel o, Re
ben, darlin', is it really you, or am dream
FL In p
And at last the girl grew calmer, and vi
able 70 tell her brother Of that terrible nigl
an when the awful tidinrs came of bis deaf