Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1860-11-09

In vain all prayer. slowly, more slowly |
the wheels went round, and the pulses like
ebbing drops, fell fainter and fewer, until
one calm night in summer, the waters were
scarcely stirred.
She lay quietly; smile upon her lips,
her hands folded.
81 have longed to see him. she said 81
have prayed earnestly, but l have given it all
up now. shall not meethim in this world"
"Have you put the light in the window ?"
she asked suddenly, earnestly, few mo-
ments after. 1t is growing dark"
Alas! it was not the light that was
growing dark.
Her hands grew cold. Over her coun-
tenance came that mysterious shadow that
falls but once on any mortal face. 30, my
boy! my boyl" she whispered, "tell him,
they bent low to catch the falling words
-"tell him will put light in the window
of heaven toguide his footsteps there"
The thrilling sentences were hardly |
spoken when the shadow dropped from the
suffering face, and it smiled in the calm
majesty of death.
Then followed the funeral; humble
hearts attended the funeral of one who was
loved for her sincere goodness, all through
the hamlet; and on the ill-side, in a little
graveyard she was buried.
Not many days after, great ship came
into the port of busy city. Among all
those who stepped from her deck, none
were more hopeful, more joyous than young
Henry Locke. He had passed through
the ordeal of sea life, so far, unscathed.
No bighting immortality had fallen upon
him. He had kept himself as spotless as
if at every nghtfall his feet had been turned
towards the door of his mothers cottage
How his heart bounded as be thought of
her! Strangely enough, he never dreamed
she might be dead. 1t did not occur to
him that perhaps her silver locks were lying
under the lid of the coffin. o, no! he only
thought of the pleasant light in the window,
that her hands had trimmed for him.
Beautiful and bland was the day on
which he travelled again the long accus-
toned road How pleasant now to go
homo with sufficient to provide for the
comforts of that dear mother! She should
never want again. He would take her to'a
better home and give her the luxures which
he had once longed to see her in possession.
That old arm chair--she should have a
new one easy in motion, elegant in mate
rial. The faded shawl that he had seen
folded year after year; the old fashioned
bonnet, with its one band of Grape; there,
yes, everything should be replaced by
newer and better. The flowers on the road
all smiled as he looked toward them; the
very kline seemed to him turning their
meek eyes at the sound of bis strange foot
steps, to know that his heart was glad with
love and anticipation. Hope on, dreamer
Yonder comes one who trudges on Ian
guidly-a farmer in heavy boots and frock,
his whip in hand. He cheers on the lazy
oxen, but suddenly stops amazed.
81 see you know me-" said the young
sailor, smiling, "Well, Farmer Brown, how
is N.Y.
t"Kuow ye? Why, how tall ye are. So
his eyes drop, his mouth trembles-"so
ye've got homeP'
ayes, and glad enough to get back again
--how's mother9"
"Your-mother" he says it in that slow
hesitating way that telegraphs ill-tiding'
before they are told in words.
'Yes, is she we'll is she expecting me
Of course she is; we are late by month
full"
"Your mother, Henry, well-the ole
lady"-he plays with his whip, or rather
strikes it hard on the dusty road. How
can he crush that happy heart?
"There, you need not speak p cried tho
young man in voice of sudden anguish
and he recoiled, almost staggering, from tn,
farmers side, and buried his face in hi
hands.
"Henry, my poor lad, your mother is"-
"Don't, don't !" cried the other, showing
now face from which all color had fed
80, my mother my mother! she is gone
) gone-and | am coming homo so happy !!
For some moments he sobbed in agony
How dreary the world had grown! Th
flowers had lost fragrance, the sun warmth
his heart seemed dead.
: "Henry, she left message for you" SAID
the old man, wiping his eyes with tn
sleeves of his frock.
)" "a message for meT 1t seemed as
o the white lips could hardly speak.
ayes; says she, $50 my dame told m
o and so the minister said d)-"tell Henry
will : at light in the window of Heaven
y to guide his footsteps there"
"Dd she, o, did she say that Go
bless you for telling me! All my long voy
G age l have thought of the light in her ii
@ tie window. Ihave seemed to see itstrcan
e ing along down to the foot of tho hill, til
: it grew brighter and brighter as l dre'
5 nearer. A light in the window of Heaven
1t Yes, mother, will still think you are wal
u ing for me, l could not see you in thes
long years, but knew the light was burr
7, ing. will come, mother"
q a Slowly and reverently he went to Ii
u hillside graveyard, and there he knelt an
y wept upon her grave. But not there /
At thought her. A sweet vision was vouche
u to him. All robed in heavenly garment
~ he saw the beautiful soul he had cale
mother, and streaming from the brightne'
1t of her glorious home, slender beam SCENE
70 to come trembling at his feet. Then b
D. knew that the light was placed in Il
ID window of Heaven.
N Once more he knelt in the little rooI
in where he had last left her Nothing WI
m removed but oh, how much was wanting
e, There on the window sill stood the lit