The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1860-09-06


and golden fruits Of charity and love a
heart in whose pleasant and goodly paths
the angels love to walk with their shining
faces, and of whom they wrote, "Of such
is the kingdom Of heaven"
The minister found the family in thekitch-
en- where we left it utterly crushed down
by 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 fluttoring over
her face, which seemed frozen to stone,
and her fearless eyes fastened in a blank
! gaze on the WALL and it was well, perhaps,
that alarm for her reason or her life had
somewhat iverted the thoughts of the dea-
con and his daughter from the dead TO the
lviTg, though it seemed to the minister that
the last hour had done the work of wears
on both Of them
"My Friends said the minister, speak
ing in his deep, solemn tones, al should
not have come into your house of mourning
tonight, feeling that the Lord could speak
to your hearts better than l., remembered
that 1T was twenty-iour years ago this very
month when you brought Reuben up to the
altar to dedicate him to his God, and felt
that had right and title to come" And
these words unlocked Mrs Palmer's face
She turned suddenly to the old man as
the vision OF that Sabbath morning rose
and walked up its long path of years and
stood before her.
81 see him sec him :" she sobbed out
"with the little brow N curls a dancin' round
his face, and the merry brown eyes blinkin'
under them. My little Reuben he was
the sweetest baby that ever gladdened a
mothers heart, and | was so proud of him,
am thought God would spare him to be
the staff of his mothers old age because |
had given ali the others to him. Oh, Par
son 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 one kiss
when he looked up for her face for the
last time."
The old man sat still, overwhelmed BY
this mighty burst of IA mothers agony.
He closed his eyes for the tears that i'll
med them, and felt that for her he had
neither help nor consolation.
"The Lor gave; and the ord hath taken
| away; blessed be the name of the Lord"
The low solemn tones Of the preacher,
scarcely above whisper, fell into the
hearts Of the hearers and still,d them. ns
man never could, as only Gods can Bless.
| ed Bible, words which we read over in the
morning lesson and evening service and
| never know the iullness and richness, the
depths OF meaning there are in them, till
some awiul sorrow OF our own touches the
springs, and then we 20 in, and 10 these
Oh familiar pas 'ageS are like stately r. ON,
resting on massive pillars, and garni,hed
and adorned with all fair and beautiful
thing; or they arise before us Ike gardens
filled with trees, whose branches are bur
dened with gold and purple fruits, whose
winds are full of the breath of sweet flow
| ers, and whose silence is stirred by the
vol Of soft falling waters; amid which the
| soul may walk aud be refreshed.
Oh, reader, Tor you, too, sooner or later.
must come this time when all earthly help
! shall taii you-whcn no human words can
be of avail or healing to YOU, aud in those
silent and awful SORROWS, when ONLY the
voice qf God can speak to the heart, YOU
too may find what it is to have the windows
of the promises opened. and your soul shall
sit down under their blessed shadows and
| be healed
Days passed away \ young man walk
ed along the country road slowly and wea-
rly, leaning upon stout oak staff; his face
was CHASTITY white, and he wore the blue
uniform OF the 'Iontinental.." He had a
/ tprrihla wound a., h;y L..
had been left on the battle field for dead.
He opened the back gate softly, and sazcd
all about him--at the wood pile in one cor.
ner of the great yard near the sunhowcr
stalks, and the small ounce trees which
grew on one side OF the old brown home
stead of Deacon Palmer
Suddenly the kitchen door opened, and
| Rebecca Palmer came out of the door with
tin basin in her hand, and the mans
heart lcaped as he heard her say, in her
quick way
" Never mind sprinklir' them clothes,
mother, Ill attend to il as soon as I've hunt
ed up few o them winter pears to stew
for supper and he saw the light rapid
figure hasten round the corner of the house
to the old pear tree just in the edge OF the
P"S'"'O, "hiOH nc lcHetHUeTeu cllHiDlnH so
many times in his boy yhood, and amid whose
branches he had gathered the ia Ted birds
nests every fall He followed the quick
figure stealthily, and stood still a moment
just outside the bars, aud she did not see
him, for her back was turned, and she drop
ped down on the yellow grass, and was
searching amid it for the fruit which the
wind had shaken off.
Becky, Becky, say?"
he turned quickly, and as her eyes fell
upon his face ghastly palor crept over
hers. She covered it with a shrek, not
loud, for it seemed to lie for very terror in
her throat
"Why, Becky, do look up here! Now,
havn't you got b tier welcome than this
Tor your brother when he's come back from
/ hn l,nI