The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-04-20
BIDDEFoRD, ME-, FRIDAY MORNING,
hand, rs if afraid, a. ,hat'mouent to read it

at lenght, he said aloud to the surgeon:
You know that am q poor man, and
debt, II justly incurred and panctually paid
when due, is no dishonor." Both his hand
and his voice shoot slightly Us he spoke
but he opened the letter from the lawyer,
and read il in silence. At this moment his
wife came from her child's bedside, and look
ing anxiously ut her husband told him " not
to mind about the money, that no man who
knew him would arrest his goods or put him
into prison. Though, dear me, 1t is cruel to
be put to 1t thus, when our bairn Is dying,
and when, 80 II be the Lords will, she
should have decent burial, poor innocent,
like them that went before her," Gilbert
continued reading the letter with face on
which no emotion could be discovered; and
then, folding 1t up, hc gave It to his wife,
told her she might read il II she chose, and
then put it into his desk in tho room. beside
the poor dear bain. Shs, took 1t from him,
without reading il, and crashed It into her
bosom for she turned her cdr towards her
child, and thinking she heard 1t stir, ran
out hastily to its bedside.
Another hour of trial past, and the child
was still swimming for its hfe. The very
dogs knew there was GRIFFIN tho house, and
lay without stirring, us IL hiding themselves,
below the long table at tho window. One
sister sat with an unfinished gown on her
knees, thai she had been sewi,g for the dear
child, and still continued al tho hopeless
work, she scarcely knew why; and often,
often, putting up her hand to wipe away u
tear. "What is that?" said The old man to
hiscldest daughter WHAT'S that you are
laying on the shclf?" She could scarcely
reply that 1t was n ribbon and ar. ivory comb
that she had brought for little Margaret,
against the night of tho dancing school ball.
And at these words the father could not re-
strain long, deep, and bitter groan ut
which the boy, nearest in age to his dying
sister, looked up weeping in his face, and let
ting the tattcred book OF old ballads, which
he had been poring on, but not reading, fall
out of his hands, ho rose from his seat, and,
going into his fathers bosom, kissed him,
and asked God to bless for the holy heart
of the boy was moved within him; and the
old man, as he embraced him, felt that, in
his Innocence and simplicity, he was indeed
comforter. "The Lad giveth, and the
Lord taketh away" said the old man |;
Z" blessed be the name of the Lord"
The outer-door gently opened, and he
whose presence had in former years brought
peace and resignation hither. when their
hearts had been tried, even as they now were
tried, stood before them. On the night be-
fore the Sabbath, the minister of Auchindown
never left his Manse, except, rs now, to visit
the sick or dying. Scarcely could Gilbert
reply TO his first question about his child.
when the surgeon came irom the bedroom,
and said, Margaret seems lifted up by God 8
hand above death and the grave | think
she will recover. She has fallen asleep; and
when she awakes, hope-I believe-that
the danger will be past and that your child
will live"
They were all prepared for death, but now
they were found unprepared for life. Ono
wcpt that had till then locked up all her
tears within her heart another gave short.
palpitating shrek; and the tender-hearted
Isabel, who had nursed the child when 1t
was baby, tainted away. The youngest
brother gave way to gladsome smiles, and
calling out his dog Hector, who used to sport
with him and his little sister on the moor, he
told the tidings to the dumb irrational crea-
ture, whose eyes, it is certain, sparkled with
a sort djoy. The clock, for some days, had
been prevented from striking the hours, but
the silent fingers pointed to the hour ofnine;
and that, in the cottage of Gilbert Ainslie,
was tho stated hour of family worship. His
own honored minister took the book.
lie walled portion with judicious care:
And let us worship God, he said, with SOL
emn mir. Achapter wasread-a prayer said;
and SO, too, was sung psalm but 1t was
sung low, and with suppressed voices, lest
the child's saving sleep might be broken
and now and then the female voices trembled,
or some of them ceased altogether for there
had been tribulation and anguish, and now
hope and faith were tried in the joyof thanks
giving.
The child still slept, and its sleep seemed
more sound and deep. 1t appeared almost
certain that the crisis was over, and that the
flower was not to fade.-
Children, said Gilbert, +" our happiness
is in the love we bear to ono another, and
our duty is insubmitting to and serving God.
Gracious, indeed, has he been unto us. IL
not the recovery Of our little darling, dane
ing, singing Margaret, worth all the gold
that ever was mined? If VIC had thousands
Of thousands, would We not fiji up her grave
with the worthless dross Of gold, rather than
that she should have gone down there with
her sweet face and all her rosy smiles? There
was no reply, but u joyful sobbing all over
the room.
"Never mind tho letter nor the debt,
father, said the oldest daughter. We have
all some little thing Of our own-a few
pounds-und we shall be able to raise as
much Us will keep arrest and prison at dis
lance. Or il they do take our furniture out
of the house, all except Margaret's bed, who
cares? We will sleep on tho floor; and
there are potatoes in the field, and clear
water in the spring. We need fear nothing.
want nothing: blessed be God for oil his
mercies."
Gilbert went into the sick-room, and got
the letter from his wife, who was sitting 1T
the head of the bed, watching, with heart
blessed beyond all bliss, the calm and regular
breathings of her child. "This letter," +" said
he. mildly, els not from hard creditor.
Come with me while read 1t aloud to our
children" The letter was read aloud, and
Il was we'll fitted to ditIuse pleasure and sat
isiaction through the dwelling Of poverty.
II was from an executor to the will OF q dis
tant relative, who had left Gilbert Ainslic
l500l.
"Thc sum-" said Gilbert, {" Is large one
to folks like us, bur not, hope, large enough
to turn our heads, or make us think ourselves
all lords and ladies. It will do more, far
moro, than put me fairly above the world at
last. believe that with 1t may buy this
very farm ON which my foreiathers have toll
ed. But God, whose Providence has sent
this temporal blessing, may he send wisdom
and prudence how to use 1t, and humble and
grateful hearts to us oil.
"You will bc able to send me to school oil
tho year round, now, father" said tho young
est 6oy. "And you may leave the fail to