Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1862-01-28

gentlewomen. feared had neither the
patience nor the tact to be successful in that
employment besides, possessed no accom-
plishments technically so called. My edu-
cation had been chiefly impaired by my
1 father, and was not only desultory but of q
! very unusual kind for a girl. l knew some
! of Greek and a good deal of Latin, was
thoroughly familiar with English literature,
and more than tolerable mathematician;
but these are not what most parents wish
to have chiefly taught to their daughters,
and they stood me in poor stead of Shower
knowledge.
| l succeeded, after time, in procuring
some embroidery to do. l worked early and
late, and managed to earn about half enough
to pay our expenses. soon, however, dis
I continued this attempt As the warm
weather came on my mother began TO fail
rapidly, and the physician whom called to
attend her took me aside and told me there
was no hope. He said her constitution was
thoroughly broken-that consumption had
already seized upon her, and in an organi-
zation like hers its progress could not be
slow. She could not live longer than the
falling Of the leaves, perhaps not so long
In the mean time all that could be done
was to keep her as quiet and happy as pos.
sible.
When l went again into our room she
saw the trouble upon my face-she, who
from childhood had been able to read my
every thought. A person older and more
discreet than 1 might have evaded
her anxious inquiries-I could not.
had never kept even a momentary secret
from her. threw myself on my knees be
side her and sobbed out all that the doctor
had said. Her lips moved. l knew that
she was murmuring an inaudible prayer.
Then she bent over me and folded me in her
arms.
ooh, darling, darling, how can be sorry
that am going to Him? And yet, if it
were Gods pleasure, l would gladly stay
with you, my poor, helpless girl. Do not
weep at our Fathers will, Gertrude 1t be-
comes His children to submit to it-no, not
to submit-to receive it thankfully; for we
know that beyond all our seeking and
thinking He is good"
From that day gave up all employment
for her; one duty of waiting on my mother.
l nursed her read to her; ; talked to her;
/ guarded her from every pang which love
could ward off. knew we had money
enough to last us while she would be spared
to me; farther than that did not think or
question.
That summer, with all its pain and sor
row, was a blessed one. 1 went down with
her into the night, but looking up out of it's
darkness, l caught glimpses of the eternal
morning, fairer than any morning Of earth
which was to break for her there. From
afar its glory shone, even on me. almost
saw the waving of the heavenly trees, the
CLEAN of the heavenly waters-almost
heard the eternal new song which the hun
dred and forty and four thousand are sing
ing forever at the throne of God.
Late in October she left us. Was it death.
or was it translation?
During the three days in which her dead
body lay in the room which her living pres
ence had consecrated sat beside it in q
sort of trance. l think | scarcely expert
enced pang of anguish. All selfish sor-
row was subdued by strange feeling of
nearness to the infinite world-a profound
sense of the glory and majesty of that
change which we call Death.
But this state of exhaustion passed en-
tirely away from me, leaving me hopeless
and almost helpless, like child alone in a
boundless desert, when l had left her in
| grave at Greenwood and came back to the
room where l could no longer see the glory
of the strong angels presence, but only re-
member the darkness of the shadow of his
wing.
TO BE CONTINUED.