The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1862-06-25
The First Bitter Lesson.

nv Havs. He was the Idol of both old aud
youue and his sudden decease, by terrible
accident. sent u thrill 81 grlct and horror
through the entire community. l was too
Young to share in these feelings to any extent
yet brief childish regret mingled tor time
with my happiness. knew the dead were
buried deep in the earth ; there was a grave
yard full of them Just by the church, and now
they would put Harry Hays there too, and
he never would carry NE across the meade"
brook again, or throw into my lap any more
nice red apples, as he had done only the day
previous What pity that Harry bad died
1t was lovely Autumn afternoon when
we started 10 attend the funeral. was nev-
er more light-hearted than at that moment,
when, attired in my hest clothes and accom-
panied by my parents, walked along the
shady road leading to the village church. 1t
was such Joy to live in this beautiful, smiling
world; birds, insects, the very suDbeamS,
seemed striving to unto their influence to in
crease my happiness. | entered the house of
worship with much the same feelings, bat was
iustantIy awed by the spectacle Of the coffin
with its black covering. and the rows OF sad
looking people in sable garments, occupying
the seats OF mourners. Somehow everybody
looked sober and fearful and there was .!lmmy
Hays, bright little fellow, whom | had never
before seen crying, really sobblng by MS
mothers side. How strange it all was My
thoughts strayed to that dark, narrow dwell
ing. We should LOOK at aim by and by, and
would his bright eyes fash as usual and his
singing voice tai! pleasantly upon our ears
Why no be was dead, and dead folks could
not open their eyes, or talk, or ever Know
anything any longer Why, then, did they
put those pretty flowers upon the coffin ? he
could not see or smell them for all ne loved
flowers so much and always knew where the
first and most beautiful were poisoning.
Could it be true that Harry was lying cold
and stiff like the poor man they had buried
the week before? How could such change
come so quickly? He had passed by our
house singing happily the very day he died,
and they said not an half hour afterward that
he was silent and iteless. If he had been old
and trembling like his grandfather, who was
sitting in the front pew, it would not have
seemed so strange; but to have been so young
mystery could not iathom.
The services commenced, but | gave them
not moments attention. | could look
through the windows and see the birds fitting
about from tree to tree. A pretty yellow one
had perched upon rich Mr.. Browns high mon
ument. What pretty grave that was to be
sure flowers all around it, and dropping
willows and marie angel, so white and
beautiful, upon the summit, pointing upward,
Then thought of the ragged man | once saw
at the churchyard gate looking at that monu-
ment and shaking his head, and saying, That
angel points not to his home lis easier for
camel to 90 through the eye Of needle,
than for rich man, who has stolen the in
heritance of the poor, Gespised the widow S
tears, and poisoned with strong drink hun
dreds of his fellows, to enter into the kingdom
of God. That money, which shall be curse
to his descendants even to tae fourth genera.
ton, that money can buy fine things here, but
not there What could the ragged slan have
meant? Ah the choir were singing, and as
we turned around there was that very rlct
mans family in the pew just behind U.s.
What splendid bonnet Miss Fletty wore
all lace and flowers, wheu she should have
put on mourning for her father, as everybody
SAID. Who could those ladies be by the RICH
Of the pulpit, wearing such nice dresses
There were plenty of shabby folks in the house
too. would not nave worn such old clothes
for anything.
With thoughts similar to these | busicC
my mind while the services were progressluE
until became weary and impatient for thel
conclusion. How long it did take the minis
ter to preach Mama said We should not b.
in the house great while. What could n
be saying! At last listened with u child
indifference 10 the good mans voice ANA as
did SO d chill suddenly SHOT thl ough my frame
and my cod hands seized my mothers ara
with conyuIsive grasp, as il they would nav
borne her away from tho dark spirit whic
the speakers words mad brought SC vivid,
before my eyes. In his solemn sentence
there was such terrific carncstncss such Ter
rbe truthtuness! The azure sky, the pleas
ant sunbeans toe light OF day itself, scenes
| to pass in an Instant away, and | was IN tn
shadow OF death. Vel 90 remember thos
words, ougraven in one moment upon M
heart anu becoming more VIVID and slgnltI
cant during each year of this worlds lite
They possessed only the cloquence OF truth
were but an expression of the experience @
e each passing hour Our kind pastors voic
$ seemed changed to cruel tones as he slowl
nronouncel these words: Nil that Is beau