Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1862-08-11

DE OF suCn impressions, TO Heaven ana 10
God. lie had taught her to look to Him
as her Father, and to Heaven as he- home;
and his Instructions were not useless
Sometimes she would leave her little plays,
run to her mother, and putting her arms
round her neck, would say" Don't look
SO sorry, dear mother; you know my faith
er used to tell US, that although he would
not return to US, we should 60 to him, and
we should all he so happy together. in that
better land and never be sick any more,
and never have to part agaln''-then she
would kiss away the tears, and dart off to
her play, leaving the mourner soothed and
comforted, as if an angel had been sent to
say" there's rest for thee in Heaven
Her use and application of Scripture
were wonderful for one Of her years, for at
this time she had seen but five. One day
her mother, on taking her purse, found it
near y empty, and remarked !: Well, Ell
len,' | have but little money left, and when
that is gone | don't know what we shall
do" "Oh, mother !" exclaimed the little
prattler, as if Heaven directed, the barrel
of meal will not waste, nor the cruise of
oil fail" At another time, seeing her
mother dressing to walk out, she looked at
her for some time in silence, and then said
=" Mother, In the book which I read the
other day, it says, it is no matter how we
adorn these perishing bodies, if we only
prepare the spirit to meet God" Thus
out Of the mouth of this little babe, did
He in whose hands are the hearts of the
/ children of men," see fit to perfect His
own praise; and in that young mind i'm
plant high and holy thoughts, that He
might prepare her to be taken early to
Himself Thus, in her youthful days was
, she a blessed and guiding light, sent to
= bereaved, afflicted one.
Six summers came and went, bringing
f with them shade and sunshine, grief and
e gladness Our Ellen sometimes had her
G little trials, but for most part her. life was
one ancloQdsa bsightniass: Her charac-
During the spring which welcomed her
eleventh birthday, friend of my sisters
r came with, her orphan boy, then thirteen,
to pass the summer with us. There was
, much similarity in the lives of these friends,
$ they had loved as sisters; earl yin life they
D. had alike married the object Of their
: choice and alike had seen their hopes
q and affections withered over az early grave.
: This was the first time they had met since
their widowhood; and although the sad
= ness of each was chastened and conforted
e by that Blessed Spirit who heals the bro
ken in heart, they had many sorrows still
n to share, and many sweet anticipatioas still
d to participate. When they saw the indus
N try with which Frederick gathered the RI
N pest and richest fruits and berries for Ell
TO len, which she repaid by her sweetest and
- prettiest flowers, these young mothers could
,e not repress the dear hope, that their own
,r affection might be perpetuated in theil
,e offspring; forgetting even after the sac
" lesson they had learned, that our destinle'
Il are not in our hands.
n. I rscollect, as if it we're but yesterday
d an excursion my sister and myself made t.
III a sequestered lake among our mountains
! 1t was one of the widest and most unfre
in quented spots in nature. The sun neve
- smiled more sucetly since Creations morn
us ing, than he did on that bright day th
". sky was 80 cleaf we could almost see int
in the crystal depths beyond the whole al
I'd was redolent with the breath of violet
% and eglantines, scattered on our RICH
nd hand and on our left, while our own heart
nd joyfully re-echoed to the gladsomeness {
ter all things around us. We were alone wit
bo the children. After drive of niue mile
ful the placid waters Of the lake lay before u
,w rejecting on its pure bosom the azu1
is heavens, and the lofty cliffs that towere
la. in lofty grandeur far above it. The chi
oer dren had never been on the water, and
mo. our trusty coaehman loosed the fsstenil
,-o of the little skif and took the, oars, the
icb entreaties could not be resisted, and upt
and the drivsrs assertion, that he could row
er's larger boat than that, the tender mot
nly ers yielded, and our little voyagers el
nin. barked. We heard their merry voic
ING shouting and singing in the bouyancy
her youthful mirth, as their light bark glid
ing, over the transparent waters.
her So entirely had we been absorbed
and watching their progress, that small clio
sion had arisen, unobseryed by US and wh
lich 1t was too late, we saw it b!acken and
the crease, deepen and descend, till it Cal
S to within the mountains that encircled
So and hung, as if suspended by the hand
, as an angry God, in awful majesty and ter
orv. over those hel pless ones in the frail be
and There was not breath of air to rip
the waters, and we seemed shut into
ON. dark, unknown world, and almost suffo
,een ted by the intensity of heat and conf