The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-05-28
OTTUMWA IOWA, THURSDAY MAY %, 1868.

it in; then stealing one more kiss, she left
him to his slumbers. ::and sat down on her
daughters bed, she was also sweetly asleep
with her dolly hugged close to her. Her
mother smiled, but soon it seemed that gra.
yer and sadder thoughts filed her mind, q
indeed they did. She was thinking Of her
disappointed plans. To her, not only the
past month, but the past year seemed to be
one of fruitless effort 1t seemed to heI
broken and disjointed even her hours Of
religious meditation had been encroached
upon and distracted. She had accomplish
cd nothing that she could see, but keeping
the house and family, and to her saddened
thoughts, even this seemed to have been
but indifferently done. Yearnings for some.
thing better she was conscious Of.
What did she need then To ses some
of the results of her life work To be con
seious of some unity of purpose, some weav-
ing together of these life-thrtads, now SC
broken and single
She felt, she was quite sure, no desire to
shrink from duty, however humble, but she
sighed for q comfortable assurance of what
was duty. Her pursuits, conflicting as they
did with her tastes, seemed to her frivolous
She felt there was some better way of living
which she had failed of discovering. As
she leaned over her child, her tears fell fast
upon that young brow.
How earnestly wished that mother that
she could shield her child from the disap.
pointment and selfreproaclfes and mistakes
from which she was then suffering; that
the little one might take up life where she
could give it to her, mended py all her own
experiencence. It would have been great
c c,mfort could she have felt that she could
have fought the battle for both. Yet she
knew that it could not be so-that we must
all learn for ourselves what are those things
which make for our peace. With tears still
in her eyes, she gave the good night to the
child and with soft step entered the adjoin-
ing room. and there fairly kiseed out the
the year on another chubby cheek which
nestled among the pillows, and then sought
her own rest.
Soon she found herself in a singular
place. She was traversing vast plain no
trees were visible save those which skirted
the distant horizon, and on their top there
rested wreath of golden clouds. Before
her, traversing towards that distant light,
was female. Little children were about
her, sometimes in her arms, and sometimes
at her side. As she journeycd on she bus.
led herself caring for them. Now she sooth
ed them when weary-now she taught
them how to travel, and again she warned
them Of the pitfalls and stumbling blocks in
the way. She helped them over the one,
and taught them to be wary of the other
she talked to them of that golden light that
she kept kept constantly in view, and to-
wards which she SCENE d fastening with her
little flock. But what was most remarkable
was, that all unknown to her, two golden
clouds foated over her, on which reposed
two angels, before each was a golden book
and pen of gold One angel, with mild
md loving eyes. peered constantly over the
right shoulder, and the other over the left.
They followed her from the rising to the
setting of the sun. They watched every
word and look and deed, no matter how
trivial. When it was good the angel over
he right shoulder wrote it down in his gol-
len book when evil, however trivial, the
angel over the left shoulder wrote it down
n his book. Then he kept his sorrowful
'yes upon her,until he found penitence for
he the evil, upon which he dropped q tear
,pon his record, and blotted it out, and
10Th angels rejoiced. To the lockers on it
seemed as if the traveller did little which
vas worthy of such careful record.
Sometimes she did but bathe the weary
set of her children. and the angel over the
light shoulder wrote it down. Sometimes
he did but wait patiently TO lure back some
title truant who had taken q step in the
vrong direction, and the angel oyer the
light shoulder wrote it down.
Sometimes, with her eyes fixed on the
;olden horizon, she became so intent upon
'er own progress, as to let the little pilgrims
t her side languish or stray then it was
he angel over the left shoulder who lifted
he golden pen and made the entry. follow.
ng her with sorrowing eyes, seeking to blot
out. If wishing to hasten on her jour.
ley, she left the little ones behind, it was
he sorrowing angel recorded her progress.
low the observer felt, as she looked on,
hat this was faithful reco I'd, and was to
'e kept to that journeys end. Those
trong clasps Of gold on those golden books
lso impressed her with the belief that they
vere to be sealed for a future opening. Her
ympathies were strongly excited for the
raveler, and, with beating heart, she
Iuickened her steps that she might overtake
Ter and tell her what she had seen, and en-
leat her to be watchful and faithful, and
'atient to the end in her life's work, for she
lad herself seen that its results would al
'e known when those golden book should
% unclasped that she might not think any
luty, which it fell in her way to do, trivia
or there was an angel over her right SHOULD
Ter, or one over her llett, who yppld record
t all.
Eager to warn her Of this, she gently
ouch al has Tha -. wo1or k,,rr AI and che