The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-04-10

lonely life enough in her little school and
growing thin and sad. At last people
called her an old maid, and wondered
whether she had been handsome. could
have told them what she was, but never
spoke of her, and in time began to think
of the women and plan future life Owed
ded happiness.
Only longed with all my heart to see
poor Cousin John and ask his forgiveness.
Until then, l could not be at rest
thought of him, wandering over the
world lonely and broken hearted, and
could have wept.
l was thinking of him thus one night
when tap came at my door, and opening
it, saw stout, middle-aged man, whose
features reminded me OF some one knew.
"Mr. Avery in 2" he asked.
And 1 answered eyes, sir, walk in"
But instead of walking in, the gentle
man pressed upon me and Rugged me to
the breast of his great coat.
"Dont you know me?" he cried. '1'm
your cousin john
"Cousin Johnny poor, poor COUSIN"
/ almost sobbed. "Do you forgive me?"
"I'd orter," said cousin John, " for I'm
the happiest man alive You see l went
straight to D-when 1 came back, and
she was teachin' school there, and when
she saw me she run right into my arms
and know'd me in minnit. And tho l
have been pretty doleful all these years,
faint no account now. We're going to be
married next week, and she's as sweet as
ever"
And here my visitor opened his mouth
and fixed his eyes on vacancy, and | saw
before me the vertable cousin John of the
Olden time, and flung my arms about his
neck with shout of joy.
National Prayer and Humiliation.
A PROCLAMATION BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
The following is the text of President
LINcoLNs proclamation, briefly referred to
in our dispatches
Whereas, The Senate of the United
States devontly recognizing the supreme
authority and just government of Almighty
God in all the affairs of men and of ma
tons, has, by resolution, requested the
President to designate and set apart day
for national prayer and humiliation and
Whereas, 1t is the duty of nations, as
well as of men, to own their dependence
upon the overriding power Of God, to
confess their sins and transgressions, in
humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that
genuine repentance will lead to mercy and
pardon, and to recognise the sublime
truths announced in the Holy Scriptures
and proven by all history, that those ma
tons only are blessed whose God is the
Lord;
And, inasmuuch as We know that, by
His divine law, nations, like individuals,
are subjected to punishments and chas-
tisements in this world, may we not justly
fear that the awful calamity OF civil war,
which now dcsolates the land, may be but
q punishment inflicted upon Us for our pre-
sumptous sins, to the needfnl end of our
national reformation as Il whole people?
We have been the recipients OF the choic-
est bounties of Heaven. We have been
preserved, these many years, in peace and
prosperity. We have grown in num-
bers, wealth aul power Us 10 other
nation has ever grown. But We have
forgotten our God. We have forgotten
the gracious hand which preserved us
in peace, and multiplied and enriched
and strengthened us and we have vainly
imagined in the deceitfulness of our hearts
chat all these blessings were produced by
some superior wisdom and virtue of our
own. Intoxicated with unbroken success,
we have become toe. self-sufficient to feel
the necessity of redeeming and preserving
grace, too pround to pray to the God that
made Us
Il behooves us, then, to humble our
selves before the offended Power, to con-
TESS our national sins, and to pray for
clemency and forgiveness.
Now, therefore, in compliance with the
request, and fully concurring in the views
Of the Senate, l do by this my proclama-
ton designate and set apart Thursday, the
goth day of April, 1863, as day Of ma
tional humiliation, fasting and prayer. And
Edo hereby request all the people to alb
stain on that day from their ordinary secu-
lar pursuits, and to unite, at their several
places of public worship at their respective
homes, in keeping the day holy to the Lord,
and devoted to the humble discharge of
the religious duties proper to that solemn
occasion.
All this being done in sincerity and
truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope,
authorized by the Divine teachings, that
the united cry of the nation will be heard
on high, and answered with blessings, no
less than the pardon of our national sins,
and restoration of our now divided and
suffering country to its former happy con-
dition of unity and peace.
In witness whereof l have hereunto set
my hand, and caused the seal of the United
States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington this thirteenth
day of March, in the year of our Lord one
LIS. thousand eight hundred and sixty-three,