Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1864-04-23
Is anything wrong thereY she asked
aIa'med by tie servants tone aud appear

Ips, ma an. lbeyVe got Oa0 news,
aud Mrs. Lester has fain ed dead away
News from Captain Lester2
T Yes, ma'am. He's killed they say
Mrs. Catherwood struck her hands to
geher, and uttered sn exclamation cf sur.
prise aud pain.
When DID it happenY asked Mr.. Gather.
wood. He spoke with forced calmness.
II face had become pale.
They didn't tell me sir. The girl was
all in a furry, and said, Please ask Mrs.
Catherwood TO come right in
No delay occurred Without stopping
for shawl or hood, Mrs Catberwood rau
in to her Offl cled neigbbor Mr. Gather.
wood followed soon after thinking he might
be Of some ue. He learned that dis
patch bad been received announcing the
death of Captain Lester in Western Vir-
ginia, and that Mrs Lester had tainted on
receiving the intelligence, and was still
insentible. Two children, boy and girl
one six and the other eight years of came
with noiseless steps into the parlor. On
seeing Mr.. Cotherwood they paused with
o timid air. He held out his hands, and
they came and sat down on the sofa, one
him. There was something wrong in the
house. Their mother was i'll, suddenly aud
strangely. No tongue yet had uttered the
faral truth in their ears They did not
know that they were fatheress. But they
felt the chill and shadow OF impending
evil. Mr. Catherwood heart grew faint
aud his eyes wet. He could not trust his
voice to speak to the children; Lu be pot
his arms around them.
Mammals sick, said the little girl, look
| ing up at Mr.. Catherwood with sober
face, as he drew her, with tender plying
impulse, TO his side
I'm very sorry, he answered her, softly
Aud I'm sorry, responded the boy. But
the doctors coming aud he'll make her
well, be added, III tone of confidence
Alas for the unhappy molberl Hers
was a sickness beyond the skill of any NOR
tai physician Time ouly, with Gods
mercy and loving kindness, could heal the
hurt Of her soul
Mr. Catherwood did not reply though
he felt that the little troubled hearts beside
him were waiting for some responsive as
surance from his lips,
Vague sorrows do not rest very heavily
on the hearts of young children. TIE IN
concious orphans, up later than their usual
hour, were presently asleep leaning against
Mr. Calherwood Their nurse came in
and took them away How his heart
| yonrned towards these children-snddenIy
lef, falberless. lie thought Of his little
ones, still within The sphere of his pro- ect'
ing love; of his wife, sill leaning agaiu't
him as her stay in the world; of himself
safe from the peril of shot or sabre stroke,
aud, involun'nry he looked upward, aud
id--Thauk God!
The doctor came and stayed an b our
with Mrs Lester. Life IN we'd again
tn ough her pulses, but unconsciou'Iy con
tinued There was nothing that Mr.. Cath
erwood could do for the family, and SO he
returned home; His wife came in soou
afterwards; the relatives and friends o.
Mrs Lester having arrived and taken her
place in the chamber Of the still inSenSblt
widow Her eyes we're red with weeping
for the sorrow OF another, her face pale
with pain for the suffering of another
On, Heuryi Isn't this sad, sad! And
Mrs Carherwood laid her face upon The
shoulder of her husband and sobbed.-
Poor Mrs. LeSte'! she added. 1t will
be better for her if her eyes never open
again to the Eight of this would. If il
we're not for her children, | could wish she
might pass away aud join her husband ii
the other world.
Mr.. Catherwood made no response Ill
was thinking Of the complaints he had Ut
tered O little while before, aud of his i'm
patience and weak dependency nnder hi
small share of the common burden whcl
a great national calamity had laid on lh
peoples shoulders.
God has been very goo1 to me, Henry
said his wife, breaking in upon bis thoughts
very, very goodl / have my husband
Oh, if you are spared, will suffer what
ever evil may come and seal my lips il
runs over With sorrow at the thought o
her.
You have not complained, Mr.. Gather
wood spoke in sell-humillatiou. 1t is
who have murmured; / who have been IN
grateful. How selfshly blind l was!-
Looking inward upon our own little worl(
with eyes jealous over our own good, fret
ting and auxioIs because the cost of lvins
had so increased that some of the luxure
must be given up, while thousands and ten
of thousands had been called to abando
everythng-homes, estates, friends, eve
life itself Yesterday, | met soldier o
the street. Both arms were gone, aud tn
empty sleeves of his coat hang loosely a
his sides. | shall not soon forget the eS
preston of bis 6ne face. There was hr
initiation in it. The Ultimate power of
man is in his hands and arms;--and thes
were gone. If he had lost both legs, hi
arms remaining, the active mind would ye
have the agents with which to work il
, will But, the arms gone, he is helpless
He cannot put food into his mouth-h
cannot dress himself. He must be almo'
! entirely dependent on others. | was haun
ed by the mans image long after | pasSe
!, him in the street.
1t is by contrasting another's evil wit
our good that we see the greatness OF ou
blessings, replied Mrs Catherwood. o!
my husband! Let us be chary OF complain
e lest, being accounted unworthy, our goc
I be taken away, What II we find OF
4 income too small for our present way
!, Iiving1 Then let us cheerfuIlv t<een dow