The Xenia sentinel. [volume] (Xenia [Ohio]) 1863-186?, 1864-03-22

OauIS aAu SdI uOHu On lne SOFA, one on 6dcA
side, and leaned their head against him.
There was something wrong in the house.
Their mother was i'll, suddenly and
strangely. No tongue yet had uttered the
fatal truth in their ears. They did not
know that they were fatherless. But they
felt the chill and shadow of impending
evil. Mr. Catherwood's heart grew faint
and his eyes wet. He could not trust his
voice to speak to the children; but he put
his arms around.
Mamma sick" said the little girl,
looking upat Mr. CatherwoOd with sober
face as he drew her, with atender, plying
impulse, to bis side,
''I'm very sorry" he answered her,
softly.
And Pm so sorry, responded the boy
"But the doctors coming, and he'll make
her we'll, he added in a tone Of conf
denee.
Alasfor the unhappy mOtherl Hers was
a sickness beyond the skill of any mortal
physician. Time only, 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 be-
side him we're waiting for some responsive
assurance from his lips.
Vague sorrows do not rest very heav-
lily on the hearts of young children. The
unconscious orphans, up later than their
usual hour, we're, presently, asleep, lean
ing against Mr.. CatherWood Their nurse |
came in and took them away How his
heart yearned toward those children
suddenly left fatherless. He thought Of
his own little ones, still within the sphere
of his protecting love; of his wife, still
leaning against him as her stay in the
world; Of himself, safe from the peril Of
shot or saber-stroke, and involuntarily he
looked upward, and said Thank God /" !
The doctor came and stayed an hour
With Mrs Lester, Life moved again
through her pulses, but unconseiously
continued. There was nothing that Mr.
CatherWood could DO for the family, and |
SO he returned home. His wife came in
soon afterward the relatives and friends
of Mrs. Lester having arrived and taken
her place in the chamber Of the still insen-
sible widow. Her eyes were red with |
weeping for the sorrow of another-her
face pale with pain for the suffering Of
another.
ooh, Henry! Isn't this sad, sad !"
And Mrs Catherwood laid >her face upon
the shoulder of her husband and sobbed.
Poor Mrs. Lester!" she added "It
will be better for her if her eyes never
open again to the light of this world. If
it were not for the children, I could wish
she might pass away and join her husband
in the other world.
Mr.. Catherwood made no response. He
was thinking of the complaints he had
uttered little while before and of his
impotence and weak dependency under
his small share Of the common burden
which great national calamity had laid
on the peoples shoulders
"GOd has been very good to me, Hen
ry, said his wife, breaking in upon his
thoughts" very, very good I have my
husband. Oh, if you are spared, I will
suffer whatever evil may come and seal my
lips in silence. Poor Mrs. Lester Ny
heart runs over with sorrow at the thought
of her"
"YOu have not complained" " Mr. Cath
erwood spoke, in elf-humiliation at Is
l who have murdered; I who have been
ungrateful How selfshly blind I was
Looking inward upon our own little world,
with eyes jealous over. our own good
fretting and anxious because the cost of
living had so increased that some of our
luxuries must be given up; while thous-
ands and tens of thousands had been called
to abandon every thing-homes, estates,
friends, even life itself Yesterday, met
a soldier OF the street. Both arms were
gone, and the empty sleeves of his coat
hung loosely at his sides 1 shall not
soon forget the expression of his fneface.
There was humiliation in it. The ulti-
mate power of a man is in his hands and
arms; aud these we're gone. If he had
lost both legs, his arms remaining, the /
active mind would yet have the agents by
which to work its will But, the arms
gone, he is helpless. He can notput food
into his mouth-he can not dress himself
He must be almost entirely dependent up
on others. Twas haunted by the mans
image long after [ passed him in the
street"
at is by contrasting another's evil o
with our good that we see the greatness E
1f our blessings" replied Mrs. Gather h
wood. "Oh, my husband Let US be 4
,hary with complaint, lest, being account h
ID unworthy, our good be taken away A
What if we find our income too small for n
,ur way Of living? Then, let US cheerfully n
itep down little lower and thank God /
or what is left. I lay awake at night, Of +,
en-, thinking of those who are suffering +
Up to the very climax of human endur- h
lnce for their countTy's sake-of poor e
efugees, old men, tender women and n
TOung children-driven from their homes; :,
lunted by bloodhounds; hiding in swamps &
nd caves; hungry, sick, dying OF the "
wounded on battle-felds, perishing alone
# the sick wasting in the hospitals-of q,
he myriad forms of anguish this war has =
listed upon our people Oh, Henry "
ur burden is so light that it is sin to q,
omplain." n
"Say no more, darling! returned Mr.. p
81 am sufficiently rebuked h.
]Ome what will, hereafter, my lips shall s,
e sealed" -
81 did not mean to rebuko you, Hen u y
y" ~ j,
"NO matter. I am rebuked. Com =,
laint came too quickly to my tongue cd ID
artly from habit, partly from selfsbDess, to to
nd partly from a disposition to look at of
be darker side Of things BUTT was all -
rong, weak, ungrateful and it shall Of
Ease. For what the good God sends I m,
i'll be thankful and the evil he permits g., g.
will try to bear with suitable patience. a.
t present my burden is Ight-very ei,
ght" w Nv
Many who think themselves the Iy
liars Of the church are only its Co
eepers. pr
There are two things which vou on