Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-10-07
Gods Little Messenger.

/
this you ?" / turned and looked at tb
speaker. 1t was an old classmate, Rich
ard, with whom / had agreed to pas
few weeks, and whom / had not seer
for years before. After we had pushed
our way through the noisy crowd anC
were seated in bis carriage, looked a
him again and exclaimed, "Richard
how you have altered how differen
now from the wild youth Of old!" "Y es
Norman, rffsfs fsvs Sssn many tHange
with me since we parted, but the great
est has been here" said be smiling anC
gently touching bis breast. "Humph,
was my ejaculation, which elected no re-
ply.
That evening, as be, his wife, and my
self were walking in the conservatory
and | was adniring some jasmines, he
said to me. Norman, | have yet little
treasure to show you, and although it is
small, it is great-greater than all these
almost the greatest one / have. Car
you guess p
When we went back to the drawing
room. he showed her to me-his beauti.
ful little girl, his only child, his little Bes-
sic. / was not fond of children, at least
| thought so, but strangely did that li:tle
maiden win her way TO my heart--to my
o ! d bachelor heart. Eight cloudless
summers of her sunny life had passed
and had each one, as it gently glided by,
left with her all its charms, she could not
have been more beautiful.
That evening sweet in memory to me,
we became firm friends. She loved me
because when she asked papa, he said he
did. She sat with me a little while, and
told her an olG fairy story, which most
strangely came TO my remembrance and
then after she, her father and myself, had
had frolic, she went to bed.
The next day we all went out for
drive, and delightful one we had. Lit
tie Bessie was as bright and beautiful as
the day, but sometimes there was a
strange expression upon her face which
troubled me as being beyond her years.
AS | was with her father | said some
thing jeeringly about Him who had led
the only pure life upon earth. Richard
said not a word in reply, but motioned
me TO look at little Bessie. She was
gazing into my face with look of min
gled horror and surprise, an expression
such as | never saw before or since, and
which | shall never forget. She gazed
10 for moment. No one spoke. Never
lad anything before been able to make
ne feel that religion was above my scott
ng remarks ; but as | glanced al that
title face so earnestly endeavoring to
cad mine, and saw the little maid burst
nto uncomfortable tears, felt certain
hame that in the presence of one SO pure
should have spoken what perhaps she
lad never before heard. Then she look
d at me in sort of plying way and said,
/ thought you loved my Jesus ! o how
ould you say that of him ?" During the
est Of the drive she lay upon her fathers
eson in perfect silence--no one spoke.
The next day was alone in my room,
linking of all that occurred, and a
TRANCE and unaccountable feeling OF seri-
usness was creeping over me, a sort of
,nging TO be like her, when suddenly the
tile maid was at my side. i started as
saw her and met the tender gaze Of
I'VE and pity which she bent upon me-
Ter little hand was laid upon my arm,
nd for moment both we're SILENT
hen the silence was broken by the
ords, Wont you love my Jesus !" and
he was gone. could not ridcule that !
vely spirit, and yet some demon within
y soul tempted my soul to do so. The
ext morning, and the next. and the next. ,
e little maiden came in the same way,
i'd the same words, and disappeared 4,
never answered her and at no other {
me did she allude to the subject, but she
,yer failed to come at that morning a
,ur. One morning said to her, almost
"Tell me how, Bessie y
be looked at me a moment, and the next d
as seated on my knee. And the words I,
at fiowed-those simple, childish words, Il
which she told the tale Of Christ's love
ever, never, shall forget them. My :
'es we're far from dry when she went v
way, and there was less of sorrow on a
II face than usual. And morning after
orniug she came, and seemed never
cary of telling the sweet tale
But one morning she did not come
waited long time but in vain. No
tie feet came pattering along the hall. u
0 little hand was clasped in mine. No a