The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-03-10

.ot'er "UOub INC cOIlnge, Wneh she lay
helpless upon the bed, and the neigh
bors came in to take care of her, she
would say, Put the little lamp in the
window, my Henry will be thinking
of it,
| Night after night, and ever until
her eyes grew dim, she would watch
the radiance of the Pickering light, on
y saying sometimes, Shall / live to
hear his footsteps? Will that feeble
flame still burn when my life's light
has gone out ?
| have prayed earnestly, but have
given 1t all up now shall not meet
him in this world Have you put the
light in the Window she asked sud.
denly, earnestly, few moments after,
1T is growing dark
Alas it was not the light that was
growing Cark.
Her hands grew cold, Over her
Ecountenance came that mysterious
shadow that falls but once on any NOR
tai face.
'Ohl my boyl my boyr she whis-
pered, tell him'-they bent low to
catch her failing words-'tell him that
l will put a light in the window of
heaven to guide his footsteps there
The thrilling sentence was hardly
spoken, when the shadow dropped
from the sufferers face, and it smiled
in the calm majesty of death.
A funeral followed; humble hearts
attended the body ofone who was low
ed for her sincere goodness all through
the hamlet; and on the hillside, in a
little graveyard, she was buried.
Not many days after, a great ship
came into the port Of a busy city,
Among all those who stepped from
the decks, none We're more hopeful,
more joyous than young Henry
Locke.
He had passed through the ordeal of
the sea Of life, so far unscathed. No
blight Of immortality had fallen upon
him. He had kept himself as spotless
as if at every nrghtfall his feet had
been turned towards the door of his
mothers cottage. How his heart
bounded as he thought of her -
Strangely enough, he never dreamed
she was dead. 1t did not occur to
him that perhaps her silvcry locks
were lying under the lid of the coffin.
Oh! no he only thought of the pleas
ant light in the window that her hands
had trimmed for him. SO he Journey
ed to his native town. Yonder comes
ono who trudges on laggingly-a far
mer in heavy boots and frock, his
whip in his hand. He cheers the lazy
oxen, but suddenly stops, amazed.
4 see you know me, said the young
sailor, sraiiing. 'Well, Farmer Brown,
how is------T ,.
Know you? why how tall you have
grown! So his eyes drops, his
mouth trcmblcs-'so you've got home
again
Yes, and glad enough to get back
how is motherr .. ..
Your-mother,' he says in slow
h6sitating way, that telegraphs ill IT,
dings before they are told in words.
Yes is she well2 Is she expecting
me? OF course she is; we're late by q
month, full .."
Your mother, Henry? Well the
old lady He plays with his whip
or rather strikes it hard on the dusty
road. How can he crush that happy
heart!
Thcro you need not speakr cried
the young man, in q voice of sudden
anguish; and he fccoiled, almost stag
gering, from the farmers side, and bu-
ried his face in his hands.
Henry, my poor lad, your mother
Don't, don't cried The other, show
ing now face from which all color
had fled. ...... ........
'Oh! my mother! my mother! sheis
gone, gone-and l coming homo so
happyv .>' -
For somo moments he sobbcd in ag-
ony. How dreary the world had
grown! The flowers had lost their
fragrance, the sun its warmth; his
heart seemed dead.
Henry, she left a message for you,
said the old farmer wiping his eyes
with the sleeve of his frock. :,
"A Message for me 1t seemed as
if the white lips could hardly speak.
Yes says she-so my dame told me
and so the minister said-'Tell Henry
will put light in the window of
Heaves, TO guido his footsteps there.
/ Did she, oh did she say that God
bless you for telling mo All my long
voyage have thought of the light in
her little window. l have seemed to
see it streaming along, along down to
the foot of the hill, till it grew brighter
as / drew nearer. A light in the win
dow Of Heaven2 Yes, mother, ! will
still think you are waiting for me. l
could not see you in these long years !;
but knew the light was burning
Slowly and reverently he went. to
the hillside graveyard, and there he
knelt and wept upon her lowly grave.
But not there he thought of her. A
sweet vision was vouchsafed him. All
robed in heavenly garments he saw the
beautiful soul he had called mother
and streaming from the brightness of
her glorious home, a slender beam
seemed to come, trembling to his very
feet. Then he knew the light was
placed in the window Of heaven.
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