Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-02-27
aMistellauu.
The Voice in the Heart.

Pierce Richmond took up letter which
had Ii-t been brought in, and glanced al
th, sJJper.cription-.' Hon. Pierce Rich
mond - lie had seen his name thus writ
ten often enough before: but il suggested,
Just now. a curious continuation of the
train of thought which had been absorbing
him. Ii was his pride to be self-made
man. and he had been going back. this
morning. over Il halt-century, and remem-
bcrins hi, boyhood The little brown cot
tage with the thickc-t OF sweet brier round
1t freighting the summer air with fragrance,
Wa Il pretty spot when he lived therc-the
only son Of his mother and she widow.
H. could see it, looking back, a. plainly as
ii the fifty years were only a mist OF morn
iuo rolling away from before the we'll
known scene How pale and quiet, by ten
der and long suffering, his mother was
He felt again her fond kisses. and remem-
hcrci how her hf.~ used to tremble when
She called him her Iatherles- boy And
AGAIN his veins seemed to thrill with boy
i-h pride OF the old days when he sat be-
side her and told her that he would grow
up stout aud strong able to DO Il man,
work among men. and then she never should
fHIi 20 NtdEtlA Win It-f hcttilc any HlOIc
ii She had but lived. and he had had her
To- work tor. perhaps i would have kept
hi~ heart fresh and uu>e!fi~h. But ht
~hivcred again with throb OF the ole
AGONY. a. he remembered how he had toUnC
her one morning with - smile frozen on hel
still lir- Il look of peace on her white face
and knew that the lip, would never wei
come him any more. or the eye. rest on
him with their sad tenderness-that hi
mother had cone from the land where sh'
wa- a pilgrim to the home eternal III the
heaven
How h, pitied himself, this morning o
which ! write. recalling that time, tiftl
wears ago. when he was only twelve. anc
hi- mother had left him alone. \ shy
shrinking hoy he wa then, despite hi
great faith in his own future. mothe
hoy." as the phrase * in the country, ant
quantity touching. it always seemed to me
lie had been all hiS life under her gentl
wing. and now he could find there no NOR
shelter
Vet hi lot Wa not intolerably hare
He was apprenticed by the town authori
tjee. to prosperous farmer: and he had
comfortable home, no more work than wa
reasonable and little schooling i'll VIII
Ter But no one loved him-this boy VIII
had lived hitherto. in atmosphere
mother-love-and So his proud sensitiv
heart grew cold and hard He cared ft
no one but himself. and though he did h
work faithfully. he endeared himself
none. lie seemed 10 live in a world of h
own. into which he was not disposed to ope
any doors. Strong purposes grew into h
nature in his silent musings. He woul
make himself a name, position, career
But all his plans ended. as they bega
with himself: and it is sad thing when
human being has none else to live for.
When he was twenty-one, with his - fre
dom suit on his back. he marched ava
from Freybure. and went out into tt
world 10 begin the career which, throus
all those brooding years OF his solitary bo
hood. ne had been planning. will n
weary YOU with the processes by means
which he achieved success. Enough tn
he esteemed himself at last to have reac
ed it. He was a rich man, well known
financial circles; and term In Congre
had given him right to the title of hon
upon his letters.
Pretty WE'LL he said aloud. after