Middletown transcript., 1868-08-15
For The Mi@dlotoicn Transcript,
Fireside Angels.


1.-THE following article was sent to us for publi-
cation, as the composition of 'school girl."1
Let the hearth be ever SO humble there
is lowering around it an angel of mercy.
The little infant, the mothers bud of prom
Use, whose sparkling eyes, dimpled cheek,
and merry laugh, will never cease to live
fresh upon her memory and as she moves
each little plaything, or touches each va
cant dress, or moves from sight the little
shoes and stockings, how forcibly will she
be reminded that in that bright home she
has an angel whose influence is felt even
here on earth; and down sits the mother
and father shedding tears of sorrow, whilst
they are encouraged to bear the burdens of
life, with an assurance that their angel
band has already began in the land of
Spirits.
1t was balmy night in June, and lights
were beaming from every window in the
farmhouse; the guests had assembled, and
silence prevailed until it was broken by
the faltering voice of the aged pastor,
when all eyes were turned to witness a
scene that no pen can portray. She came
forth leaning on the arm of her young hus-
band, and oh how sweet she looked,
dressed in her long, flowing robe of white,
wreath of orange blossoms encircled her
hair, while her long, flowing veil fell care
lessly over form that the sculpturer might
envy for subject. But, ere the honey
moon had closed, death had claimed her for
his victim; the fond parents had buried
from their sight, one that was ever so dear.
GI,a s,aa,,,a1 az has bo,,,a l,lya n
angel and when death had disrobed her
of this mortal coil, she was more like an
angel than ever. How often, when her
bereft partner sat at twilight, his mind
would wander through the vista of time,
and with eyes glistening with tears of sad
ness, would console himself by knowing
that his forsaken home had an angel robed
in white lowering over it.
What awakens in the mind a greater
emotion than the love of mother, when
she presses her frst-born to her bosom,
watches over it, and longs to hear the first
iisping word, Mamma" and the first re-
sponsiye smile is hailed with such ecstacy
and as each little dimple is formed in it,
cheek, the doting parents often realize il
the little pratler ire-side angel on earth
Little did they think that in few shor
months their fond hopes were not to be re
allied long on earth, for there, shroudet
and palled, lay their first bud of promise, S,
suddenly nipped by the icy fingers o
death.
Let us look back at our late civil war
and see how many homes were left desc
late Of their fre-side angels, who had lai,
their lives at the shrine of liberty. The,
left the family hearth, perchance, reluct
antly; and many an aching heart they left
who prayed daily for their safe return bu
alas in an unexpected hour, the tiding
of death was echoed and re-echoed to tina
home. Mourning and sadness depicte
every face, for their loved one had fallen
martyr in distant land, with no kin
hand to raise the aching head, no hand t
wipe away the fallen tear; but thcr
he lay. stranger in a strange land, wit
no one near him to shed tear of love o
his bier, but away from that spot, rendere
dear to them. were gathered a group {
friends to weep bitter tears for their love
ones.
- Let each of us live so we may be an ar
gel of mercy, whilst we are even clothe
in the habiliments of earth; but strive sti
more arduous to be an angel, when deaf
disrobes us of that which is earthly, and
our sphere of usefulness, let us, by OF
kindling influence, teach some useful LEI
son to those that are akin to us. I'll
number of tire-side angels can mere /
told; but, we may well say, every fre-sid
has it's angel.