Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-05-01
Vol. 67.-342O. No. %.

~ uuts NOOOuy ~ .au all tue time or SUE
lerng all the time"
You are in the prime Of life others Of
your age are at work in the Masters vineyard.
Doesn't i pain you that You are doing moth.
ing for Him."
IL did at one time. | said, oil I'm
good for is TO make trouble for other people,
aud use up my husbands money. Butt was
made plain to me that they also serve who
only stand and wait | might be nothing
out cold, fat stone in sidewalk, made to be
troddeu on, and fit for nothing else. But IL
the Masters hand put me there, ought not
to complain that He did not let me form part
Vi palace instead. We can't all be serv.
ants; some of us have got to be served, and
am Que Of them"
DO you expect to get we'll z"
My physicians do not tell me what TO ex.
pect. | know that may live many years;
out also know that may be called away at
any moment"
How dreadful Such life of suspense"
| am quite used to it now. At FIRST,
did not know how to act when | found
| might die at any moment. But after
wards reflected that this is true Of ev-
cry human being. | do not expect to do
,uythiug it would not be fitting 10 do, just
when the summons came. And il is very
sweet to think that | may get my invitation
aud go, without the grief and commotion
my death would have oecssioned when my
children were all young and needed me-
But your husband-could you bear to
20 and leave him alone?"
" My husband is older than |, and hope
ne may go first. God has always been so
good to US, that | think be will"
" But you could not do without him.
You would be left entirely alone"
Yes. But whenever my heart ached, 1
could remind myself that it was my heart,
not his, and rejoice that he was spared this
suffering. You see, everything has it's good
side"
BY this time the ravens were exhausted
aud flew away.
Aud now let US see whether this faithful
sufferer was doing no work in the great vne-
yard.
Here are six homes where she is quoted
every day, almost every hour. Her children
nave all learned her song as she used to sing
It to them in her nest, aud they are teaching
1t to theirs. Cheerful endurance lights up
aud beauties every life. And the influences
going forth from these lives are beyond COM
putation. And here are friends who love
ner only less than her husband and children
10 who have watched her all her life long,
and have borne the burden and heat of the
day, in humble imitation of the patience with
which she bore hers. They have never heard
a murmuring word fall from her lips. They
nave always heard her wonder what made
God SO good to her wonder that, full Of dis
aipliue as her life was, she had SO few trou-
oles Aud they have gone away rebuked,
with lessons impressed on their memories that
should bear fruit she might never see, but
should be refreshing 10 every weary day. And
those who were with her when death stole
away three cherubs from her heart, knew that
1t was not stoicism that made her refuse to
complain but thank God that she had had
them for season, enjoyed them while they
we're hers. and could feel that they were
safer happier with Him than they were with
ner. Yes, when she wept over the little
graves, she caught sunbeams even then, and
aid, A." Though lie slay me, yet will trust
III Him."
The truth is, our own hands have more to
DO with shaping our lives than we fancy
We cannot control Providences, nor ought
We to wish to do SO. But we can be willing to
see the silver lining to the cloud, to nurse
the Gagged sorrow till the captive sings" to
count up our mercies through those dark days
when the rain falls and is never weary, know
ng that it never rains always.
Aud now lot us go back to the sick room,
which, to its patient occupant, has 90 long
been prison.
She has grown old, and her strength has
I greatly declined. She cannot talk much now,
aud no longer hears earthly voices. But she
knows what our eyes say to her when our
tongues are silent
Yes, knew you would come to me as
soon as you heard of it; so kind Of you.
Every body is kind. | wish had strength
TO tell you all about it,. We had lived to-
gether fifty years He died on our golden
wedding day. He had been unusually we'll,
aud we had laughed together over our young
married life. The children were ali here,
with their children; the house was like =
beehive, every bee humming. He said it re-
newed his youth to see them; l'm sure it did
mine. Well, they all assembled here in this
room, and the children gave US their presents.
Their father told them all about our wedding
day so long ago, and every time he stopped
talking, to rest little, said: Every mile
stone on our journey marks a mercy there's
u new one. Aud il will be so to the end
Father smiled; for you know l couldn't hear
a word he said but l always did say had
mercies when other people had miseries. At
last he had said all he had to say, and Robert
you know my Robert is a minister-Rob-
ert knelt down, with his brothers and sisters
and the children about him, to pray. Father
knelt just here by my side. with my hand in
mis-. 1t was a solemn time. was with
them in spirit, though | could not hear. But
when they rose from their knees father kept
on his. We waited little while, and then
Robert and Eigar went aud lifted him up.
Well, thought it would be thus. God was
always so good to us; he'd slipped away SO
gently that nobody heard him 60.
Don't grieve for me. The parting will
not be for long. My old feet will soon be
tottering after. God is keeping me here
little longer to give me time to tell my friends
all about this crowning mercy, and then l
shall go. 1t has been great shaking but
think could hardly have borne to 90 and
leave him Alone
As she faltered forth these words slowly
and at intervals, her children and few dear
friends standing about her, watching the smile
that mingled with her tears, a sunbeam
darted suddenly into the room and lay, line
Of golden light across the bed. She laid her
cold hands 10 it, in the tender way in which
she would clasp that of friend, and said:
"I've had nothing but mercies all the days
of my life"
Aud so she passed painlessly away, "play-
ing with the sunbeams to the last.
No cheating nor bargaining will ever