Middletown transcript., 1873-08-23

| ueT P'tty anu ~ VIE, tnueeu, an uHttt-
ing moment, when. bending over the desk
he exclaimed, Farewell. beautiful spirit !.
Child Of God. farewell. Thy dus. We
will commit TO the embrace Of its mother
earth, but Heaven is now thy habi,ntion.
Mary Norman" The little children
those whom she had so patiently taught
in the Sabbath Scheol--wcre bowling their
little heads around her coffin. and weep
ing most bitterly. as the friends Of the
deceased prcrnred to remove il frou the
chanoel to the yard
They lowered the coffin down into the
grave; and. as the minister repeated.
earth 10 earth. dust TO dust. and ashes
to ashes" a groan so hopeless. SO start
ling. so sorrowfu. broke from the lips of
Henry Norman. that an involuntary cx-
clamatinn Of pity ran through the assem-
blasc-,he turf was heapcd up above the
remains, tho crowd slowly retired, and
Henry Norman stood once more beside
his own hcar,hs,onc, broken.hcarted
man The next day he left the village /;
whittier none knew, nor was clue given
by which he might BE- found Il was un-
dcrs,ood he hal transferred his law bust
ness 10 another member Of the bar.
Il
Ten years had run their cycntful rounds
Time the consolcr, had started, aud
assuagcd the tears Of many rcgret--,hc
/ young were old. the old were in the grave.
and although the moss had grown dark.
cr greer. aud the trees wore thicker f.
liage in the little churchyard Of -, is
Sabbath bell still rang out its hallowed
strain upon the swee, cool winds Of the
Summer Sabbath morn The old minis
ter had been gathered - his rude fore.
fathers burial placc--or rather, slum-
bercd hehra'h that chanccl. above which
he had 50 often wcpt over the errors Of hi.
fellosman The village had nrrcnsl it,
population, and is boundaries aud the
distant railroad ear might be heard thun-
I dering amid the hll>, whose solitude tn
years before had emily been Invaded uy the
{ huHter's rifle. or the wootlmans nxe
Time, which alters BY its soythe !!e form
and fashion ot nature. spare, not man
aud 1t is not surprising that he whose
{ heaR had wthered beneath the blight ol
sorrow, should lear upon III, brae the
SHOWS Of tha ley storm, whose chill la.
/ frozen the warm current Of his hopes for
ever
\ stranger Ind entered til sllasa ene
Saturday afternoon. hul gane directly u
+ the parsonage NIX occupied tt . yaung
minister. who hal been but few week,
/ installed n paster in place II lbe deceased
i frienl anl counsellor. the venerable nm
wha was now sleeping 50 calmly nenr the
j spot ul his former lahors he young
minister hal entered upon his duties uhler
many disadvantages. iua.mnsh As hi>
i predecessor hal been ,nsa u ,lyurite, that
/ il was difficult II please. whera eamrafi.
+ sous were going on III the minds II his
auditor. between the departed aud hi,
successor However, his amiahla deport.
ment. his unassumiag manners. hs ltiec
Tomato earne>tness. hal wau upau the
majority Of his congregation many of
whom were heard to declare that. though
they wouli rather hear their old preacher
Than any eiher yet. a. it had pleassd
/, Heaven IL take hiia from his lalars. they
knew nsne WIN could ill his place ),
wof,hily rs tn Rey Nr !Illais
suil 4 stranger arrived IN the village
now WI all knae what n sensation an ar.
rival makes in ,mall community Tn
young aud til. oil. the dog aul his mas
ter The sranlnm anl the uiehiu, arr n
on tipt5e Il know et7 the traveller is, an
ehat i, Iii, business
perhars Nr Nill4r~ was aware Of thi
popularity II orr rare: however tha
my be. about t~a haafs afterwards, !
notice appeared On taa courthouse door
aud similar unr an the little market
h1nsr, that +" the l,ev Mr.. Norman
recently arrived from India, would preatl
on the morrow n the church
Curiosity 10 see the man who had si,i
ted that empire. anl held communion
with tie inhabitants Of a country abound
ins with the valuable metals aud precion
stones. drew together great numbers
though for tho honnr Of humnn nature
IL hoped there nsrr mang prompted tha
morning TO 60 10 chuteh from wor;hie
motives.
The service was read by Mr. tilars
aud although the stranger sat in the rca
nf tho pulpit. Jet. owing 10 the manner u
its construction, nothing but the top 0
his heaa-whinh was Us white as snow
could be seen
The yoioo Of the stranger could b
heard occasionally in the responses, mn
10 many its tones seemed no, unfamiliar
At length. tn service through. Ii
stranger rose to address the congregation
What was my astoniahment to behold i
the clergyman, the long absent. uanr
forgotten Henry Norman But. oh h.,
altered His head was rrematurel
white, aud his face. though calm. told /
the beautiful words Of Ghapin, thar
Death VAS Al work in his manhood hour
Yet was tho minister composed. His di.
course was ehaste aud beautiful. aud COCA
sianaly impassicuea.
| know not why ! should have cnte,
tanned sIoh thought. but did. that III
church ward of - was to be the resl