The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-03-14
What Is Trouble 2

| A company of Southern ladies were
one day assembled in a lady's parl0r,
when the conversation turned on the
subject of earthly afiliction. Each had
her story of peculiar trial and bereave-
ment to relate, except one pale, sad
| looking woman, who's lustreless eye and
detected air showed that she was prey
to the deepest melancholy. Suddenly
arousing herself, she said i'm hollow
voice:
"Not one of you know what trouble
is"
"WIll you please, Mrs. Grey" said
the kind voice of lady who well knew
her story, "tell the ladies what you call
trouble ?r
'I will if you desire it," she replied,
"for I have seen it. My parents pos
sessed a competence, and my girlhood
was surrounded by all the comforts of
! life. seldom knew an ungrateful wish,
and was always gay and light-hearted.
/ married at nineteen years one ] loved
more than all the world besides. Our
home was retired, but the sunlight
never fell on lovelier one or happier
household. Years rolled on peacefully.
! Five children sat around our table and a
! little curly head still nestled i'm my
| bosom. One night about sundown one
of those fierce black storms came on,
which are so common to our Southern
climate. For many hours the rain
poured down necessarily. Morning
dawned but still the elements ragged.
The whole Savannah seemed aflOat.
The little stream at the back of our
house became raging torrent. Before
we were aware of il our house was sur
rounded by water. / managed with my
! babe to reach little elevated spot, on
which n few wide-spreading trees were
standing, whose dense foliage afforded
some protection, while my husband and
sons stroye to save what they could of
our property. At last a fearful surge
swept away my husband and he never
rose again. Ladies, no one ever loved n
| husband more, but that was not trouble.
presently my sons saw their danger,
and the struggle for life became the only
consideration. They were as brave,
/ loving boys as ever blessed a mothers
/ heart, and / watched their efforts to
escape with such agony as only mothers
I can feel. They We're so far off could
not speak to them, but i could see
them closing nearer and nearer to each
other as their little island grew smaller
and smaller.
"The sullen river ragged around the
huge trees; dead branches, unturned
/ trunks, wrecks of houses, drowning cat
/ tie, masses of rubbish all went floating
/ past us. My boys waved their hands TO
me, then pointed upward. l knew il
was farewell signal, and you, mothers,
can imagine my anguish. | saw them
all perish, and yet-that was not
trouble.
al hugged my babe close to my heart
and when the water rose to my feet
climbed into the low branches of the
tree, and so kept retiring before it unit
an All-pOwerful hand staid the wave;
that they should come 70 further.
was saved. All my worldly possessions
swept away; all my earthly hope.
blighted-yet that was not trouble.
"My baby was all had left on earth
/ labored night and day to support him
and myself, and sought To train him in
the right way, but as he grew older evil
companions won him away from home.
He left my humble roof that he might
be unrestrained IN the pursuit of evil,
and at last, when heated by wine one
night, he took the life of a feliow-being
and ended his own on the scaffold. My
heavenly Father had filled my cup OF
sorrow before; now it ran over. This
was trouble, ladies, such as l hope His
mercy will save you from ever eX-
periencing."
There was not dry eye among the
listeners, and the warmest sympathy
was expressed for the bereaved mother,
whose sad history had taught them q
useful lesson.