Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-09-10
THE STORY OF JOCK WILL1SToM.

"To the island ? delightful let us go, of
courser'
"It's good piece of walking from the
landing TO the church, you know"
"How far2"
"About two miles-up hill and down
dale"
"Only two miles A mere nothingW we
chorused, smiling at each other as we re-
membered how impossible two miles OF
our native pavement might have seemed
on that midsummer day. But here, with
the wooing note of the sea in our ears, and
the strength of the salt air tingling through
our veins what might we not do and dareH
So light was the breeze, as we stood wait
ing on the beach, that we scarcely felt 1t
strike our raised hands yet the little boat
which came to take us off caught the soft
breath in her sails, and waited us across
the channel gently and noiselessly as a
spirit.
1 need not pause to describe the walk
that followed, although we remembered it
long aGterward with keen delight. The un-
dulating slopes robed with spruce and fir
of marvellous symmetry and color; the
gray outcrop of limestone rock rending the
crisp carpet of short grass, and dry, brown
moss spread along the roadside; the half
score little coves of wonderous beauty,
where fleets of small boats, like white
winged water fowl, rocked lazily at anchor,
and the blue water splashed softly upon
tiny islets, whose quaint rock-work was
veiled and garlanded by creeping vines
and nodding harebells; and-far oh-the
line where sky and ocean met, embracing
all with suggestions of the infinite harmo-
ny all these, then, almost unproianed,
are grown familiar in these later years,
even 10 most careless eyes.
The small white church with its odd Gu
pola and slowly swinging bell, came in
sight at length, crowning the summit of
gentle elevation. Entering, we took our
places among the worshipers.
The greater part of the simple discourse
l have long since forgotten, but the closing
words, spoken in the low, musical voice Of
the preacher, as he bent above the pulpit
rail sound in my memory still:
"Hear, then, once more, the words OF the
text: THAT was the true Light, which
lighteth every man that cometh into the
world Sometimes, my brethren, we look
long for the brightness of that rising. Even
the eyes that watch for the morning may
scarce discern night from dawn. Yet there
is no soul but somelime,-somewher
stands in the shining Of the light. Every
sacrifice of self, every victory of love, is
but its broken reflection. God forbid that
any one of you, having felt the divine ra-
dience, should 30 away again into the out
er darkness =!
\ hymn was sung, The fervent blessing
asked, and passing out with the congrega-
ton, we turned aside into the churchyard,
to spend the hour of MONDAY intermisson.
Strolling about among the quiet graves,
many of which, especially the resting
places of little children, were strewn ten
derly with brighten hued shells and pebbles,
my attention was arrested by the contrast
between the low, plainly carved stones
around me, and a tall, slender shaft of the
purest Italian marble, rising from a solid
granite pedestal at little distance beyond.
Drawing nearer, read in beautifully en-
bossed characters:
In memory
JoCF wILLIsToN.
Who came to himself aud to his
Fathers House.
am, on oniH'nA' DAS' lo1O.
lucy ,"'t' SUI :" "u'~"eo'' sun u9'e"''ly
i"e eP''"P"' Oe"ed'n ""oso qu''"'
phrase some unusual significance seemed
concealed, aroused in me a strong desire to
know more of the quiet sleeper below.
"'S,i i'uS' ""'o o'e"
=" "S 'o' W W
A'.u' Ai"u'S 'a'eu o,u i"uS' ""O %, uPo"
pe"Vn "."i ny WIN an open .u"'n ~S-
49, ""u W. 10y e'""uo"u'" ~ ne
Au, su'u'r'y DoeNo"eu "'o " p'"eo
''ue n'i S"S'"s' 40 u :" "''"'' " 'P'
Gu ndues''o"'
"o'"S w se." ouu ,o'
s'o"e' i'' ""'' ou' '""ee"' 'no 1o'u "ea'
!" WI" pun 'o'N "e'e pas ouI "n",,
ou', io" "e'er ne"'u ~ 'eiioi nin' Juus.'
o"' A"'e "e'e' "ee" "eio 0'
'o.I "I .,Lo,y onornh and %, o,orr oli,d or
,,ho ooas, ,o,,Id ,om ,o,, 49,, - 7, ,vas
T., ,,o por,Iand ,o,,ors Too - ,Jass mo,
,ho, n,,,s, 70, hoan ,,,b ,,yon,,, xoors 400
No wonder Won wonIJn,t rememhern
Tho n,d DANES eves hri.h,ened and she
narsed nc irto nlease herself with the anti
cInatIon of an interested listener.
"Yon knew him then ,his JocL as von
ool, hin, ,m hin,ed aon'1y
mKnev him9n sbe onsvered with n
o,s,no emile
ar arossod him, ,l,o ,,ic,, ,,o ,,os to,o
strono I;,nhod haar,n Hoho iii hr,,,h,
b,ack eves and hair a. dart and curIY os
Jamia,s horo Thot x.s Chris,uas Eve
and inst ono weer arterwards on New