Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1875-09-17
A Touching Sketch of Parental
SORROW.

me. A younger brother, the next in ace
to him, a delicate, sickly child from \
baby, had been down nearly fortnight
with an epidemic fever. In consequence
Of the nature of the disease, used ev.
cry precaution which prudence suggest.
ed to guard the other members of INV
family against it. But of this one, nv
eldest, | had but little fear; he was 50
rugged and so generally healthy Still,
however, kept vigilant eye upon him,
and especially forbade his going into the
pools and docks near his school, which
he was prone to visit
One evening | came home wearied
with long days hard labor, and vexed
tsome little disappointments, and found
that he also had just come into the house
and that he was wet and covered with
dock mud | taxed him with disobedi-
ence, and scolded him severely-more
so than | had ever done before and
then harshly ordered him to his bed. He
opened his lips, for an exculpatory re-
ply, as | supposed, but sternly checked
him when, with mute sorrowful coun-
tenance and swelling breast, he turned
away and went slowly to his chamber.
My heart smote me even at the moment.
though l felt conscious of doing but a
fathers duty. But how much keener /
felt the pang, when / was informed in
the course of the evening, by neigh
Dor, that my boy had gone to the dock
by the earnest solicitations of Younger
and favorite playmate, and by the spec
ial permission of his sehoolmaster, in Or
der to recover cap belonging to the
former, which had blown over the wharf
Thus | learned that what | had treated
with unwonted severity as a fault, was
but the impulse of generous nature,
which, forgetful of self, had hazarded
perhaps life for another. 1t was but the
quick prompting of that many spirit
which had always endeavored to en-
graft upon his susceptible mind, and
which, young as it was, had already man.
itested itself on more than one occasion.
How bitter y now did / regret my
harshness, and resolve to make amends
to his grieved spirit in the morning
Alas that morning never came to him
in health. Before retiring for the night,
however, crept to his low cot, and bent
over him. A tear had stolen down upon
his cheek, and rested there | kissed it
off; but he slept so sweetly and so calm
ly, that | did not venture to disturb him.
The next day he awoke with raging
fever on his brain, and in forty-eight
hours was no more! He did not know
me when | was first called to his bedside.
nor at any moment afterward, though in
silent agony | bent over him until death
and darkness closed the scene. | would
have given worlds to have whispered one
kind word in his ear, and have been an
swered ; but it was not permitted. Once.
indeed, a smile, | thought of recogni- |
tion, lighted up his eye, and | leaned ca
gerly forward. But it passed quickly |
away, and was succeeded by the cold,
glare, and the wild tossing of
the fevered limbs, which lasted till death
came to his relief
Everything | now see which belonged
to him reminds me of the lost one. Yes
terday | found some rude pencil sketch
es which it was his delight to make for
the amusement Of his younger brother;
to-day, in rumaging an old closet, came
across his boots still covered with dock
mud as when he last wore them and
every morning and evening | pass
the ground where his voice rang the mer-
riest among his playmates. All these
shings speak to me vividly of his active
life; but / cannot, though | often try,
recall any other expression of his face
'ii"h 'hNe hiotC, liloui hlui oD6 VIII which
ne turned from me on the night | so
larshly repulsed him. Then my heart
)leeds afresh. o. how careful should
We who are parents be, that in our daily
conduct towards those beings sent us by :
! kind Providence, we are not laying up ,
or ourselves the sources of many a !
litter tearl How cautious, that neither /
~ inconsiderate word or look we unjust c
y grieve their generous feeling And c
low guardedly ought we to weigh every t
ction against its motive, lest in a mo- n
nent of excitement we be led to meet d
ut to the venial errors of the heart, the /
unish ment due only to the wilful crime |! i
Alas perhaps few parents suspect how 4
ften the sudden blow and the fierce re- I,
uke are answered in their children by d
be tears, not of passion, not of physical Il
r mental pain, but of loving, but e
rieved or outraged nature -Knicker- p
Ocker. u
Mrs. Jane G. Swisshelm AYERS that ell a
sampane and fresh milk form a sure =
smedy for hydrophobia. Put the ele-
impane root into the milk. boil il and