Wilmington journal., 1875-01-08

it was now fully midsummer and al
nature appeared weary and thirsty, fol
there had not been rain in severa
weeks, yet the farmer made arrange
ments to leave homeearly in the morn
ing and to walk the distance of ter
miles to the county town of G.
rather than take 6 needed horse from
tie plough. He had reached the wild
est part OF the forest when day dawned,
that dewy, quiet period when morning
Irst opens her eyes upon retiring
night. AS he looked around him, he
beheld The magnificent gifts of nature
to her children OF the wilderness. i
magic gem hung upon every leaf and
every flower, giving them new life, and
| to the little birds healthful bath, for
! they were collecting the globules in
/ thcir bills and shattering them over
! their heads and ahoulders. In his rus
| TIC way he wondered, some indefinite
| IDEAS crowded the chambers of his
| brain, but they were difficult to anal
lie, and lie ceased his crude hypothe-
| sis on Nature, as many laurel crowned
/ philosophers have been obliged to do
/ before him, when the guiding clue to
speculative inquiry becomes badly
tangled by doubts and difficulties.
OUr Traveller had now reached the
saycu miles post-a quaint regulator
Of distance, not then extinct. Here
he rested and amused himself by en-
d2avorinG to decipher the much oblit-
Grated numerals of the milepost. He
heard moan and now deep groan.
Rising quickly he hastened in the
direction OF the sound and found
taat it proceeded from dark ravine
rear Tire high road; there he discover
ed q dying man with a heavy knife
buried to the handle in his breast.
The first impulse Of the good man of
the valley Was needed by him, for he
i10@lt lnDlodiately by the sufferer, and
the rcd AID dripping bl2de from his
heart. 1t that moment two horsemen
rode up, sprang from their horses
aud seized him az felon and p nur-
lerCr It was N vain that he recount
Ell lie circumstances of bis position.
lie WIS only answered by sneer and
The remark: "The gory weapon is in
yorr hand, and Tie blood is tricklirg
Iro2a II. ."
The good man Of the valley was
tak1n to jail, put in lions and in close
coGGueil mt. Here he remained for
months. The day Of trial at length arriv-
ell and lie was removed from the Ioath-
seGao prison into his native air. The
fresh, breezy, blue ether, with its
cheerful BIRDS, fitting from tree to
tTea and warbling their songs of Joy;
the bright flowers, and fields ripe for
tA3 harvest, were the only signs of
lie; 50 sal, 50 silent, SO gloomy was
eTcrT cOUntonarco, from the strong
man 10 the little child, whose iiimDled
cAc-l Is reflected the clouds Of sorrow,
Wy It knew net, or why it was that
the =oUb~o cloud should have melted
into 5a2rS i knew not. T. was instinc-
tiFe sEmD2thy-CEe Of those Touches
0. nature that makes the whole world
( -" a. the poet Of Tvickenham sang
lie us coGj aned rs q felon and
= r.}JI>t=Ier!
There are typical sacrifices through
2El t4is wo-ld-tLey have been. and
aye, ard will be-for they point to
1t. Calvary, in all its mystery.
VI iHd that there is no material
life, but through the sacrifices Of
I;fc. HE animal bleeds and the ripe
fruits and vegetables Of the earth yield
their lives II full vigor to preserve
He; ana the transm grafton from one
ID another form Of existence, each
s"als-n.le, 10 all appearance, from
dgatA. The butterfly breaks the shell
If tAo oGS and comes forth an insight
y wo-m, that in time weayes it's own
shroui and coGin, aad after lying, ap-
n2routiy dead, for some months, breaks
through It's cocoon q winged and beau
,ifal butterfly, that fits from flower
to Iorcr il ali OF the joy of this its
u2|- and final phase of existence.
HAY We not draw an analogy from
tlis - our own spiritual existence
It,rs passed away and there was no
trace OF this Industrious, happy and
1ious family but an isolated chimney
clothed with ivy. Yet the moon shone
IS raiiantiy as ever. si!verilg the old
oak and simple granite pillar reared
IN tears, by the kind hearted people of
the valley.