St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-01-04

and said, E'Margaret seems lifted up by
Gods hand above death and the grave !;
| think she will recover. She has fallen
asleep; and, when she wakes, I hope
l believe that the danger will be past,
and that your child will live"
They were all prepared for death !;
but now they were found unprepared
for life. One wept that had till then
locked up all her tears within her heart
another gave short, palpitating shrek I;
and the tender-hearted Isabel, who had
nursed the child when it was baby,
tainted away. The youngest brother
gave way to gladsome smiles and,
calling out his dog Hector, who used
to sport with him and his little sister
on the moor, he told the tidings to the
dumb, irrational creature, whose eyes,
it is certain, sparkled with sort OF
Joy. The clock, for some days, had
been prevented from striking the hours ;
but the silent finger pointed to the hour
of nine and that, in the cottage OF
Gilbert Anslie, was the stated hour of
family worship. His own hOnOred min
lister took the book.
A chapter was read-a prayer said
and so, too, was snng psalm but 1t
was sung low,-and with suppressed
voices, lest the child's saving sleep
might he broken and now and then
the female voices trembled, or some one
of them ceased altogether !; for there
had been tribulation and anguish, and
now hope and faith were tried ia the
joy of thanksgiving.
The child still slept, and it's sleep
seemed more sound and deep. 1t ap-
peared almost certain that the crisis
was over, and that the flower was not
to fade. "Childreu," said Gilbert, "Oul
happiness is in the love we bear to one
another, and our duty is in submitting
to and serving God. Gracious, indeed
has he been to us. Is not the recovery
of our little darling, dancing, singing
Margaret worth all the gold that evel
was mined? If we had had thousands
of thousands, would we not have tiLleC
up her grave with the worthless drOs'
of gold, rather than she should have
gone down there with her sweet face
and all her rosy smiles ?" There Wal
no reply but joyful sobbing over til,
room.
"Never mind the letter, nor the debt
father" said the eldest daughter. ''Wt
have all some little thing of our own
few pounds-and we shall be able tt
raise us much as will keep arrest ant
prison at distance. Or, if they dc
take our furniture out of the house, al
except Margaret's bed, who cares We
will sleep on the floor and there are
potatoes in the cellar, and clear watel
in the spring. We need fear nothing
blessed be God for all his mercies."
Gilbert went into the sick-room, anC
got the letter from his wife, who wa.
sitting at the head of the bed, watch
ing, with heart blessed beyond al
bliss, the calm and regular breathing,
of her child. "This letter. said he
mildly, ''is not from hard creditor
Come with me while | read it aloud t,
our children The letter was reaC
aloud, and it was well fitted to diffus,
pleasure aud satisfaction through the
dwelling of poverty. 1t was from al
executor to the will of distant fela
tive, who had left Gilbert Ainslie fI ),
500. "The sum-" said Gilbert, 'is
large one to folks like us, but not,
hope, large enough to turn our heads, o.
make us think ourselves all lords anC
ladies. 1t will do more, far more, than
put me fairly above the world at last
| believe that with it may buy thi
very farm on which my forefathers hav,
toiled. But God, whose providence ha
sent this temporal blessing, may b,
send us wisdom and prudence how t,
use it; also humble and grateful hearts.
"You will be able to send me to schoo
all the year round now, father" sait
the youngest boy. ''Aud you ma!
leave fail to your SONS now, father,
said the eldest. "You may hold til,
plough still, for you draw straighte
furrow than any of us; but hard worl
for young sinews, and you may sit nov
oftner in your armchair 10y the ingle
| You will not need to rise now in tn
dark, cold, snowy winter mornings, ant
keep thrashing corn in the barn TO
hours by candle-light, before the lat
dawnng."
There was silence, gladness and sor
row, and but little sleep in Moss-sid
between the rising and setting of tn
stars that were now out in thousands
clear, bright, and sparkling over th
unclouded sky. Those who had lai
down for an hour or two in bed cOul
scarcely be said to have slept; an
when about morning, little Margare
awoke an altered cleature-pale, Ian
guild and unable to turn herself on he
lowly bed, but with meaning in he
eyes, memory in her mind, affection i
her heart, and GOODNESS in all her veins
a happy group were watching the frs
faint smile that broke over her features
and never did one who stood there foI
get that Sabbath morning of the Ne,
Year on which she seemed to loo
round upon them all with gaze of fai
and sweet bewilderment, like one hal
conscious of having been rescued fror
the power of the grave.-Lights an
Shadows Of Scottish Life.
u While several children were feed