The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1879-10-22

n the warm summer days, they went off
to the woods and lanes; some
lines To the meadows where the daises
grew in tufted grass; and little Agnes
was wont to braid them in wreath
around her brow. She said one day, on
returning, that she would soon wear a
wreath of stars. As regularly as the
Sabbath came, they welt to the chapel
side by side. The sexton made
a bath for them, as they walked up the
broad aisle which was now crowded
with earnest and devout listeners. Their
accustomed place was on the cushioned
seat that ran around the altar When
the choir sang their anthems, the voice
of the child was heard above the deep |
bass singers, and the full toned organ, |
vet it was softer and sweeter than that |
IF a dove. When the Vicar read the |
morning and evening service, her res |
ponses fell on the hearts of all like dew, |
and halo seemed to encircle her as she
listened to the words of life. The peo-
pie began to consider it miracle. COCK
lighting and bull-baiting fell into disre-
pute; drinking and gaming, to which the
greater part of them had been bred from
childhood, lost all caste as amusements,
and other vices declined in proportion
1t was evident that great change was
vOing on in the hearts and habits OF al.
Profane oaths and light jests, which
even the gentry condescended to indulge
| in las they did in other things better left
| to their Interiors; were banlshed from
| all society, even that of travelling thinkers,
| time out-mind a coarse set OF follows
| Feuds handed down from father to son
were dropped at once, and old enemies
met with kind greetings, and parted as
friends Everybody seemed to prosper,
and nobody was the worse for 1t. Beg,
CARS began to lay aside their tatters and
wear good, substantial garments. 1here
was no longer any need to beg, for WORK
was plentiful. Cottage windows, once
stuffed with old hats, rejolced In the
possession of new panes of glass, and
new cottages were being huilded every
where, and everybody declared 1t was
the work of the White Lamb. Spring
melted into summer and summer was
now on the verge of autumn. Inc lelus
were full of harvesters, reaplng ana
binding I'D yellow sheaves, and barns
were omen all day, and boys might be
seen within storing up fruit for the WIN
} ter.
Every day added some new grace to
, the child; but those who were experience
| ed in such matters, mostly mothers VINO
| had lost children, said she was dying
} | Her bloom was too unearthlyi her eye
too spiritual to last She was no Longer
S able to run to the woods ana helusI1
l walk to the little summer house at the
end of the Wears garden, only stonei
throw from the door, was sufficient tC
: make her very weary. Nor could sht
= visit the chapel unless she was carried
I thither. which was source of great grle
= to all the villagers. Day by day she grew
: | more lovely and feeble, and the liant
GREW more fond of her; they
+. could not for a moment separate them
= 1t chung to her days, as she sat IN he
little chair leaning on pillows, and o
. nights it crept to her feet as she lay up
= on her couch dreaming of the angels; IL
q white fleece grew more white, ana IL
ewes more tender and beautiful. AND 1
: often looked at the fading child, ana a
= the far blue sky shining through the la'
. tice and Its glance seemed TO say -.
= "Heayen is waiting for this little Sill
- of earth, and it must soon go.
- Autumn came at last, and the chill
. was diving. 1t was morning, and she la
= ON her couch with half the villagearOun
. her. Her eyes were fixed upon the sky
and her arms were entwined about tn
lamb. who lay with its head in her be
> som. The Vicar knelt down Bnd prayed
J. He could not bear to lose the light c
u u his household, though he knew the al
= gels were waiting for her on the thresf
: Old of heaven. When he arose sh
; slept.
!, Ages have passed since then, and sh
- still sleeps, and will till the heavens an
: and the earth have passed away.
Il The next day was the Sabbath, an
: they bore her to the little churchyar
\ where her mother was buried IN TN
- snring. Their graves were dug SIDE D
- side. Ali the children and maldens 10
% lowed her bier, dressed IN white, an
= half the mothers in the village wept
- if she had been their own child. III
y lamb, looking whittier than ever, Wake
- in their midst But when the servlc
- was over and the coffin lowered into th
~ grave, it looked ONCE at the far blue SIX
y and then turned away and walked dow
=. the path which little Agnes had taken
- her mothers funeral No one dared
=, a stop it, but all watched it with breathle
~ attention as it disappeared among I'll
- grave-stones. Some of the boldest thel
- the Vicar among the rest, followed
where it seemed TO disappear, but coul
y find no further traces. Nobody was eVl
~ able to account for it, but everybOd
~ believed it to have been miracle, ma
~ ifested for their salvation, notwlthstan
% ing a wise philosopher wrote larg
l. folio to prove that tnever existed at al
~ Its memory is still preserved with We
- Grafton in that country, and, from tn
" " day to this, the people haEe continue
~ gOodly and piOus. And so ENDS the sG0i
- of the White Lamb. T. IT.