The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-11-21

4
through the field to Buck creek. He
tried to walk over the stream on a felled
tree, but he fell off in the water. three
feet deep, as the broken ice atteSted-
He took up the creek, his tracks remain
ing plainly in the snow. But he had
got wet, and he was chilled. After
going over mile he gave out, sat down
at the root of hOrnbeam and went to
sleep. There he was found-dead.
His body was carried home. The
grief of his parents was intense. But
the dagger which pierced his mothers
heart was one of her own making Il
had rather see you dead !" And now,
here was the lifeless body of her only
son, whose first and only love she had
rudely crossed. Her anguish was eX-
treme. The father, too, was sullen with
sorrow. lie said to himself:
Il am to blame God has taken ven
geance on me, and made me desolate in
my old age. =
The funeral was largely attended, and
hundreds wept over the coffin.
When Milly Kidd heard of Fosters
hard fate she turned pale, trembled in
every limb and fell down unconscious
on the floor. She became sad like one
forsaken by the world. She was silent,
and performed her accustomed duties
mechanically
Gradually her health gave way. May
the hectic flush was upon her cheek.
During her many weeks of illness she
never complained. Mr.. Vaughn and
his wife visited her and begged her for
giveness. She told them that she had
nothing to forgive that she bore no en-
nifty or unkind feelings towards them !;
but that her soul was crushed. Her
faith in Christ, touched every heart
who visited her, and shed around her
dying pillow an unfading radiance.
One evening Mr.. Vaughn called his
wife to him and said:
My deih, we have done great wrong
in crossing the love of our son. Be
hold what has come upon us We are
left alone in our old age Oh. if we
had Foster and NIilly with US, how hap
by we should be L have a proposition
to make to you. 1t is, that when Milly
dies, the grave of our Foster shall be
opened and her coffin be placed by the
side of his They loved, like you and l
did in our early life, and you and 1
cruelty parted them. We have got our
reward, and what Il reward it is -
Mrs. Vaughn consented. amid con-
vulsions of sorrow. The next day NIr.
Vaughn went 10 see NIilly. She was
approaching the final struggle. with un-
clouded reason and a peaceful SOUL
lie told her that lac and his wife wished
that her coffin should be placed beside
that of their son. She smiled Sweetly
and said:
Thank you that takes away from
my heart the last shadow, and all Iwish
now is TO die. -
Twelve hours after this her pure and
gentle spirit went away. The grave of
Foster w2s opened and the coffin of
Miliey was placed right 10y the side OF
Eis
1t was a bright day. The evening
sun shed radiance over field. stream and
grove. The birds were singing in every
cluinp of trees, and every breeze bore
with it the perfume of countless flowers.
The whole community FOR miles
around was IN attendance. The dis
tinction of rich and poor was forgotten
in the remembrance of the holy love OF
the human heart.
I just as AIilIy's coffin was lowering
down beside that Of her aflianced lover
( the venerable minister sang, in plain.
tive minor, the following verses
'In the grave distress and sorrow
Pain no more the troubled breast:
There the wicked cease from troubling,
And the weary are at rest,
''TheTe the pTis 'ners freed from anguish,
Rest secure from all their dread;
And the voice of proud oppression
BY the poor no more is heard
The effect was electrical. There wa
not a fearless eye in the crowd of specta
tors, because every soul was smitteI
with great sorrow.
Years have passed away, and still tn,
spring birds sing above those forgotten
] graves: and perhaps none are left OI
earth who knew this simple history anC
wept over it in other years.