Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-02-19
For the Vermont watchman.
An Afternoon In Miss Theresa's Life.

1t was a bright day in early spring. Every.
thing in nature seemed moved with new
impulse of life--as if mother-earth felt a
throb of gladness to find herself alive Even
the sun shed his golden beams with a more
enlivening glow, as if exulting in his own
strength. But Miss Theresas room was
shaded, and the light that still tarried in the
corner where she was lying was painful to
her eyes. For more than twenty years a
greater part of the days had been thus spent
in shadow. A few years of comparative
health in early womanhood had given her a
taste Of the sweetness of active usefulness,
and at times when somewhat better the hope
of renewing the pleasant work of teaching
had been revived only to be disappointed in
the return of weakness and suffering. Miss
Theresa had one day asked her kind physi-
clan how long this state of inactivity must
last, but he skilfully evaded her question,
adding;
Strange that harp of thousand strings
Should keep in tune so long"
Not less severe was the suffering this after
noon, because a like pain had throbbed in
her temples hundred times before, nor less
discordant the sounds that had often struck
upon her brain with the same sharp thrill.
1t was not pleasant to think that the good
sister who took care of her was still busy
with household duties, much as she needed
rest, while the children had gone to the
wood for flowers, partly that auntie might
be quiet.
But there was brighter side to this
glimpse of Miss Theresa's life, and the dear
Lord, who loves to have his children happy,
kindly revealed the brightness to her. From
time to time, as the pain grew somewhat
less, and she lifted her eyes to the pretty
decorations of her room and the pictures
with which the walls were hung, thoughts
of the friends who gave them filled her mind
as with their mute presence. Then the
thought came that those dear friends, as
well as their gifts, were hers through the
loving kindness of her Heavenly Father, and
her heart went out in gratitude to him.
Through the closed blinds the warm air.
sweet with the breath of springing grass and
unfolding leaves, iloated in, and with it came
the sound of running water. She thought
of the sparkling waters of the brook, laugh
ing down the hillside; then as she closed
her eyes in WEAKNESS the music of holy
words flowed into her soul " lie showed me
a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal
proceeding out of the throne of God and of
the Lamb. In the midst OF the street of it,
of life; and the leaves of the tree were for
the healing of the natious. And there shall
be no more curse; but the throne of God
and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his SER
rants shall SerUe him.
Thus she fell into a sweet slumber, only
waking as her sister entered to say that her
pastor had called to see her 1t was cheer
ing to see the happy, animated face of her
young PASTOR and to hear how the work of
the Master was prospering in his hands.
The texts OF Scripture and the brief prayer
seemed the bread she had asked for in
her morning petition. "You will have
everlasting health by-and-by," he said as he
left the room, and the words " everlasting
health rang sweetly in her ear.
The good sister, too, was refreshed by the
pastors visit, and Miss Theresa was de-
lighted when, yielding to her entreaty, she
sat down in the easy chair by the window
for quaint half hour with a volume OF
Joseph Cooks lectures.
Later the children came, rosy from the
fresh air, and with hands full of lovely
trailing arbutus.
As the sun went down the blinds toward
the west were thrown open, and the last
soft sunbeams were diffused through the
apartment like spiritual presence. Invol-
unfairly Miss Theresa turned her eyes TO the
text for the day on her silent Comforter" "
Thy sun shall no more 60 down, neither
shall thy moon Withdraw itself, for the
Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the
days OF thy mourning shall be ended" A.