Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-10-19
The Time to Die.

IL was winter. Before cheerful flre sat |
an aged man in lonely meditation. The cur
tain fell in heavy folds to the floor, casting
an air Of comfort over the room and exclud-
ing the piercing cold. Yet tremor passed |
over the frame of the old man as the storm |
without fell upon his ear. " | am thankful |
have shelter on such a night as this"
said he, drawing his easy chair nearer to |
the fire; "wo to the wretch that roams |
abroad in such Storm" then musing for |
some time, he began pacing the room, and |
ever and anon pausipg in deep thought, |
which at length found expression death |
is fearful thing 10 contemplate at any |
time, but in such season as this, methinks |
| would struggle hard for life To be placed |
deep in the cold and frozen earth no, she |
herself seems to strive to prevent the act,
and winds her robe of snow over her strong
breast to prevent admittance with her
breast. When die, may it be in the bright
and Joyous springtime when all nature is
fresh and gay. But bark surely did not
hear knock, for who would venture out on
such night ?" and opening the door, he
saw before him young girl who begged
for shelter in accents to excite pity in the
hardest hearts. The appeal was enough for
the kind-hearted old man; and drawing her
within the room, he gave her seat near the
fire, and tried to revive her dropping frame.
After she had so far recovered as to answer
his inquiries, she told him she was lonely
creature with no friend in the world she
had roamed about from place to place, liv-
ing on charity; she had never known father
or mother, or relative. The old man still
dwelling upon the subject which had for
some time occupied him, asked her if death
would not be welcome messenger TO her,
| cba ba1 for oh 70 1txya
no one cared for her,-would she not be
willing to die and be at rest? "Oh, ask
me not to give up my life, it is sometimes
bright and joyous. In the lonely summer, the
flowers are my friends, the birds speak to me
from the trees and the bee winds his tiny
horn for me, and then l wander forth to
green woods, and life is all sweetness. Oh,
| no youth is no time to die" Years rolled
on; the spring appeared gradually bright,
the birds rejoiced on every bough, and all
nature smiled to welcome the bithe goddess
of Spring. But the old man had found new
ties to bind him to the earth the homeless
wanderer was now as daughter to him !;
his interest in her was too strong a bond to
be easily broken. 1t was hard to leave the
world now as In the cold and dreary winter !;
age seemed but to strengthen the love of life.
Although youth was withered, and nature
dying, yet life life only was his DESIRE
Spring passed, and summer with its mild
and balmy air, visited the earth the maiden
smiled in gadness of heart, and the old
man rejoiced in her happiness, for she threw
Joy and bliss around her happy laugh rung
upon his ear in wild aud merry peals as she
watched the flight of the gay butterfly, and
her sweet song arose upon the air as she
tended her birds and watched the opening
Of each bud to the light Time flew swiftly
by, yet the old man and the maiden were as
fondly attached to the earth as in the spring
time. Death gained new horrors as the
seasons advanced; their summer paths were
strewn with flowers. at was no time to
die" Autumn, with its purple grape, and
downy peach, pleasant nutting-time, took
the place of summer, and brought with it
the lightness and joyousness of cool air and
freedom of the oppressive heat, the little
maiden tripped through the dry leaves, and
chased the squirrel with almost its own
swiftness; then throwing back her sunny
curls she bounded to the side of the old
man, as he sat under the vines at his door,
making glad his eyes with her young and
happy face, and his heart grew young again
In her lightsome joyous mirth. Both little
thought Of death. The earth had clothed
herself in robe of brown and dry leaves,
auu hiu hcISeil lrOm Tue eye Oh man-Sne
seemed not to wish for human company in
this her time of changes. Winter again re-.
turned; again we see the old man sitting in
his easy chair before the bright and glow
ing fire; but he is not the solitary being he
was before, for beside him is one in the first
blush of youth and grace; she is no longer
the gay and noisy child she is no ,ss lovely,
no less happy; but deeper thought steals
over her face, and heavenly radiance sits
upon her features, as she bends over the
book from which, in accents of deep rever-
ence, she reads the Word of God to the old
man. What think they now of death The
faces OF both look more restrained, the Holy
Spirit sheds its light upon the way which
leadeth to the grave; it no longer seems
dark and lonely. The old man received the
heavenly guest into heart which had al
ways been the residence of kindness and
charity. The maiden now dropped daily,
but she no longer thought it hard to give up
life; and when the cold blast swept over the
earth, and a robe of snow enveloped it, with
robes no less white, she was received into its
bosom Then l asked the old man when
is the time to die ?"
"a holy calm was on his brow
And peaceful was his breath;
And sweetly o'er his features stole
smile, a look divine;
He spake the language OF his soul
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