Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-11-16
Mrs. Cushions Loss and Gain.

y" Hetta seems to be poorly"
Hetta is sick. Measles"
!" Hetta is dead They had no thought Of
danger till she died"
"They" we're the Cushions, friends Of
mine and of the letter-writer, whose snatches
Of news about the family center, you see,
about the eldest, a beautiful girl of fourteen.
Hetta dead How could 1t be2 Still
and cold in the grave; she so full of bloom
when last saw her, on tiptoe with joyous
.hfe, the eldest girl, already her mothers
companion, always her fathers pride. The
very sight of her gave pleasure as she used
to go by the house on her way to school
with troop of little girls tagging after her.
She was always kind to the little girls.
Hetta, well brought up, well to do, well
endowed with the promise of noble woman
hood, dead What did she die for? And
thought of old Polly Brown, who longs to
go, and poor Mrs. Bell, who says she is
afraid God has forgotten about her, and of
Mr.. Frazier who would better be dead, for
the sake of the poor families. Yes, and the
poor seamstress, who must soon die, and
whose death might have been hastened bit
If somebody in the street must be taken.
But Hetta
The family did not seem to need such
crushing blow. Oh dear They were nice,
kind, devout people, good to the core, whose
hearts should not be needlessly wrung,
people would have said. / asked passion
ately, Why, wby2 ! could not believe it.
| 1t was very real when went to see the
| Cushions, as | did as soon as | went home.
| Yes, Hetta was dead. l read it in her moth
er's face, trying to smile smile Of recon-
ciliation to Gods will, but with sea OF
tears behind it, / saw it in her fathers
wistful manner, looking every now and then
towards his wife as if he missed something,
longed after it with unspeakabe longing
The children, too. They had a little ex-
perieuce all their own, and what do you
think it was2 Wonder, that if heaven is
as beautiful as mother always said, what
for did folks cry so because sister has gone
there Were not grandma and grandpa
and Auntie Jane and Cousin Sue there, aud
would not they be ever SO glad to see Hetta !?
aud would not the angels be glad and
would not God be glad to have her and
would not they all go by.and-by? Only
Hetta went first.
George was much exercised about how
she went, for George and Helen were in
bed when it happened. Did she go in a
chariot of fire as Elijah did Did she climb
up Jacobs ladder?
"God took her." the nurse said ait was
dark, aud they could not see, but God took
her peacefully; that they knew"
The children would like to have known
more. They often talked it over among
themselves after they went to bed.
al don't feel bad that Hetta has gone
first do you, George 2" asked his sister.
"No more do H. said George, " because
we shall go surely"
"But mother does" said Helen.
"Yes," said George, smother does. But,
Helen, heaven is beautiful where Hetta is. >
Grief puzzled the children. They believed
Mother and father would have given all the
world at that moment to have had the faith
of little child. 1t was so simple, so trust
ing. The children believed what their pa
rents had taught them but the parents
had they outgrown what God had taught
them, or had they never taken it in at all
al believe; help thou mine unbelief,
cried the poor mother in anguish of spirit
my child is with the Lord. She was giver
to him before her birth. She has been giver
to him again and again since, and now thai
he has taken me at my word shall murmul
or complain ? God help mel"
As said, it did not seem as if she needed
such ploughing of the heart-the fresl
burrows were so dank and wet.
Mrs. Cushion came in one day with mott
in her hands.
al have been thinking of r. S." she said
al am afraid he has no pew in church. Yol
know l have spare seat now, and
thought would write and ask him to sit il
Hetta's place"
Who can tell what thrill of grateful sur
prise flushed the lonely heart of the young
clerk as he read the tender words addressed
to him.
A new family moved into the neighbor
hood. Soon after the doctor was called,
child was sick and dying.
81 will go directly" SAID Mrs. Cushion
"They are strangers, indeed, but we shal
not be long strangers"
And a tear came into her eye. Sorrow
Graves sympathy, aud sorrow begets sym
pathy.
"She is thinking of dear Hetta,"
thought.
As the autumn days came on and ou
church work began again, al hope to d.
more than ever" said Mrs. Cushion, as W,
we're talking one day. "You know hav
more time now. l must not sit still ant
brood over my loss. l must give my hear
and hands where they are needed"
Aud with what sweet and serious intent
ness of purpose did she set about her worl
, whatever it was. 1t did everybody good +
see her. We all felt that deeper, richie
life was stealing over her, lifting up both u
and herself to more real Christian living
The wet burrows bore preci ,us harvest
Loss, indeed, but who can tell what gain 2
Selected.