San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1886-04-22

som in the spring i
The Widow and her Son.
@. EDWARDS.
my life, my Joy. my food, my all th
world
My widow-comfor., and my sorrows cure
Consumption is o siren. She cal
give charm even to deformity. In m,
school days there lived an aged wild
near the churchyard. She had al
only child have often obsorvet
that the delicate and the weak, re
ceive more than o common share oi
affection from q mother. Such q feel
ing was shown by this mother to
towards her sickly and unshapely boy
There are faces and forms which
once seen, are impressed upon oul
brain; and they will come again, ant
again, upon the tablet of our memory
in the quiet night, and even fit abou
us in our day walks, Many years
have gone by since I first saw this
boy but his delicate form, his quiet
manner, and his gentle and virtuoui
conduct, are always before me.
Ishall never forget,-in the sauci
ness of youth, and fancying that j,
would give Importance to my bluff
outside, ,--Stoearing in his presence.
The boy was sitting in high backed
chair, reading his Bible. He turn
around, as if a signal for dy-
ing had sounded in his ear, and fixed
upon me his clear gray eye-that
look! it made my little heart almost
choke mel gave some foo lish excuse
for getting out of the cottage; and, as
met playmate on the road who jeer'
ed at me for my blank countenance,
I rushed past him, hid myself in an
cornfeld, and cried bitterly.
T tried to conciliate the widows
son, and show my sorrow for having
80 far forgotten the innocence of boy
hood, as to have had my Makers
name sounded in an unhallowed man
ner from my lips but I could not
reconcile him. My spring flowers he
accepted; but, when my back was
turned, he flung them away. The toys
and books offered to.him were put
aside for his Bible. His only occu-
pations were the feeding of favor
ite hen, which would come to his
chair and look up for the crumbs he
would let fall, with noiseless action,
from his thin fingers, watching the
pendulum and hands of the wooden
Although 1 could not. at that time,
'ully appreciate the beauty of moth
srs love, still venerated the widow
'or the unobtrusive, but intense, at
-ention she displayed to her son. l
1ever entered the dwelling without
without seeing her engaged in kind
,ffices towards him. If the sunbeam
,ame through the leaves of the ger
placed in the window, with
100 strong a glare, she moved the
chair with as much care
rs if she had been putting aside
crystal temple. When he slept, she
'estooned her silk handkerchief around
lis place of rest. She placed the
earliest violets upon the mantel-piece
'or him to look at and the roughness
If her own meal, and the delicacy OF
,he childs, sufficiently betrayed her
,acrifces. Easy and satisfied, the
widow moved about. l never saw
,er but once unhappy. She was then
thoughtfully in her garden.
beheld tear. I did not dare to in
rude upon her grief, and ask her the
,ause of it; but 1 found the reason
n her cottage: her boy had been
Jpitting blood.
have often envied him these en-
learn ents for I was away from a
parent who humored me even when l
vas stubborn and unkind. My poor
Mother is in her grave. I have often
having been her pet, her
avorite: for the coldness of the world
makes me wretched; and, perhaps,
( had not drunk at the very spring
If mothers affection, / might have
ct scorn and contumely pass by me
Is an idle wind. Yet / have, after
wards, asked myself what /, a.
though not heartless boy,
should have come to if l had not had
;uch a comforter Il have asked my
;elf this, felt satisfied and grateful,
md wished that her spirit might
watch around her child, who often
net her kindness with passion, and
her gifts as though he ex-
1ected homage from her.
EVERYBODY experiences how quickly
school years pass away and many
persons regret their fight. As for
myself, / do not wish for the return
IF boyhood's days. cannot forget
he harshness Of the master. l
sannot but know that, II be had
studied NV character, and tempered
ne as the hot iron is made pliable. 1
should have been a different aud q
better being. / still remember
he tyranny Of older spirits School
nay have its pleasures bat
he sorrows Of a thinking boy are ike
he griefs Of a fallen angel
Nv fathers residence was not stu
tied the village where / was educat-
a, 50 that, when / left school, / left
t. scsDes also.
After several years bad passed
lway. accident took me again 10 the
Eeil-knoEn place. The stable, into
which I led my horse. uas dear 10 me;