Year: 1863

A puny, week OLD oaoy, req anu lot
lorn, lay carefully wrapped in blankets.
in the lap of little girl who sat in a
low chair on the stone hearth of huge
fireplace. Such fireplace as we never
see in these degenerated times, one Of
those which tradition tells us used to
be supplied with logs of wood so large
that yoke of oxen were required to
back them into their place on the stout
6re-dogs. The girl was no more than
six years old, yet she held the baby as
carefully and managed it as adroitly as
practiced nurse.


While, with much pride and feel
ing of great Importance, she thus kept
watch and ward in the kitchen, there
was subdued sound of sorrowful weep.
ing in the square front room where the
father sat with his group of stricken
little ones, one of them too young to
know what made this sad stir in the
house, and why their mother slept SO
long and looked so white.


The room was filled with friendly
neighbors, who had come with feeling
hearts and hands to help in the time OF
sore need. The minister was there,
digniied and reverend, solemnly speak.
ing the words of burial for the dead
and sympathy for the living.


The farmer bowed his head upon his
hand in speechless grief and the older
of the children sobbed aloud, while the
little ones looked wonderingly ont at
them, chewing their little hat strings,
and crying by fits because the others
did.


Meantime there lay the little new
conner, scowling and sucking its fist,
wholly insepsible and Indifferent. to the
woe it had uncoDsciously brought.


81 don't see what poor Mr.. Sabin
will do with such family of little ones,
especially with the baby" said one
plying neighbor to another.


1t would seem mercy if the baby
had been taken with its mother, but we
ought not to judge of such things"
said the other, wiping-her eyes.


"You are right to be sure we ought
not, but one can't help thinking what
an estimable, valuable life has been sac
ri6ced for a weekly baby that hardly
appears worth raising," observed a
third.


The women could not see, as we, liv-
ing ninety years after, can see, that no
mothers life was to be completed and
rounded fully and beautifully in the
coming life of the little one.


81 can't sleep for thinking of Mr..
Sabin and his poor little children" said
good Mrs. Haven to her husband, the
deacon, in the middle of the following
night.


The deacon stopped snoring and
turned over.


eyes. it is hard and mysterious Prov
idence to the bereaved family, and
great affliction to them. / hope they
may be enabled to submit, with patient
resignation, to the hand of the Lord /;
and that this stroke may be sancti6ed
to their spiritual and eternal good"
said he, with feeling.


"Mr. Sabin is real, sincere chris
tian, as we have reason to believe, and
trust he may be sustained and con-
soled and made better by this great
trial of his faith but husband, l keep
thinking the Lord may mean to help
him bear his burdens, through us. Here
we are without chick or child in the
world to care for, and plenty to do with,
by His favor; and | keep thinking per-
haps it is our duty to make house for
one of those motherless children," re-
piled Mrs. Haven, speaking from the
depth of her warm heart


Wife, | believe you are right, and
you. have been kept wakeful that the
thought might be put into your mind ;
even as King Ahasuerus was not per-
permitted to sleep that he might dis
cover the wrong that had been done to
Mordecai. The boys are some OF them
old enough already to be little help to
me, choring around; or if you would
prefer one of the girls. ] am just as
free 10 consent to that. The oldest one
could save you some steps already, and
she will b growing older every day.
- *