Year: 1878

|
and an equal participation in all those
struggles by which they may be soften
ed, unite husband and wife, parents
and children. Their souls are not NOV
ed by fits and starts, although, indeed,
nature sometimes wrestles with necessi-
ty; and there is a wise moderation
both in the joy and the grief of the in
telligent poor, which keeps lasting
trouble away from their earthly lot, and
prepares them unconsciously for heav-
en-.


"Do you think the child is dying p
said Gilbert, with calm voice, to the
surgeon, who, on his wearied horse,
had just arrived from another sick-bed,
over the snowy range of hills, and had
been looking steadfastly for some
minutes on the little patient. The hu-
name man knew the family well, i'll the
midst of whom lie was standing, and
replied, ''While there is life there is
hope; but my pretty little Margaret is,
| fear, in the last extremity" There
was no loud lamentation at these words
all had before known, but would not
confess it to themselves, what they now
we're told-and though the certainty
that was in the words of the skilful
man made their hearts beat for little
with sicker throbbings, made their pale
faces paler, and brought out from some
eyes greater gush of tears, yet death
had been before in this house, and in
this case he came, as he always does,
in awe, but not in terror. There were
wandering and wavering, and dreamy
deliriOus phantasies in the brain of the
innocent child but the few words she
indistinctly uttered were affecting, not
rending to the heart, for it was plain
that she thought herself herding her
sheep in the green, silent pastures, and
sitting wrapped in her plaid upon the
lawn and sunny side of the Birk -knOwe
She was too much eXhausted-there
was too little life-tOO little breath in
her heart, to frame tune-but some OF
her words seemed to be from favorite
old songs and at last her mother wept
and turned aside her face, when the
child, whose blue eyes were shut, and
her lips almost still, breathed out these
lines of the beautiful twenty third
psalm:


The Lords my Shepherd, III not want,


He makes me down to lie


In pastures green he leadeth me


The quiet waters by.


The child was now left with none
but her mother by the bedside, and
the family sat down round the kitchen
for while in silence. In about quar-
ter of an hour, they began to rise calm
ly, and to go each to his allotted work


One of the daughters went forth with
the pail to milk the COW, and another
began to set out the table in the middle
of the floor for supper, covering it with
a white cloth. Gilbert viewed the usu-
al household arrangements with sol
emn and untroubled eye; and there
was almost the faint light of grateful
smile on his cheek, as be said to the
worthy surgeon, "You will partake OF
our fare after your days travel of toll
and humanity" In short, silent hall
hour, the potatoes and Oat cakes, butter
and milk were OH the board and Gil


bert, lifting up his toil-hardened, but
manly hand, with a slow motion, nj
which the room was as hushed as if il
had been empty, closed his eyes in rev
eIence, and asked blessing.


While they were at their silent meal
u hOrseman came galloping to the door
and with loud voice, called out that
he had been sent express with letter
to Gilbert Ainslie !; at the same time
rudely, and with an oath, demanding /,
dram for his trouble. The eldest son, {
lad of eighteen. fiercely seized the bride
of his horse, and turned its head away
from the door. The rider, somewhat
alarmed at the flushed face of the pow.
/ erful STRIPPING, threw down the lettel
, and rode off. Gilbert took the letteI
} from his sons hand, casting at the sam,
: time half upbraiding look on his face
that was returning to its former color


81 feared" said the youth, with Il tea
in his eye-''I feared that the brute
voice, and the trampling of the horse
feet, would have disturbed her" Gil
bert held the letter hesitatingly in hi
5 hand, as if afraid at that moment tC
read it; at length, he said aloud to th,
, surgeon: 'You know that am a poo
man, and debt, if justly incurred, ant
5 punctually paid when due, is no dis
honor" Both his hand and his voic,
: shook slightly as he spoke but h'
opened the letter from the lawyer, ant


read it in silence. At this moment hi


wife came from her child's bedside
and looking anXiously at her husband
: told him "nOt to mind the money, tina
no man, who knew him, would arres
2 his goods, or put him into prison
r Though, dear me, it is cruel to be pu


to it thus, when our bairn is dying, ant
/; when, if SO it be the Lords will, sh
should have decent burial, poor in
' nocent, like them that went before her.
E Gilbert continued reading the lette
S with face on which no emotion coul,
g he discovered; and then, folding it up
: he gave it to his wife, told her sh
= might read it if she chose, and then pu
4 it into his desk in the room, besides tn
= poor dear bairn. She took it from him
= without reading it, and crushed it int
Y her bosom; for she turned her ea


toward her child, and, thinking sh
t heard it stir, ran out hastily to its bed
B, side.


:. Another hour of trial past, and tn
e child was still swimming fol its life
f The very dogs knew there was grief i
4? the house, and lay without stirring, a
e if hiding themselves below the Ion
d table at the window. One sister sd
e with an unfinished gown on her knees
s that she had been sewing for the dea
II child, and still continued at the hope
= less work, she scarcely knew why an
: often, often, putting up her hand
d wipe away tear. ''What is that
d said the old man to his eldest daugh
l. ter: "What is that you are laying o
If the shelf p She could scarcely repl
1t that it was riband and an ivory com
t, that she had bought for little Margare
d the night of the dancing school bal


And, at these words, the father coul
Is not restrain a long, deep and bite
h groan at which the boy, nearest i
" age to his dying sister, looked up weeI
+, ing, in his face, and letting the tattere