Year: 1875

A company of Southern ladies were as
sembled in the lady's parlor when the
conversation turned on the subject of
earthly af1liction Each had her story of
peculiar trial and bereavement to relate,
except one pale, sad looking woman
whose lustreles5 eye and detected air
showed that she was n prey to the deep
est melancholy. Suddenly arousing her
self she said in hollow voice


''Not one Of you know what trouble
really is


"Will YOU please. Mrs. Gray" said the
kind voice of u lady who knew her story.
tell the ladies what you call trouble ~


81 will if you desire it," she replied,
''for have seen it. Ny parents possessed
a competence. and my girlhood was sur-
rounded with all the comforts of life.
seldom knew an ungratified wish, and
was always gay and light hearted. ! mar
ried at nineteen one loved more than all
the world beside. Our home was retired,
but the sun never shone on lovlier one.
or happier household. Years rolled on
peacefully.


Give children sat around our table, and
Il little curly head still nestled on my
bosom.-Onc night about sundown, one
of those black storms came on, which are
so common to our Southern climate. For
many hours the rain fell necessarily
Morning dawned but still the elements
ragged. The whole Savannah seemed
atloat. The little stream near our dwell
ing became raging torrent. Before we
were aware of it our house was surroun
ded by water. | managed with my babe
to reach a little elevated spot, on which
few wide-spreading trees were standing
whose dense foliage afforded some pro-
lection, while my husband and sons strove
to save all they could of our property At
last fearful surge swept away my hus-
band, and he never rose again. Ladies' no
one ever loved a husband more, but that
was not trouble.


''Presently my sons saw their danger,
and the struggle for life became their only
consideration. They were as brave, low
ing boys as ever blessed "A mothers heart,
and | watched their efforts to escape with
such agony as only mother can feel.
They were so far off that | could not
speak to them, but could see them clos
ing nearer and nearer to each other, as
their island grew smaller and smaller.


1.-The sullen river ragged round the huge
trees: dead branches, upturned trunks,
wrecks Of houses, drowning cattle, masses
of rubbish, all went floating past us. My
boys waved their hands to me, then point
ed upward. | knew it was a farewell
signal, and you mothers can imagine my
anguish. | saw them all perish and dis
appear, and yet-that was not trouble.


II hu@ged my babe close TO my heart
and when the water rose to my feet,
climbed into the low branches of the tree,
and so kept retiring before it, till an all
powerful hand stayed the waves that they
should come no iarther.-l was saved.
All my worldly possessions were swept
away, all my earthly hopes blighted-yet
that was not trouble.


''My baby was all / had left on earth. |
abored night and day to support him and
myself, and sought to train him in the
right way; but as he grew older. evil
companions won him away from home.
He ceased To care for his mothers eoun.
sells, he would sucer at her entreaLies and
agoniziug prayers He left my humble
roof that he might be unrcStrained in the
pursuit Of evil; and at last, when heated
by wine one night he took the life OF Il
fellow being, and ended his own upon the
scaffold - My Heavenly Father had filled
my cup Of sorrow before how it ran over,
This was trouble, ladies, such is hope
His mercy will save you from experience
ing.


There was not u dry eye among her
listeners, and ;hc Walmest sympathy was
expressed for the hercaved mother whose
sad history had taught them useful les
son.