She with her wonted cheerfulness at intervals. talked long of Annie and her little girl, and tenderly besought us to be her counsellor and friend when she should be gone. We had sat long, unwilling to leave her whose spirit seemed so short a time permitted to linger with us, when a tap was heard at the door; it was lightly opened; we knew not the intruder, whose countenance wore the pale haggard expression of sickness and remorse; but, with the quick eye of affection, Annie flew to him, threw her arms around his neck, and called him by the endearing name of husband." "Can you welcome me thus?' said the wanderer; O, it is too much.' "The dying woman caught the sound of his voice, and extending her arms, Edward! Edward!' she said, 'let me see you once more ere I depart. O leave, leave the path of folly, and return to that patient, heart-breaking wife! You know not what a treasure you possess in her affections.' "And can you forgive me?' he sobbed; for deep and bitter has been my punishment.' 66 6 'Forgive! did not our blessed Master forgive?' said she. "The heart-stricken man sunk down by her bed, and sobbed audibly. 'Come, let us pray for the blessings of God on this long waited-for reunion; for I feel my moments are few,' said the mother. Annie knelt beside her husband, placed one hand within his, and with the other clasped the form of her bewildered child. Each heart joined with fervency in the prayer which fell from the lips of my feeling husband, and an angel smile rested on the features of the happy mother. We all felt our nearness to heaven, and arose with hearts better prepared to meet the trials and vicissitudes of life. We left the scene at a late hour, and parted, for the last time from that excellent woman. Ere the morn came, she was no more. Her last words were those of advice and encouragement to the reclaimed wanderer. We bedewed her grave with the tears of affection, and folded her precepts and example near our hearts. "Annie now felt the reward of her kindliness of heart; for, by the influence of devotedness to her duty, she had cheered her mother's dying moments, and recalled her husband from the path of error, where he had once forgotten her affection, in his intercourse with mirth and folly. "He had wandered from his home with the unprincipled and heartless; sickness had come to him amid the exciting scenes of revelry and dissipation, and proved the falsity of vicious enjoyments. He felt himself near the grave, with no voice of tenderness or affection to console him, and nought but days spent in folly for his remembrance. Then came the thought of home, of his self-sacrificing wife, her faithful and kind old mother; the instructions of his youth, and a sense of his self-degrada tion rushed upon his mind; with deep, heartfelt penitence he sought the throne of grace to strengthen his good resolutions of amendment, should his life be spared. He recovered, and came forth from his bed of suffering an altered man. He sought his Annie, fearing, yet hoping to obtain forgiveness, and found her still exercising her spirit of patience and kindness, at the most trying moment, the bedside of her dying parent. That last the forgiveness, the prayer, the words of affection and advice from the parent's dying lips,completely won him; his purpose for good was strengthened, and he became to his wife all, and more, than he had ever been in the days of his prosperity." scene, "And live they now on that pleasant farm? asked I, eager to find if I might ever see the living illustration of her most touching lesson. 66 They do, and frequently may you see a happy, cheerful looking old man, reading to his mild and sweet looking, though aged companion, beneath that vine at the door, and a fair group of happy countenances are enjoying the beauties of the surrounding scenery. Well does their cot and farm repay the labor bestowed upon it, and dearer is the spot to them than any other on this fair earth. But have you found no moral in my story? if not, I shall fear to relate one again." "How deep, "Can I help it?" I answered. how great was Annie's affliction, and how at first it appeared to us that, with a little more force of character, she might remedy it; but yet we see that her very gentleness, in the end, proved her strength." "Yes, yes," concluded my wise and aged counsellor, "since the return of her husband, never have I doubted the power of love in subduing the heart, or distrusted the wisdom and loving-kindness of my heavenly Parent; and remember, my dear young friend, that though we are but short-sighted beings, as to our destiny here, yet the eye of faith will enable us to see a fairer and brighter scene beyond this." E. A. B. THE LOVE OF GOD. BY S. C. EDGARTON. THE Vulture loves the little lamb That plays amid the flowers, And feedeth by its gentle dam Through all the sunny hours. But not so loves our blessed God The children he hath made; And though he bears a heavy rod, We need not be afraid. The lily loves the fragrant dew But not like their's the holy love The soldier loves his gentle bride, And bears her image warm Upon his heart, whate'er betide, To shelter him from harm. But not like his the glorious love |