FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77  
78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   >>   >|  
till deeper grew the overshadowing cloud, and the hopes of the trusting ones less. Mrs. Grosvenor would sit for whole days brooding over her sorrows, clinging to the last ray of hope, with almost the insanity of hope; but the last spark finally went out, never again to be rekindled. The untiring wheels of time still went their rounds, and everything moved on, as if there were no hearts beating in discordant measure to the joyous song of nature. Sympathizing friends pitied the afflicted, and the world read,--"A noble ship lost at sea! all on board supposed to have perished! Ship and cargo valued at thirty thousand dollars; no insurance!" and they exclaim,--"ah, the sailor's life is indeed hard!" But they dwell upon the latter clause of the paragraph with as much real pity, the words fall upon their ear, conveying as much of real sadness to their minds, as that many families have been called to mourn the loss of one of their members. The Sea-flower could hardly become reconciled to the thought that she would never see her father more, yet for her mother's sake she suppressed her grief, endeavoring to soothe her weary spirits by those refreshing promises of Him who dries the mourner's tear,--binding up the wounds of the broken-hearted. "Dear mother, we are called upon to bear a heavy trial; this is indeed a bitter, bitter draught, yet we must not forget 'tis our Father holds the cup. You have taught me to smile upon his chastening rod, but in this dark hour of trial truly the flesh is weak; yet we will rest upon the strength of His arm, He will not forsake us; and, mother, His ways indeed are higher than our ways. How tenderly has he dealt with us, inasmuch as he has so ordered that our dear Harry should be spared to us; for as I look upon the past, I can see nothing but the kindly interference of his will, that my brother did not share the same grave with his father." "My darling, your precious words shed light over my weary pathway. I fear that I have sinned in thus murmuring at God's will, for I would not see his loving kindness in sparing to me my boy. But it is so very hard,--so dreadful,--that in that hour when his spirit winged its way to that better land, we might not pause from our worldly pursuits, turning our eyes heavenward; craving strength to bear our cross; but your words of love, my child, remind me of that Being who is the fountain-head of loveliness, and I thank God for his gift of you." "If I am a
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77  
78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
mother
 

called

 

bitter

 

father

 

strength

 
fountain
 
forsake
 

loveliness

 
higher
 

remind


tenderly

 

overshadowing

 
Father
 

forget

 
draught
 

taught

 
ordered
 
chastening
 

trusting

 

loving


murmuring

 

kindness

 

sparing

 

pursuits

 

pathway

 

sinned

 

dreadful

 

spirit

 

winged

 

precious


kindly

 
interference
 

worldly

 

spared

 

deeper

 
brother
 

darling

 
turning
 

craving

 
heavenward

binding
 

supposed

 
afflicted
 
perished
 

exclaim

 

sailor

 
clinging
 

insurance

 
dollars
 

valued