THE tempest of grief which, for a time, had raged so wildly in theheart of Mrs. Freeland, exhausted by its own violence, sobbed itselfaway, and the stricken mother passed into the land of dreams.
To the afflicted, sleep comes with a double blessing--rest is givento the wearied body and to the grieving spirit. Often, very often,the Angel of Consolation bends to the dreaming ear, and whisperswords of hope and comfort that from no living lips had yet foundutterance.
And it was so now with the sleeping mother. A few hours only hadpassed since she stood looking down, for the last time, on the fairface of her youngest born. Over his bright, blue eyes, into whoseheavenly depths she had so loved to gaze, the pale lids had closedfor ever. Still lingered around his lips the smile left there by theangels, as, with a kiss of love, they received his parting spirit.In the curling masses of his rich, golden hair, the shadows nestledaway, as of old, while his tiny fingers held a few white blossoms,as with a living grasp. Was it death or sleep? So like a sleepingchild the sweet boy lay, that it seemed every moment as if his lipswould unclose, his eyes open to the light, and his voice come to thelistening ear with its tones of music.
If to the mother had come this illusion, it remained not long. Wildwith grief, she turned away as the sweet face she had so loved togaze upon was hidden from her straining eyes for ever.
Hidden from her eyes, did we say? Only hidden from her natural eyes.Still he was before the eyes of her spirit in all his living beauty.But, to her natural affections, he was lost--even as he had fadedfrom before her natural eyes; and, in the agony of bereavement, itseemed that her heart would break. Back to her darkened chamber shewent. Her nearest and dearest friends gathered around, seekinglovingly to sustain her in her great affliction; but she refused tobe comforted.
At length, as at first said, the tempest of grief, which, for atime, raged so violently in the heart of Mrs. Freeland, sobbeditself away, and the stricken mother passed into the land of dreams.
For the most part, dreams are fantastic. Yet they are not always so.In states of deep sorrow or strong trial, when the heart turns fromthe natural world, hopeless of aid or consolation, truth often comesin dreams and similitudes.
The mother found herself in the company of two beautiful maidens, inthe very flower of youth; and as she gazed earnestly into theirfaces, which seemed transparent from an inward celestial light, shesaw expectation therein--loving expectation. They stood beneath theeastern portico of a pleasant dwelling, around which statelytrees--the branches vocal with the song of featheredminstrels--lifted their green tops far up into the crystal air.Flowers of a thousand hues and sweet odours were woven into formsand figures of exquisite beauty upon the carpet of living greenspread over the teeming earth, while groups of little childrensported one with another, and mingled their happy voices with themelody of birds.
Yet, amid all this external joy and beauty, the hand of grief stilllay upon the mother's heart; and when she looked upon the sportiveinfants around her, she sighed for her own babe. Even as she sighed,one of the maidens turned to her and said, while her wholecountenance was lit up with a glow of delight--
"It has come. A new babe is born unto heaven."
And, as she spoke, she gathered her arms quickly to her bosom, andthe wondering mother saw lying thereon her own child. The othermaiden was already bending over the infant--already had she greetedits coming with a kiss of love. Quickly both retired within thedwelling, and the bereaved mother went with them, eager to receivethe babe she had lost.
"Oh, my child! my child!" she said. "Give me my child."
And ere the words had died upon her lips, the maiden who hadreceived the babe gave it into her arms, when she clasped it with awild delight, and rained tears of gladness upon its face.
For a time, the two maidens looked upon the mother in silence, andin their bright countenances love and pity were blended. At length,one of them said to her, (and she smiled sweetly, and spoke with anexquisite, penetrating tenderness,)--
"Your heart is full of love for your babe?"
"He is dearer to me than life--dearer than a thousand lives,"replied the mother quickly, drawing the babe closer to her bosom.
"Love seeks to bless the object of its regard."
There was a meaning in the words and tone of the maiden, as she saidthis, that caused the mother to look into her face earnestly.
"This is not the land of sickness, of sorrow, of death," resumed themaiden, "but the land of eternal life and blessedness. Into thisland your babe has been born. You are here only as a visitant, andmust soon return to bear a few more trials and pains, a few moreconflicts with evil; but the end is your preparation for theseheavenly regions."
A shadow fell instantly upon the mother's heart. Tears rushed to hereyes, and she drew her arms more tightly about her babe.
"Shall we keep this babe in our heavenly home, or will you bear itwith you back to the dark, cold, sad regions of mortality?"
"Do not take from me my more than life!" sobbed the mother wildly."Oh! I cannot give you my child;" and more eagerly she hugged it toher breast.
For a time there was silence. Then one of the maidens laid gentlyher hand upon the mother, and she lifted her bowed head.
"Come," said the maiden.
The mother arose, and the two walked into the open air, and passingthrough the group of children sporting on the lawn and in thegardens, went for what seemed the space of a mile, until they cameto a forest, into the depths of which they penetrated; and, for atime, the farther they went the darker and more gloomy it became,until scarcely a ray of light from the arching sky came down throughthe dense and tangled foliage. At last they were beyond the forest.
"Look," said the companion.
The mother lifted her eyes--the babe had strangely passed from herarms. A dwelling, familiar in aspect, stood near, and through anopen window she saw a sick child lying upon a bed, and knew it asher own. Its little face was distorted by pain and flushed withfever; and as it tossed restlessly to and fro, its moans filled herears. She stretched forth her hands, yearning to give some relief;even as she did so, the scene faded from her view, and next she sawan older child, bearing still the linaments of her own. There wasthe same broad, white forehead and clustering curls; the same large,bright eyes and full, ruddy lips; but, alas! not the soft vail ofinnocence which had given the features of the babe such a heavenlycharm. The fine brow was contracted with passion; the eyes flashedwith an evil light; and the lips were tightly drawn, and withsomething of defiance, against the teeth. The boy was resisting,with a stern determination, the will of the parents--was setting atnaught those early salutary restraints which are the safeguard ofyouth.
"Oh! my unhappy boy!" cried the mother.
The scene changed as she spoke. The boy, now grown up to manhood,once more stood before her. Alas! how had the light of innocencefaded from his countenance, giving place to a shadow of evil, thevery darkness of which caused a cold shudder to pass through themother's frame.
"Look again," said the maiden, as this scene was fading.
But the mother hid her face in her hands, and turned weeping away.
"Look again." And this time there was something so heart-cheering inthe maiden's voice, that the mother lifted her tearful eyes. She wasback again in the beautiful place from which she had gone forth alittle while before, and her babe, beautiful as innocence itself,lay sweetly sleeping in the arms of the lovely maiden who hadreceived it on its first entrance into heaven. With a heart full ofjoy, the mother now bent over the slumbering babe, kissing it againand again.
"Grieving mother," said the angel-maiden, in tones of flute-likesoftness, "God saw that it would not be good for your child toremain on earth, and he therefore removed it to this celestialregion, where no evil can ever penetrate. To me, as an angel-mother,it has been given; and I will love it and care for it with a love aspure and tender as the love that yearns in your bosom. As itsinfantile mind opens, I will pour in heavenly instruction, that itmay grow in wisdom and become an angel. Will you not let me have itfreely?"
"But why may I not remain here and be its heavenly mother? Oh! Iwill love and care for it with a tenderness and devotion equal to,if not exceeding yours."
Even while the mother spoke there was a change. She saw before herother objects of affection. There was her husband, sitting in deepdejection, sorrowing for the loss of one who was dear as his ownlife; while three children, the sight of whom stirred her maternalheart to its profoundest depths, lay sleeping in each other's arms,the undried tears yet glistening on their lashes.
The wife and mother stretched forth her hands toward these belovedones, eager to be with them again and turn their grief intogladness. But, in a moment, there passed another change. Thepleasant home in which her children had been sheltered for years, nolonger held them; the fold had been broken up and the tender lambsscattered. One of these little ones the mother saw, sitting apartfrom a group of sportive children, weeping over some task work. Thebloom on her cheek had faded--its roundness was gone--the light ofher beautiful eyes was quenched in tears. And, as she looked, awoman came to the child and spoke to her harshly. She was aboutspringing forward, when another scene was presented. Her first-born,a noble-spirited boy, to whose future she had ever looked with prideand pleasure, stood before her. Alas! how changed. Every thing abouthim showed the want of a mother's care and considerate affection;and from his dear, young face had already vanished the look ofjoyous innocence she had so loved to contemplate.
Again the mother was in the presence of the angel-maiden, to whoseloving arms a good God had confided the babe, which, in his wisdom,he had removed from the earth. And the angel-maiden, as she lookedfirst at the babe in her arms and then at the mother, smiled sweetlyand said--
"He is safe here; will you not let him remain?"
And, with a gushing heart, the mother answered, "Not for worldswould I take him with me into the outer life of nature. Oh, no! Heis safe--let him remain."
"And you will return to those who still need your love and care?"
"Yes, yes," said the mother, earnestly. "Let me go to them again.Let me be their angel on earth."
And she bent hastily to the heaven-born babe, kissing it withtearful fondness.
There came now another change. The mother was back again in herchamber of sorrow; and undried tears were yet upon her cheeks. Butshe was comforted and reconciled to the great affliction which hadbeen sent for good from heaven.
Those who saw Mrs. Freeland in the first wild grief that followedthe loss of her babe, wondered at her serene composure when she cameagain among them. And they wondered long, for she spoke not of thisVision of Consolation. It was too sacred a thing to be revealed, toany save the companion of her life.
THE END.
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