From Black,cood'S Edia,Jatrg MagaSiae.
THE WIDOW AND HER SON.
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From Blac6,cood's Ed;aJvg Magazine.


THE WIDOW AND HER SON.


Not more beautiful vale ever inspired


pastoral poet in Arcadia, nor did Scillan


shepherds of old, ever pipe to each othertor
prize Of oatcn reed, in a lovelicr nook than


where yon cottage stands, shaded but scarce
" sheltered, bv few birch trees. 1t is in
truth not cottage, but shelllng OF turf,
mart of The knool adheiing to the side OF the


mountain Not another dWeilng-evcn
small as itself within mic many direction.
Those goats that seem to walk where there


is no footing along the side Of the cllff CO. OF


themselves, to be milkei at evening, 10
house beyond the hill, without any barking


dog to send them home. There are many


foot paths, but all of sheep, except one,


leading through the coppice wood to the


distant kirk. The angler seldom disturbs
those shadows. and the heron has them to
himself, watching often, with motlonless
neck all dav long. Yet the sheiling is inhab-
tied, and has been so by the same persons,
| for good many years. You might look at
| it for hours, and yet see no one SO much as
| moving to the door. But alittle smoke hoy


ers over it-faint as mist, and nothing else


tells that within is life.


II is inhabited by widow, who once was


the happiest of wives. and lived far down the


p,en. where it is richly cultivated, in house


astir with many children. 1t SO happended


that in the course of nature, without any


extraordnary bereavement,, she outlived all


the household, except one, on whom fell the


sadest afaiction that can beiall human be-


inp-the utter lossofreason. For many years
after the death of her husband and all her


other children, this son was her support; and


there was no occasion to pity them IN their


Doverty. where all were Door. Her natu-


raI cheerfulness never f0rsook her, and al
though fallen back in the world, and Obliged
in her age. to live without many comforts


she once had known, yet all the past grad


nallv was softened into peace, and the widow


and her son were IN that sh ling as happy as
: anv family in the parish. lie worked all


kinds of work without, and she sat spinning


from morning till night within-a constant


occunation soothing to one before whose


mind past times might otherwise have come
too often, and that creates contentment by
he nndisturbed sameness and visible pro-
{ yression. Ifuot always at meals, the widow
: COW her sou for an hour or two every night,
and through out the whole Sabbath day
: ,cbev silent too, under the same roof; and


che l;k ed the stormy weather when the rams
, were m. for then he found some ingenious
! emnlovment within the sheiling, or cheer
G ed her with some book lent by friend, OF
e with the lively or plaintive music OF his ma
p tive hills. Sometimes, III her gratitude, sht
$ said she was happier now than when she hat
f MANY other causes to be so, and When occa
i sionally an acquaintance dropped IN upon ne ne.
: solitude, her face welcomed every one WITT
) a smile that spoke Of more than resignation
" nor was she averse to p n AXE OF the social
| ity of other huts, and sat sedate among youth
!, g., merriment. when summer or winter tes
is tival came round, and poverty reJoicea


the riches of contentment and innocence.
,s p,t her trials. great as they had beer
"A were not vet over, for this, her only sor
70 was laid nrostrate by fever; and when
, left his body. he survived hopelessly strick
> on in mind. His ewes so clear and INTEL
IN gent were now fixed in idoc'ty, or rolled
a bout unohservant Of all objects, living or dea'
4; To him all e,ther seemed the samoan
II if suffered. he would have lain down, like
.if creature void of understanding, IN ram
m snow not being able to find his way back t
4 manv paces from the hut. All thought ar
lis feeling had left him-so had speech--ai ID
IS moaning, as if in pain or wo, when nor
ps hut a mother could hear without shudderii
of but she heard it during the NIGHT as we
,ir as day, and only sometimes llttei up n
all ewes in PRAYER to God. An offer was maj
,w to send him to place where the aliilct
it. are taken care Of, but she bcseeched cha1
ir. ty for the first ,time-such aims as won
ng enable her, along will, the earnings OF n
nd wheel, to keep her son in the shelllng; a
of the means were given her from many qua
NO ter to do so descentlv, and with all the COZ
fe. forts that other eyes observed, but OF whl
hit the poor object himself was insenshle a
unconscious. Theneeforth, it may aims
yn be said, she never more saw the sun. \
ion heard the torrents roar She went mol 10
ra- kirk, but kept the Sabbath where the pa1
ate lvtic Law, and there sung the lone,y pSai
INK and said the lonely prayer, unhearo ~ ~
ost en-, as many despairing spirits @oulu na
for thoupht-but it is not so--tor IN TWO ysa
ace there came a meaning to his eyes am,
or, found a few words of imperfect speech, :,
,lic mong which was that of Mother. -
or how her heart burned within her TO kn =,
ne that her face was recognized 10 feel u y
,rt- her kiss was returned, and to see tNe n \
ma tear that trickled from her cres that Sc Il