Labours of Love; A Tale for the Young (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1870 Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XIV. The Swam Fulfill. 'Calm on the bosom of thy God, Pair spirit, rest thee now E'en while with ours thy footsteps trod, His seal was on thy brow. Dust to its narrow house beneath, Soul to its place on high They that have seen thy look in death, No more may fear to die.' llESSIE felt her young mistress's death to be a very bitter arrow from the hand of God, and she mourned and wept for her as if for a sister. It was hard for Hugh to console her. She could only think as yet of the cruel and bitter parting, of the sudden call that had come to one so young and full of life; and her tears flowed very fast when she thought of the bright familiar face now hid from her sight for ever. 'Not for ever, Bessie, ' said Hugh; 'we will try to follow her; her footsteps will serve to guide us to heaven.' And with those words there rushed back to Bessie's mind the memory of a happy night, years and years ago, when she, the desolate, forlorn child, made peaceful and joyous by dead Lucy's tender care, had dreamed of an angel bending over and beckoning on her to follow. And so she told the story to her husband. 'It has all come so true, Hugh; now I think of it, I can hardly believe it was a dream. If she is as happy as I saw her then, we need not grieve for her, but only try to follow her.' And so the vision of Lucy's kind face in heaven, beaming down upon and waiting to welcome her, served to cheer the mourner, and raise her thoughts beyond her sorrow. A few weeks more, and an infant awakened a new interest at the cottage. Bessie proposed with glad pride, that her little baby girl might be named Lucy. Hugh was glad to have it so; and as those parents watched the innocent slumber of their little one, they prayed that the spirit of the dead Lucy might animate the new..