Page048

Page048

,16 THE PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN.


•


POETRY.


PRAYER.


Art thou afflicted ? - tempest- t oss' d1­A


parent, childless left?


A weary wander er on the earth ,


Joyless, and sore bereft? -


Look upward ,- ! iftthy soul to God,


Nor sinfully despair: I


Christ wipes all tears from every eye :


Betake thyself to pray er.


Artthou an orphan? Is contempt


And poverty. thy lot?


Plead thou with Him ' who freely gives


To all, upbraiding not.'


' I'h ese are the condescending names '


Oar God is pleased to bear,


' The Fath er of the fathfl es. ,.


' The God who hesr eih prayer.'


Art thou a widow, left alone,


Life' s desert paths to plod?


Bereaved one, :: ive thy heart to Him; '


\ Vho is ' the widow' s Gild. '


Fly to his footstool, and pour forth .


Thy tale of sorrow th ere: ­'


Full of comp asslons;' pitiful


Is he ' that h e~ reth prayer.'


He bindeth up the broken heart, ­He


raiseth those that fall, ­He


. opens wide his bounteous ha nd,


And cheers and blesses all.


\ Vith penyer appro ach his throne ' in whom


We live, and move, and are ;' •


In highest heaven supreme lI e reign8, ­'


I'~ e God who heareth prayer.


In brokenness ~ f heart , if thou


DMt thy transgressions mourn;


Labor ing beneath the sense of guilt ,


Too grevious io be borne ;


\ V ith prayer draw nigh the eross of Him


Who all ou; sorrows bar ei '


Christ hath redeem'd us unto God­Oh


give thyself to prayer.


Believer , look beyond the grave, ­Thy


heritage is there ;


A crown ofl ife to be obtained


Through Christ, by faith and prayer.


T H OU. hast deep need of wat chfulness,


Beset by many a snare,


Strong lusts within, and fues without;


Oh cease not T, HOU frolll prayer!


' 1:' he prayer of faith availeth much i ' ­Prayer


is the ' Christian ' s breath ,


It BRINGS and KEEPS him nigh t ~ God;


It soothes the bed of death.


Pruyer makes hirnsearch his heart , unveils


The deep pollution there-


And brings his secret sirVil to light; - '


Yet saint>. ceasc qot from prayer, '


To prayer!- to prayed - Life' s restless tide , '


Is ebbing fast away !


1' 0 prayer!- to prayer :- Time hastens on


The uwful judgment- day ! •


With prayer approach the God in whom


Ye ' liv e unc move, and arej'


In highest heaven, snpreme He reigns,


The ' God who heareth prayer!'


' S. S . C.


ORIG1: NAL MISa~ LLANY.


For tho P ractical Cilri" tia",


ARTHUR AND E UGENE :


OR


' THE' BOY WHO HAD RlGlI, l' VIEWS 0 .' DEATII.


A DESIRE GRATIFI ED.- Well, Ch, Il'le s , if


you will , ca ll your s istl! r Harriet, and YOllr


brother J ohn, 1 will nowg ra tify YOIll' desi re to


hellt" abouttbe littl e boy who had right views


ofdeath. But befor e I begin the account, I wish


to knpw if yOIl can ' give me a ny go od reason


why I should tell you of thi s littl e hoy? I al­ways


like lO know wh y I alii to do a thing he-


, fore I commence it. ' Vhy, Ch arl es, shou Id I


tell you about the ' littl e boy ' wh o h- ad right


views of death?


" 0, you should tell it, becallse I like to hem'


yon tell stories." .


John, I will hear what renson yOIl call give


wh y 1 should relate th e hisiol'y_ of th e little


bo y.


" 0, I sup pose you should tell till, becallse it


will please us all to hear about him."


Corne, Harriet, we must have YOllr reason


in thi s matter.


" Why, I think that you should te ll us ahout


him; so that we may be like him, ami have


ri ght views of d eath, too ."


Yes, dear Harriet, your reason is the right


on e: I ought to he willing to tell you uho nt


th e good boy, or do an ything in my power if


it will assist you in forming right view s , a nd


IIII~ ing right feelin gs ab out death, The th o't


of death often fills th e minds of gr eat arid even


gaol I men with terror e, yetif our minds and


affecti ons ar e right, and we hav e right view s


011 th e subject, th ere is no reason why we


s ho nld he a frai d of death. The wick ed nlllY


we ll be fe rri fied at the prospect ofdeuth ; IlIlt


the goo d have no reason to be alarmed


when death approa ches. YOII hav e gi ven a


good reason why 1should tell you about littl e


Arthu r's right view s of death j und 1 hope that


th e account whic h I shal l gi ve yo u mllY help


to mak e y ~ 1I like that good Ili; y. Harriet's


reason is Ii. good on e, IIlId I sh ult g lad ly com­ply


with your requeats- s- but before I pr oceed;


I want to sa y a few word s about th e rea son s


ofC har les a nd J ohn. Cha rles th ought that 1


should comply with yo ur req uest, because he


liked to hem' me tell sto r ies. You see th at he


th ou ght of nothin g hilt person al g~ ati ficat ion.


Il e was wh olly selfish in his req ues t. It is II


ver y improper motiv e to act fro m. J ohn's


reason is' some - beuer. He would huve me


grant- your request to please yo n all . lI e th ink s


of some body besides himself in th e rnut ter ;


bi'ut he would merely be plensed unrl have orh­ers


pleased. It may soine rimes happen that


we may be plea sed without bein g ma de any


bett er: so th at John's reason is not . th e best


th at Olin be given. But Hnrri et wo n ld heur o f


the hoy whohad right view s of'rleath, th at you


un cI she may ha ve righ; views of death too : ­th


at is, sh e would be made hett el', by hearin g


of the gnod boy. ' This is right. It is always


more d, esirahle to make c hildren or even l1Ien,


bllller by what we ~ ay to them, tlmn it is lIIel: e­Iy


to plea se th em . L et me sa y onll word,


, c hildre n,' lIhou t story- te lling. Cha r les soys he


like s tohcllr ! ne tell s lor ies. Somet imes peo­ple


' mean by'stories, things which never took


pluc e, but are ~ o l l] me rely to pl ease onll in­SU'uc


t cli ildre n. Now what I a lii go ing to tell


yo u is not ( HIe of thut kind of slOries . Hilt it


is ,. a histo ry_~.... l w o li. ltl e .! loys , _ who Ii vel~ anll


di ed in th e town of A---, in !\ lussllchu ·


se lts: The fact s, de ur ch ild re n, which I s ha ll


~ t a te to yo u, are II ea rly liS I ca n re mem be r, liS


I Ilellrd th em frolll th e purents und fliends of


little Arthur and E llge'ne j ~ nd I hope you


wiN be murle ~ e t te r c hildre n hy ' hea ring them


relut ed to you.


TUE PORT. lU. ITs,- Charles, what is II 1' 01' ­u


· . ait?


" ' Vhy, it is n puillled mun."


' Veil, th en, if! ~ ho llid ge t. some Jlllint put


IIPOl my fuce, sh ollid I be a portrait ?


''' 0 , no ; that is'nt \ vhat I meant."


' Veil, we will hellr yo n tell wh at yOIl


lIIeanhy a painted mllli.


" " Veil, it is somet hing which [ noks j ust like


' the tilce of a m3n, ' and so rne tillles like th e


whQle man, made np on cl oth , or pap er. An d


it is made with pa int, and so I call it ' a puint ed


nullI." ,


\ Vell, Ch : uJe., we unll er stund ) now. You


would SIlY, thut II portrait is th e lik en ess ofa


man, p" t IIpon cloth or pllp er , with pUill. Is


not th e liken ess 01' 11wom an or u child, ~ u t up­on


clo th or pap er, ' with puint, .11 portruitalso?


" 0, yes, it do es not make a ny difference


wh ether'it be a hoy or a lIIan."


" Veil ; J ohn, Chllrles has lO, Id usw! lal a por­trait


is, alld now we wunt yo u to tcll Iii' what


th e man i~ ' called who makes portl'llit s.


" W hy, 1 suppose if he makes portrails, that


he is ca lled a portrait- maker : we clIlI . the man


th at mak es shoes, a shoe- maker. "


It is trne that th e ina n who makes Oll~ s hoes


' is commo nly ca lled a sho e- ma ke r j a nd; p~~ ­hap


s, with ju st as much p ropriety, we misht


ca ll th e ma~ who makes portruits a portait ­muker


: but '; ve huve an oth er name for th e


man wh o makes shoes, and also for the lUun


wh o mllkes portl'llits. . ClIn either of 70 U tell


what tb eso ' other Ilam es lire? John hus tri ~ d


a lready, ancl do esnot seem to know. Chllrles,


cun you tell us any thing ubou thi s nulter of


nllmes?


" I don't know any name for th e mill WllO


mak es shoes, bnt shoe- maker; bu t I believe


' the mlln who makes portrait s, iscull ed ~ paint­er,


beca ilse he do es his work with pain t."


You Ilro right as far as you go , a bout th e


man who mal, es portraits: he is call ed a puint-er;


but he, as well as the shoe- ma ker, is


kn own by another name beside those which


yo u ha ve mention ed . Come, Harriet, we mu st


hear what you can say about thi s subject ,


" " Vhy, I believe the ' lIIl1n who make, shoes,


is cu lled II cord wnin er, and th e man that mak es


portraits, is culled an a rti st."


Well, boys, Hurri et is right, The man who


mak es shoes, is culled n cordwainer, and th e


IlJUlI t h ut makes portraits is called an artist.


Now that we hav e learnt what u portrait is,


and what th e 1111111 is called who mak es pOI":


tr aits, l wiil tell you somethlug about some


port ra its, which ' l once saw. The first tim e


that 1 eve r called at th e hou se of 1\ 1 1': 1)--,


th e father of Arthur ' und Eugene, I met th er e


an artist, a Mr. L--, who had been e ngage d


a numher of weeks in painting the portrait s of


1\ 11'. D--' s famil y. - T herewere ten 01' e lev­en


portrait s, Lthink- e- ull well done, and good '


. lik en esses of th ose for whom tl ley were paint­ed:


It was an illt erl.~ tin g sight, First in the


company sto od th e grunZllllother of Arthur and


E ugene, whom a ll ' the c hi ld re n so tenderly


loved. Next ca me the portraits o f Mr. and


Mr s. D--' , und th en follow ed , in th e order


of th eir ages, th e portrai ts of their eig ht or


nine so ns. Lillie Edward was th e youngest,


and he WIIS th en abou t two years old . I do


not rem ember th e nam es of the rest. Y ou


might see hy the se portruits that Mr. D--' s


wns a hUJlPY and lovin g family.


The tender mother's eyes sparkled with


g ladness as sh e mentioned to me th e nam es'


and qualit ies of severalof her e lde r son s. Hut


soo n her eyes swum in tears, her voice became


tremulous, amI sorrow rest ed in . ev . ery feature


of her fuce. " T hese," suid she , in a su hd ued


ton e, of v oic e~ as she pointed to two beautiful


looki ng boy s, " ure the portrpits of Arihur 1II111


E uge ne . They ar e tuken fi'oln us. It makes


a g reat alt eration in our filmily. It no ~ see llls


as if th ey wel'e th e most int erestingund pr o; n ­ising


ofall our children. Eugene was a llanc


im ation and life, yet of a swee t and lovely . Iis­positi


on. ' Arthut' was of II more grave and se ­ri


ou s tum of mind, yet not less sweet in tem­per,


orJess promis ing. _ BUl . tI,.,' y- 81 · e tak P. lI !


These ilOrtrait s of th em afford us / linch com­fort.


Theil' depllrted spirits seem to spellk to


. us th i'ou gh th eir likenesses: and the remark­ahle


circ umsta nces att end ing Arthnr's death,


the nn conHllOn understanding of th e nature


or power of true religion, which he displnyed,


his d eell 10l'e for E uge ne , hi.;; resignali on to


the w ill of his hellvenly F lith er , nre great lIlIe­vintion


s to U8 under th is It'ying d ispenslltion of


dh'ine p rovid en ce."


S nc h, dear c hild re n , is the, first nccount ·


whieh I received of Iittl ll Arthur and Engene.


Their IIffii~ ted mother prorr iiseci me th en sqme


lurther ( llll'ticulars. of th eir life and death,


which s he ufterwards gav e me." \ Vhat sh e re­Illted


is th e ~ n " sto nce of thi s little book. I


used of\ en to visit th e' portrait 1' 00/ 11, while I


stlly ec1l1t Mr. D--' s, ull, l it was 1> lellsi. ng ' to


me as well all to th e par ent s of these go od


children, to look lit th eir liken esses . Thou gh


dead, th ey s poke to li S ; and I hllpe, ' d ear e hil­dren


, thai you will hellr th em spellk ing to you


lIS I, give you \ l histo. ry of the ir go~' d lives and


happy death.


TilE LOVING BROTHERS.- O how d~ light­fnl


a . sight ar e lovin g and ~ ffect io n u t e childre n !


' Vhat II hlessing and co ns tant source of hap­pin


css uru th ey to th eir purentll! ' How hup­py


nlso, do th ey make lh eml! lelv es ! They a rc


happy th ~ llI sel ves- th ey make their p" rents


a llll friend s h appy~ th ey are beloved anrl re­sp


ect efl, anci Ilpprov ed by ev ery ' good person;


and wha t is more nnd better than all the re st,


th ey lire helo ved lind owned and lIpproved hy


th eir Father in henven, hy th eir Su~ ior, who,


wh en oli eurth, took littl e ch ilrlren iIi his arm8


nnd , blessed them.


Chur les, J ohn;. und Harriet , hllve you ai­wllys


been Idnd und lov'ing to ea ch other? ­Ifyoll


huve not nlways lieen so in times past,


try to he so for th e fiiture ; lind hear wh llt is


suirl of Arthnr alH( Eugene, that JOU may be


assisted by th eir example. ·


If I rem ember cor rec tly these rlear brothers


were n. ever · known to d isagree and qUl! rrel,


dnring th eir \~' hole stay on th e earth• . Ar thnr


at th e tim e o f h is dellth , was s ix years 0111­he


' was two ye a rs old er than Eugcn e. Arthur


cherishe rf a strong and ten der love for h is lit ­tle


brother li'om hi s birth. He took great


plea su re in wat ching him while in his cradle;


lind WI; S ca re ful to bru sh uwny the flies - and


ge n tly rock th e c ra dle wh en he WIIS restless .


When Eugen e begu n to play and cree p about,


Arthlll' kn ew nothow to ex press his j oy. He


ga ve hir" 1111 his toys, s ho wel l him how to play


with them and helped him fro/ ll pla ce to plnce


befor e he co uld walk. und wh en he grew large


enongh to tnlk an d ) ' 1111 a ho ut witho ut helll,


Arth ur see me d perfectl y d el igh ted . H e s pe nt


his wh ole tim e iUlllle nd ing upou his younger


brother, He led h irn fro m pla ce to place,


s howed hilll thefow Is, th e flower s, the trees;


and wid him eve ry thing which he himself


had learned of the great FlIlher'.. works.


Thus th ese deal' broth er s lived tog e \ her in


love and harmony, When Arthur came 10 he"


uhou; four ye a rs old, he waif sent to sc hoo l. ­Il'was


a grea t It'inlto them hoth to be separ­IIted


during sc hoo l hou rs. Eugen !! wouldbe­ginto


e~ l q u i re , ofl; is mother hel ol'e Arthnr had


been gone half an hOUI', if it were not most


lim e for him to come home . He would often


ge t libe rty of his moth er to go lind meet Ar­thu


r wh en thetima came for th e sc hoo l to he


dismi ssed ; nnd wh en th ey met , th ey seemed


as glnd - to see eac h othe r us good friends do,


. after ye a rs of'sepunn lon, Soon, how ever, Eu­gen


e was per mitted to atreud sch ool with his


broth er, which was very pleasant to them


both j a nd th ey wer e both so goo d children , '


th at th ey gllve,' th eir cousiu, wh o tllnght. the


scho o l, very lilli e tr ouble.


FILtAL A FFE CTIO~._ I 11I1I'e sa id that Ar­th


ur de lighted in mnk ing hisyouuger brother


happy. He d id this in e ye. l'Y WilY which he


co u ld thillk o f: He lIev el' th ollght of sllying ,


" this plaything is mille- yuu ' mns t not ) Ia ve


it," as surne l'Ilil ol rell · d o. He took d elight in


see ing ltis lilli e lJrl, th el' hnppy j 111111. he tri ~ d


to find u ut new ways to make hil~ 1 so. ' I'hll


littl e boys wer e gl'eat ly , plensed to I'un and


mect th eir deal' filth er, When , they saw him


cUllliI'lg ; alld it gave him tru e happiness to


see holV t~ n d erly h is dellr Arthlll' lind , E ugene


lo ved him IIl1d line ullot he l · . He ~ o me t i m es


woultlt!. ke E ugene in his nrms IIn, f ca r ry him,


while Arthu r ra il hy his liide. Oll e dllY, as he


was cllrry ing him in thi s wny, E uge ne Pllt his


al: rns round his fath er's neck to k iss him ; and


his fath er let go his hold of him, wbich left


th e lillI e boy Inin ging up on his fqtlier's bo­som,


with h is hllnrfs c lllspe d lit th e I'> ack part


of his futh er ' s neck. This pl08 sed the little


boys ; aud so every time they ' went to meet


th eir dear father. th ey wOllld both l: I'y ont­"


Come, dear finh er , henll down ) ' 0111' ne(, k :"


and so Mr. D-- wOllld ben d down his neck


while Eugen e c las ped his hnnds together' at


the ha ck o f his ncd" and th en rise up, ! lIkin g


the little boy with him. He nsed to call Ell­gehe,


wh en lUlllgiu l; from h is neek in th is WilY,


hi s j ewel. And 8ure ly thi s wns II I/ Iore prec­i~


us jew!,! lthlln co uld be Inalle of go l,] lind


d illmonds. Cun yOIl tell me, HIlI'I'iet , why


Eugen e was more pr ecious than gold allll


gems?


" I su ppose it WllS I! ecllu stlh e had II soul?"


Yes , tllllt is th e reason . He . hurl It 80UI.- .


The so nl, th e spir itu a l nutllre of human lJe­ings


, ofllle n, of women , of c hild re n, is more


vllluable than lIil things e lse . Thus lived


th ese rlenr ch ild l'en, till Arthur was six yea rs


old, and Eugen e four.


[ Concll/ sion in ntxt No.]


LI, ST 01' AGENTS.


A~ li n Ball ou, PUhli shinl{ agent, Mendon, Mass. n. R. Lalll son, " Vest Hoylston, ag ent at largo.


D. S. Whitnev, do. do.


G. ' V. Stlll:)',' Boylsroll, do".


WlII . II . Fish, Mill vill e, . do .


Will. S pa rre ll, BoStOll, 64 Gornhill.


Re v. Sumue l J. !\ Ini, South Scituate.


Elijah M. R eed, Low ell.


Dr. Butler " Vilrnllrth , L ever ett.


Jno. Calkins, South Wilbruhlllll.


C ha rles G llldd ing, S outl lboro.


Nathaniel O. C hllffee, Grafton .


E dmu nd Q uin cy, Dedhlllll.


E. D. Draper, Sllugus.


Milton lI olmes, No r th Attleboro'.' ,


R ev . LYllla ll !\ lay nilI'd, S outh Hiugham.


ThOlnllB Hask ell, Glouceste r.


Alex . T . T emple, Hopkinton, Mllss.,


' V. C. Hehne, 292 N. 1\ 1. st. P roviden ce, R. I.


Washi nl; lon 1\ Iellen, Hnrtford, Ct.


Smith R, S il, ley , S tamfilril, Ct.


Rev . Sumuel C. Lovel unci, Rending, Vt.


\ V ellre T up plln. Esq., Brudford, N. H.


Duvid Duttun, Mount Vel'll. on, N, H.


E ld . J oseph E lliot, Franklill, N. H.

Page 48 of Volume 1 from The Practical Christian 1840-1841

Ballou, Adin

1840