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52 TIlE PRACTICAL CHR ISTIAN.


POETRY. .


[ T he following touchin g lines from th e


Knickerbocker," will be read with a melan­cholly


pleasure by those who have wat ch ed


th e dc pa. rtu re of the tender infant. S;{ fe fol­d


ed in th e R edeem er ' s arms th e swee t cher-ubs


" peacclillly res t." ] G. W. s,


THE DEATH OF AN INFANT.


H6W peacefully they rest,


Cross folded there


Upon his little breast,


Tho se tiny hands that ne' er were still before,


But ever sported with his mother' s hair,


Or the plain cross tbat on her breaet she wo re!


Her ' heart no more will beat


. T o feel the touch of that ' soft palm;


That ever seemed a new surprise,


Se nding glad thoughts up to her eyes, ,


To bless him with their holy calm;


S weet thought s, that left her eyes as sweet.


How quiet are the hands


' I'h at wove those pleasant bands!


But thatthey do not rise and sink


With his ca lm breathing, I should think


That he were dropped asleep; .


Alhs! too deep, too deep


Is this his slumber!


Time scarce can number


The years ere he will wake again;


Oh, may we see his eye- lids open then !


* .. ...... * ....


He did but lIoat a little way


Adown the stream of time,


' Vith dreamy eyes watching the ripples play,


And listening their fairy chime ;


His slender sail,


Ne' er felt the gale ;


He did but lIoat a little way,


And putt ing to the shore,


While yet ' twas early day,


.... When calmly on his way,


To dwell with us no more;


No jarring did he feel,


No grating on his vesse l's keel;


A strip of silver sand


Mingled the waters wilh the land ,


' Vhere he was seen no more ;


Oh, stern word, never more!


Foil short his joorn ey was; no dust


Of earth unto his sandals clave;


The weary weight that old men must, \


He bore not to the grave ;


He seemed a cherub who had lost its way ,


And wandering hitber; so his stay .


With uswas short, and ' twas most meet


That he should be no delver in earth's clod,


Nor need to paose and cleanse his feet,


To stand before his God .


ORIGINAL MISCELLANY.


For the Practical Christion,


ARTHUR AND' EUG ENE:


OR


THE BOY WHO HAD RIGHT V~ E WS OF DEATH.


( Con cluded.) ,


THE CHUtBER OF SI CKNESS.- You, dear


children , ha ve seen but littl e sic kness. Yet


yOIl oug ht to th ink that you are al i, ex pos ed


to sic k ness. Y es, young. and healthy as , You


now ar e, you may soon lJe sick and d ie. Ther e


are many di seuses peculia'rly fata l to children;


th e cr oup au d sc arlet fever are am~ n g th e '


most con! mou. The scarlet fever pr eva iled


in A-- - an d the n eighboring town's in the


year of our Lord , 1835. Many pareuts we~ e


call ed to mo urn the loss of th eir be loyed c h il­dren


from th e ravag es of th is distemper.


In MI'. . o--' s family, Eugen e was the first


'" tha t was taken sick of it. Sorrow and an xiety


you mu st know, were seen in every face wh en


this dear little brother, who was the favorite


of all, was tak en sick , Everyone seemed to


wish ' ihat he might be'sick in stead of Eugen e.


The good doctor came and d id all he could to


cure him j hi s futher and mother watched ov er


him co ntinually; his IJrothers came around his


bed and wept to see him in so much pain­from


which th ey could not r elieve him . But


Anhllr's affliction was so much deeper than '


th at of the other children, th at th ey see med in ~


part to forget th em in th eir a ttempts to couso le


a nd comfOl: t him. Arthu r woul d get close to


the bed and hold his littl e broth er ' s hand wh en'


his Rlother would permit him j and Eugen e


was reli e ved more by Arthur's company th an


any thing else.; for the medicine which he took


did not seem to do him llluch good .


B~ t all the kindness and att ention of all his


friends- offather, mother, brothers, physician


a nd all, could not save his life; I t was the


will of the great Father in heaven, th at he


should not remain on ear th . Aflera littl e


more th an a we ek's sicknes s, during w h ich


tim e he suffer ed a grea t deal of pain, and bor e


it ve ry pati ently , he di ed. Hi s pains were


th en ov er, his hody was sti ll and cold and life­less,


for his s pirit had gone to God, lts Creator,


to J esu s, its Savior. Greatly ~ ve re the se af­fec


tionate parents and brother s afflict ed at this


event. The par ents mourned for him j but


th ey mourned as Christian parents may mourn,


The brothers, we re all sad th at dear Eugene


no lon ger mode on e amoug th eir number. ­In


th e c ours e of a few day s it was plain that


E uge ne's death had mad e a deep er impression


on Ai · thur' s mind thau on ihe other child re n's.


He was unwilling to join his broth ers in an y


of th eir s ports. He was g ra ve and t1iou ghtlill, '


andone clay, wh en he was alon e with his


mother, th e follo wing co n ve rsation took place


between him and his moth er, And . thi s


co nversarlon, dear children, sho ws th at he had


ri ght views ofdeath.


. TU E CONVERSATloN.- Art hllr came c lose


to his mother and sa id, in a deep and se rio us


man ner: ' Dear mother, I wish I~ had di ed


wh en E uge ne did .' .


H iNmoth er was n ~ ch s urpr ised to hear suc h


a wish expressed hy her litile hoy, and ask ed


him thi s qu estion: " Do you , wish to go and


leave father and mo th er, littl e Edwa rd and a ll


yo ur broth ers ?' I


The deal' littl e hoy look ed down/ upon th e


floor fora moment, as if think ing wh at to say,


or perhaps thinking how much [ happiness he


might enjoy with th ese kind friends, and then


looki ng wishfully int o his mothe r's face, sa id :


' Why, yes , dear mother, I do wish I had died


when E ugene did !- for yo P know that Eu­ge


ne is go ne to heaven, to be with th e Savior;


a nd if I had died wh en he did, we should


have gon e to heaven together, a nd alw ays been


together j and, dear mother, yon know that


Eugene and I alwnys lik ed to he together j_


and if we had di ed togeth er, th en we shou Id


never have been separated. And, dear moth­er,


y ou kn ow it will not he long before you


and father . and a ll will come j ' for you know .


dear moth er, that e very bod y mu st die: and it


we ar e good, and love th e Sa vior , and are like


. him , whe n we d ie we s ha li go to hea ven a nd


be with th e dear Savi or . 0 how I. sh ould


like to he in heav en , wh ere the S avi or is with


dear br oth er Eugen e!'


Littl e Arthur sa id thi s, deal' chil rlren, with


so much tenderness, and th er e wall s o much


truth a nd good sen se in what he had said, th at


his afflict ed moth er could not farth er expos tu­late


wi th him th en j a nd she felt some what of


her own g rie, f tak en a way jn seeing ' how ten.


derl y Arthur loved his littl e brothel'; and


what right views he hud of life and . death. ­She


pr est her little boy to her hosom , but her


he art wns so filii that she spok e not an other


word. ' ..


ARTIIUR'. s PREACIIING THE GOSPEL.- Yon


look suq irised, children , to hear mll sp eak of'


Arthur's pr eaching the gos pe l. Yon th ink, I


snu pose, tha t none but , ministers can prea ch


th e gos pe l. But it is not so: 11 little child


eve n cu n pr each it with pow er. It is sa id in


th e Bibl e : ' Out '! Jf the mouth of habes and


sucklings th ou hast perfected praise.'


' Vhen Arthur went to sc hool, or met any


of his littl e playmates, afte r Eugene died , he


talk ed to them a grea t deal about his de ar


br oth er. He told th em wh at a good boy he


had been- how affec tionate nnd obedient to


his fathc r and, mother- how loving , and kind


to h is brothe rs- how well he . Joved th e school,


a nd how many hymns and verse!! he had


learned at th e Sabbath Schoo l- ho w much he


. loved th e Savior - how he tri ed to obey him


and he like him. And now, he would oay to


them , E uge ne is dead; his body is in the


gr onnd, but his soul is gon e to heavlln, to be


with th e Savior ; and if you want to go to


heav en wh en you di e, you mu st be good c~ il­dren.


Thus did thi s good boy preach to his


littl e companions. They could understand


his prea ching ; and th ey could not help loving


him, he was so gen erous and kind and good a


boy. H e would oft en tell them tha t he meant


to be goo d, that he might go and be with Eu­ge


n!! in he aven, when he . died. Charles and


John, and Harriet, I want you to think mu ch


upon thi s little preacher's sermon, and I w; nt'


y ou to obey it as well as think about it. . If


you would go to heav en and be with J esu s


wh en you die, you must be good children­>,


ou mu st love the Savior and be like him. . --


A RTHUR' S SICKNESS' AND DEATH.- Not


many days after Eugene's death, Arihuf wa s


attack ed with th e sa me di sease. Great, in­deed,


was the an xiety of his de ar parents on


his behalf, but th ey were car eful not to let him


know th eir feelings j for he ' was . always very


unhappy when his belov ed parents wer e un­happy.


The doctor came and d id all in' his


power to cure the distressed ' litt le boy . He


ga ve him every medi cine which he thought


would help . him, · which th e pati ent littl e Ar­thu


r took without complaining. He was not


alarmed lest he sho uld die; for he had a stro ng


d esire to go tothe Sue ior and be with E uge ue,


Many goodmen have beengreatly distressed


a t the th ou ght of dy ing . This fear has been


excited in th eir minds from wrong view s of


death. Jfthe mind und affectio ns are right,


th ere is no good reason why men should be


afrnirl to die. The wick ed man, to . be sure ,


has reason en ough to be a fra id of denth; hut


th er e is no go od rea son why th e good man


should fear to di e. Little Arthur's views were


right on thi s subj ect j and hi" affec tion; wer e


so heavenly that he had no fear s about dying.


lie was very' sick, ye t he did not complain or


rep in e. H e was un abl e to say much, but did


one day say to his mother, tha t he hop ed God


would tak e him to lie in henven , wh er e th e


Savior is with littl e E ugene, Great all. th e


mother ' s distress was to see her littl e boy so


sic k, she felt great rel ief and satisfac tion in


seeing him so he avenly- minded - so like tha


_ a postle Paul, who was willing to stay on ear th


to promote the cau se of christianity am on g


men, yet was d esi rou s to depart anel be w irh


Christ, which is far bett er. In little more rhun


two weeks aft er Engen e' s death, Arthur died


also. His heavenly Father WIlS pleased to


grant his request. He was not long- separ ated


from his beloved Eugen e j he soon went to he


with th e deal' Savior.


T'us GltAVEs:=. Ther e- is · no buriiil ground


very near l\ tr . D ---' s residence j hut no t


far from his house there is a beaut iful pond of


water. In this pond th ere is an island, and on


th e highest part ofthi s island are two heautifhl


oa k trees. Ben eath t hese s hady tr ees Mr, D.


hud his deal" litt le Eugen e ailll Arthur hu ri~ d.


Ther e lie their. bodies side by side, whil e th eir


red eem ed souls ar e with th e blessed Savior iii


heav en . They loved eac h oth er on earth with


a very pure love; but th ey doubtless under­stand


now a purer and holier principle of union


thun on earth th ey kn ew. They loved God


while on ear th j and strove to 110 his . will j hut


, now th ey lo\" e Ilim more und serve him bett er,


hecau se they know more of his goorlness, wis­dom


and ' power. They loved the Savior


while on ea rt h, and d elighted to do as he


tan ghtthern, in b eing meek and; forg iving lik e


him; and now th ey are rejoicing in his pres­ence


; Ihey are with him in heav en, to go no


mo re out for cver. How blessed ' and happy


they must he !


ARTHUR'S DECLARATION TRUE.- Do you


rem ember , c hild ren, any thing that Arthnr


said, wh en his mother asked him i ~ he wanted


to go and leave his fath er and all his brothers ?


' 0 yes, he said for one thing, that it woulrl


not be lon g before th ey would come ; because


eve ry body must di e.'


Yes, hli did say thi s, and it has proved al­ready


true in part. . Arthur died in the year of


our Lord ,1835, and in 1839 his dear moth" r


was called away from ear th to j oin her beloved


Arthur and Eugene in heav en , where the Sa ·


vior , receives and blesses all his humble fol ­lowers


wh en th ey di e. How long it will he


befor e Mr. D-'-.- aud the rest of the family


will be tak en , we do not know j but we know


th at it will not'be lon g; for the lon gest life is


hut a fe ' r years. Evel'y body, as good littl e


- Arthur said, mu s. t die. And no on e knows


wh en the messenger will . come for him.


ARTHUR'S SERMON.- I have now, dear


ch ildre n, told you ah ou t the little boy who had


r ight views ofdeath. Ifyou nre good children


J know you rimst love so good a boy, though


you never saw him. I w is~ th at the ac co'nn t


which' ha s now been given you, might help to


make you lik e th is go od hoy, , a nd also cau se


you to have such views of death as he hild .-


Remember, deur children, little Arthur's set


mono Ifyou want to go to heaven when you;


die, you must be good ch ildre n. If you want


to go to the blessed Savior with Eugene and


Arthur, you nit ls t love the Savior and do aa


he commands yo u, and be lik e him. D. s. w.


CO ~ IM UNroN OF SOULS .


In all our int er course with men there is an


interchange ofth. ou ght. But all int erchange \ i


of thought is not communion of souls. Men I


go to the markets fOI' trade- they hold long


a nd animated conver sati on s, th ey barter, they


chaffer , th ey strive for th e mastery in trade ;


but th ere is 110 communion o f souls in all this.


The soul does not utter its con victions. Its


feelings are suppressed, Its co nvic t ions are


st ifled, Its en er gies are re pressed. Trade, as


at present conducted , is a sys tem ofdeception


and fraud. The trarler mu st ke ep his custom.


er in ignOl'an ce. By silence or by words he


utt er s / illseh oods. He rlecei ves j , and th ere is


no commun ion o f soil Is wh er e dec eption is.


. Men meet in co urts o f law. They speak


often to " each othe r. They make lon g argu.


ment s and ra tiocinate almost without end; bUI


th ere ' is no commun ion of so uls. Jt is all a


str iving 10 overreach. The soul does not


speak. Its conv ic tious a re withheld. There


are words used; and th ey ar e signs of ideas j


I'butthe sou l does not litter th cm. They are


not its co nvictions, They are rec eived with


caution. They lire a ll doubted. There is no


communlox of so uls in suc h assemblies.


Men assembl e in legislativ e halls. They


talk an d arg ne and debate and wrangle, month


after mouth, hut th ere is no communion ' of


souls th er e. There ar e points to he carried


asid e from th e truth. Ther e are secre ts which


mu st not be divulged. P urty s pi ri t reigns. ­Ther


e u ~ e parti es, Souls . can have no com.


muni on wh er e the re a re parties.


Men lind wom en often meet to worship their


Cren ror , lind he iustruct ed in duty j a nd sure.


Iy suc h gat herings ought to be meetings where


swee t commu nion o f so uls is enjoyed : But


th is is n ot~ lw a. v s th e case ' . ~ hel: e. is praying, .


or ut. Ieast. i ts fO" ms- rher e Is slllgm/ f,'" ormusIC


ce rtai nly ; th ere is pr each ing, but it often hap.


pen s tl; lIi th ere is no commu nion ofsou Is there.


Ther e is sound, hilt it is empty. There is an


appearan ce, hut it'l s merely a shadow, not sub.


stance.


Men and women meet so me times for phi.


lanthropi c purposes j but communion of souls


is not always found in suc h assemhlies. · Some


ar e often found th er e who seem to think that


SOli Is a re influenced, as th e he ath ens tho'l


to iufluence th eir ~() r1s, hy long'speech es, con.


tinual gabble, multitudes of'wortls, vain repe­titions.


Soul s are not . thus rea ch ed. There


can he no r eal , cornruunion where such are


/ fJUnd. Ne verth eless, th er e is co rnmll'nion of


so n Is. Ther e lire meetings when the soul


speaks. And "" he n it ~ Jlell ks in its own sim.


pIe Illngnage of truth nnd s incerity, souls will


listen. Yes, souls an sw er hack to a so ul that


utters itself, as an echo answers to the voice.~


The soul tloes ' not s peak in vain. Words. are


win d. BlIt when th ey come from the d eel'


fountains of the soul, they a re not th en empty


SOlllllls, th ey ar " things, th ey lire heard, th ey


llre felt, they are ob eyed . Purity delights ' ia


purity. S incerity delights in sincerity. Th.


pllre and sin cer e delight to commune. They


are pain ed at th e petty sc rambling of sordid


men; and d el ight in listening to sing le truth.


Ther e is no diffi culty in being understood. ­In


genuous souls ca n understnnd each other.


T hey understand becau se th ey are willing to


be lerl by th e trllth : They are not afraid of


nn y reslllts to wh ich truth co nd ucts. They


believe in God, nnd feel th at truth co nd ucts to


h is pr esence- they follow implicitly. God


seeks suc h to worship him, for th ey worship


in spirit aud in truth. Yes, th ere is commu ·


nion of souls. It is th e foretaste of heaven,


tile realization of spiritual existence, the demo


on stration of immortali iy. D. s. W.


PIETY.- True piety is love to God, but its


fruit is love to man. The former is the tre e,


the , latter is the fmit. If the tree; th erefore,


he good, th e fruit will be good also: if the tree


he had, the fruit likewise will be bad.


Cru el men are th e gr eat est lovers of mercy


- avllri ciolls men of ge ne ros ity- and proud


men of humility- that Is, in others, 1I0t in


themselves.


-~-

Page 52 of Volume 1 from The Practical Christian 1840-1841

Ballou, Adin

1840