The World of Waters | Page 9

and made sad the hearts of our good parents:
the whooping-cough was very prevalent in the village, and a child of
one of the villagers, who occasionally came to my father for relief,
brought the contagion amongst us, and in a short time we were all
seized with it. Two sisters died in one day, and the morning they were
laid in the grave, sweet baby breathed his last. Then my mother fell
sick, and she was very ill indeed; my brother and I were placed in a cot
by her bedside, and when pain has prevented me sleeping, I have been
comforted by hearing this dear, kind mother beseeching God to spare
her boys. She seemed regardless of her own sufferings, and only

repined when she thought how useful she might have been to us, had
she too not been laid on a bed of sickness. But fever and delirium came
on, and we were removed from her chamber. The next day poor Frank
died, and was buried by the side of Clara and Lucy. The funeral service
was read by my dear father, who was enabled to stand under all these
trials of his faith, for God sustained him; and, having trained us up in
the fear and admonition of the Lord, he did not grieve as one without
hope, when his darlings were taken from him, for he knew they were
gone to a better world, and were happy in the bosom of their heavenly
Father. His greatest trial was the illness of my mother; but before we
were all quite well, she was able to leave her chamber, and once again
kneel with us at our family altar, to return thanks to God for his many
mercies. There were only three of her seven children left to her, and
when my father blessed God that they were not rendered childless, my
mother's feelings overpowered her, and she was borne fainting from the
room.
"'But I fear I am tiring you with these melancholy accounts, madam.
You know not how deeply I enjoy the recollection of those days, for
through this wilderness of sorrow there was a narrow stream of
happiness placidly gliding, to which we could turn amidst the troubles
of the world, and refresh our fainting souls; and, though we grieved at
the remembrance of the loved ones now gone from us, yet we would
not have recalled them to these scenes of woe, to share future troubles
with us. Oh no! my dear father was a faithful follower of Christ; he
used to show us so many causes for thankfulness in our late afflictions,
which he said were "blessings in disguise," that happiness and
tranquillity were soon restored to our home.
"'Two or three years glided by, and when I was eleven years old, my
father, one day, called me into his study, and, looking seriously at me,
said, "Frederic, my child, God has been very good to you; he has spared
your life through many dangers; you, of all my sons, only remain to me,
and may your days be many and prosperous! Now, what can you render
unto the Lord for all his mercies towards you; ought not the life God
has so graciously spared be in gratitude consecrated to his service? Tell
me what you think in this matter. I speak thus early, my dear Frederic,

because I wish you to consider well, before you are sent from home,
what are to be your future plans; for as life is uncertain, and none of us
know the day nor the hour in which the summons may arrive, I should
feel more happy, were I assured that you would tread in my footsteps
when I am gone; that you, my only boy," and he clasped me in his arms
as he spoke, "that you would be a comfort to your mother and sisters,
when my labors are ended, and would carry on the work which I have
begun in this portion of the Lord's vineyard, and His blessing and the
blessing of a fond father will ever attend your steps."
"'I raised my eyes to my father's face, and, for the first time, noticed
how pale and haggard he looked; all the bright and joyous expression
of his countenance when in health had given place to a mild and
melancholy shade of sadness, which affected me painfully; for the
thought struck me that my father was soon to be called away.
"'I evaded answering his question, and when he found I did not reply,
he said, "My son, let us ask the direction of Almighty God in this great
work." I knelt with him, and was lost in admiration. I could not remove
my eyes from his face during the prayer; his whole soul