CHAPTER 111.

Otago Witness, Issue 390, 21 May 1859, Page 9

CHAPTER 111.

" Beside the bed, where parting life was laid, And soriow. guilt, and pain, by turns di.Mnayed, The rev'iend champion stood. At his contiol Despair and anguish Hod the smuggling soul ; Comfort came down, the tiembhug wretch to raise, And Ins last falteiing accents whispered praise." Gol'hmith. " The woild recedes : it disappcais ! Heaven opens on my eyes; my eais With sounds .leraphic linu : Lend, lend jour wings ! I mount ! I fly ! O ! grave, where is thy victo<\ ? O ! Death, wheie is thy sting ? " — Pope. ' Hush ! listen to that little girl ; she is standing beside Lea's bed, and one of his large rough hands is affectionately stroking her

flaxen locks, while she repeats Cowper's beautiful hymn, — " God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform ; He plants his footsteps in the sea, And rides upon the storm." The injuries which Lea had received had proved mortal. One of his legs had been amputated, and the loss of blood occasioned by the operation, combined with the internal injuries which he had sustained, had rendered him helpless as an infant ; and he evidently had not many hours to live. As soon as the child had finished, he said, addressing Mr. and Mrs. Morton, who were present, — " Yes — the ways of God are indeed mysterious to us : but one thing is certain, 1 that all things work together for our good. I How richly have 1 found the truth of the i words, ' Cast thy bread upon the waters : thou shalt find it after many days ! ' The few paltry ounces of gold which tour years ago I ! gave to you, had they remained in my poss'esi &ion, would have followed the fate of many j others, and have gone to enrich the publican ] and the sharper: given to yon, like the talent J in the hands of the faithful servant, they have i increased tenfold. Were it not for them, I i should now be dying, neglected, in some hosI pital ; and, worse still, 1 should have died a i sinner in the midst of my sin, unrepentant and J unredeemed. lam about to die ; and if the ! blessing of such a wretched sinner as myself ] can profit, may it rest upon you and yours, 1 for your kindness to me has been great." He | ceased speaking ; and after a short interval the i silence was broken by the voice of the clergyman (who had entered while he was speaking) commencing the beautiful service of our church for the visitation of the sick. Lea pronounced the responses in an audible voice ; and afterwards he, as well as Mr. and Mrs. ! Morton, partook of the communion. The Supper of the Lord is at all times an awe- ! inspiring ceremony, but particularly so under , such circumstances as the present. To think that one of those who aie communicating with i you will, in the course of a few hours, be in • the presence of that Saviour whose death to purchase the redemption of mankind you thus commemorate — there to render up a strict account of his life — is a reflection which would , impress the most callous heart ; and it was with souls overflowing with gratitude and love ' towards the Redeemer that Herbert and Mary ' ro^e from their knees. Lea, too, was deeply affected ; after the voice of the minibter had ceased, his lips might be observed wa\ering in ' silent prayer. Oh ! what a fearful thing it is to sec a man in the prime of life, rendered in a few houis, nay minuter., feeble and helpless as an infant ; to see the limbs one moment : strong and active — the next crushed and mutii latcd. Docs not such a sight warn us of the , ! instability of human life, and the folly of : \ placing our affections upon things even more r ' liable to destruction than ourselves ? Does it ' not bid us be prepared to meet the judgment I of the Almighty at any instant V Is it not a j message to ouioohes to lay up treasures in : hea\en, where no corruption can enter, instead • of devoting the whole of our time and energies • to the concerns of this world ? Ah ! yes ; ,r, r such are the toolings which rise in almost - every human heart ai such a sight ; but, alas ! ) the effect is too often transitory : the troubles r and cares of the world spring up like the c thorns in the parable, and any impressions j which may have been made at the time are 1 soon foi gotten. But on the mind of the i i Christian how different is the effect ! Death - j has no terrors for him : he views the grave c I but as the entrance to immortal life. Each , death that occurs around him reminds him - , that his own release from the cares and anxiee j ties of the world is fast approaching, when, i, instead of being summoned into the presence ii of an offended (rod, he goes to the bosom of a kind and hning Saviour, lie does not say, — 3 " Ob. ! 'tis <i f cai Ail tiling to die, d And go we know not where, g To he in cold obsti notion, And to lot * ■* *." Xo ; he knows the realms of bliss which his c i Father hath prepared are ready to receive *■' ' him, and believing in the resurrection, he y< thinks not of his body's decay. c i But I must beg my readers' indulgence for } ' wandering so far and so long from my subject. Ie Lea, I said, remained silent some time after c the clerg\ man had stopped. At length, mo|C tioning to Herbert to approach, he took his ie hand within his own, and said, in a voice ls which was gradually growing husky and in- ' 3' distinct: "Mr. Morton, when lam gone, will le you be kind enough to send a lock of my hair 111 to my poor mother ; and tell her that her Il'I 1 ' Harry died thinking of her, and steadfast in in tbe faith of Christ Jesus." His voice was y~ reduced to a whisper by the time he had concluded ; a film o'erspread bis eyes ; his grasp relaxed; he smiled, and whispered the word "mother;" then his e)cs brightened again for a moment — he mummied the name of Jesus; the film returned, and he w<ns no more, ■d, -.- „ * * * 1 Herbert not only sent the lock of hair to 1 ! his mother, but, through his friends at home, t0 | he provided for her comfort dining the re- ,, I mainder of her life. Herbert has become one of the leading men in the land of his adoption ; but what gives his tuily Christian heart more pleasure than any worldly rank can affoid, it . that his-family have become reconciled to him, The event which we recorded" in the first ' chapter has exercised' a lasting influence upon „ • his character. Before that event, he was n gay, thoughtless man of the world ; since d- then, he has been a consistent, hiunble-mindcd ge Christian — honoured and respected by all who er I are brought into contact with him.