Page:Peterson's Magazine 1842, Volume I.pdf/33

28 caused the widow to experience some uneasiness, At first, she attributed her irregularities to that eccentricity that so often accompanies youth, but as his mivcon-duet daily became more apparent, she began to have some misgivings as to his sense of propriety and regret—alas! when too late, that her excessive fondness had been instrumental in causing him to swerve from the paths of duty and virtue.

“His disposition—while it had hitherto been described as gentle and loving in the extreme—was now morose and sullen. He would return from his daily rambles with a flushed brow and a frowning aspect and sit for hours in a thoughtful mood. In vein did his fond mother endeavor to elicit from him the cause of this change in his behavior; to her inquiries he was atubhorn and silent—nay, he often exbibited a degree of petulenee approaching to anger; yet her tears and gentle admonitions sometimes prevailed, and he would throw himself upon her bosom and weep; but to all her semonstrances and entreaties appertaining to the perceived change in his behavior, he preserved an obstinate taciturnity, and whilst the fond mother’s heart was torn with anguish, that of the erring son was daily becoming hardened, and insensible to afl those humane feelings, which are implanted in our bosoms by the hands of Virtue,

“I have previously stated that Mrs. Walterson was thought to possess a proud disposition; it might not have been 80; at any rate, she did not seek the advice and friendship of our village dames; on the contrary, she seemed inclined to shun them. Now I do believe that she imparted the cause of her grief to them. They would have afforded her much consolation and proper counsel to reclaim her son, but those who really sympathized with her and were anxious to Jessen the weight of her afflictions became fearful of incurring her displeasure, and she was doomed to undergo all those miseries which the misconduct of her son was daily bringing upon her, without that friendly advice, of which she might avail herself. Indeed, my good deme frequently opportuned me to allow her to visit the widow, for the purpose of consoling her, but J was apprehensive that such a visit would be deemed impertinent and obtrusive by Mrs. Woalterson.

“The misconduct of Master Joseph at length began to excite alarming suspicions in the mind of the widow. He was frequently absent from home two of three nights in the week, and his distracted mother knew not where to seek him. Many, aye, many a night, have I bebeld that poor widow standing by the gate of the cottage, watching the return of her eon, and every distant foot step would cause her to start, and I took eagerly forward for her approach. Often have I heard the eob and moan in that gloom and solitude, until I thought her heart would break. Sometimes I have seen her, by the faint light of a candle, traversing her chamber and weeping sadly. Alas, poor widow! callous indeed must that heart have been, that did not throb with pity for misery like thine,

"I will recount an occurrence I witnessed; it may tend to impress you with sympathy for the sufferings of a mother so devotedly attached to an unworthy son. It was on a gloomy and chilly night in the month of November that the widow had stationed herself, as usual, at the gate to watch for the arrival of her son. The dark clouds were driven swiftly onward by a sharp north wind that howled and whistled through the leafless branches of the trees, while the elanting rain, mixed with hail, descended with the greatest impetuosity. The widow was bundled up in a shawl and bonnet, looking anxious. Lying toward the high road for the arrival of Ber Son, unmindful of the cutting rain and sharp chilling wind, she stood against the rude elements by which she was assailed. It was indeed a pitiless night! I beard the old gates slam to and fro by the violence of the wind and creak upon their hinges, and the foaming torrent of the swollen brook lashed ta fary, rushing madly onward. Yet there she stood, looking carnestly toward the road by which her son usually returned home. The faithful Ceasar stood by his mistress, eyeing her wistfully and bounding forward when a footstep was heard. But when he discovered it did not proceed from Master Joseph, he returned to his mistress and whined piteously.

“Long did the anxious widow continue upon that spot, drenched with the rain and chilled by the northern blast; she heeded them not. What were the assaults of storm or tempest, compared to the anguish that Iace-rated her borom for the absence of her son? At length a footstep was heard, and Ceasar bounded forward—his bark of recognition and joy proclaimed the approach of his young master—nearer and nearer came the footsteps, and Master Joseph was at tenth discerned through the gloom, walking with an unsteady gait toward his home. The fond mother uttered a cry of joy and rushed forward to meet and embrace her son. Oh, God! Never shalt I forget the scene that followed, and would that I had never witnessed it, the remembrance even now eaves me to shudder, for when the widow rushed forward with outstretched arms to embrace that loved son who bad caused her to experience so many hours of agony—be threw her rudely from him, and with such force that she was dashed to the ground in an unconscious state. I ran from my cottage, from the window of which I beheld this scene, and hastening to the spot where she had fallen, raised her in my arms, and bore here to her residence, into which her cruel son had already entered, and ¥ placed her gently on a chair, when she soon recovered, and held her son—who was seated in an armchair, gazing upon her with a countenance expressive of stupor and anil astonishment, for he was