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Show 32! ROEDUCK. dcr tyranny of that pas ·ion. Dut her love for her 1nothcr, chcri heel frotn her birth, hacl been through life associatctl "T.ith a scnt.itnent of duty. It 'vas now consecrated by domestic nfilction. J)nty 'vns not doubtful, and Julia hastened to her n1other. l\lrs. Fairfax, during her daughter's ab once, continued to decline in health and strength. "VVhcn Jnli:t entered her npartJnent she rni. ed he1·self 'vith snddl!n and unusual energy in l1er bed. She stretched ont her arms to cn1brace her daughter. \Vhile they cla .. peel each other she cried, " yonr father, Julia, have you seen your f.'l.thcr ?" "Y cs, dcareRt Iluunma, I have seen hitn." "lias he come with you?" "0, 1nan1n1a, man1n1a, he has not COinc. Ilc can. not-he will not-0 clear, clear 1nan1ma, he will never COn1e." 1\lrs. Fair1ax Rilcnt1y snnk down upon the bed. Julia laid her head on the pillo-w beside her mother's, cndeavori'ng to c01nfort her with nestling fondness. The widow uttered no loud lan1entation. .A few sobs and broken sentences expressed her agony. A felv great tours trickled over her ten1plcs. She closed her eyes to shut out the 'vorld, 'vhich for her had lost its light. She lay bleeding iuwarclly. The tenure of her life was broken. Thenceforth she faded away. In long hours of silence, by day and by night, the ho1i)e of being united 011ce n1ore and forever 'vith her husband in a better Yforld, occupied her n1ind. Ilcr daugh tor 'vas always 'vith her, denying herself nhuost entirely the repose 'vhich she ~o n1uch needed. Iler sweet, untiring, patient love soothed the -wounds of the heart 'vhich no earthly hand could heal. Sometizncs she allured her ROEBUCK. 825 mother into conversation, and they talked of by-gone days, or of those who 'vere 1nost clear to them or of whatever subject had interest enono-h for tl10 'widow to \vithdraw her attention fr01n fatal griefs. \VhctllCJ' in conversation or in 1neditation, religion ,vas always present to the thoughts of both, for both ,verc sinCCI'ely pious, and death, then familiar alike to n1en1orr and to expectation, brought religion constantly Lefor~ thetn as the light of the grave. Mrs. I·tairfax ,vas son1etimes visited by the l{evercnd l\fr. Ambler, ,vho had left the village 'vith Fitzhugh's regiment \Vhen ~he Federals. 'vcre driven out, and he \Vas now sojournIng a few miles from the house in which she \vas a guest. Fron1 him she received those counsels and consolations 'vhich it was his office to besto,v, and all that tender sympathy which the calatnities of his dearest friends excited in the boso1n of this venerable man. vVhen they conversed, as someti1nes they must, of the terrible n1isfortuncs 'vhich had befallen their country as well as thCinselvcs, and the soul of 1Irs. Fairfhx was steeped in SOITO\V, he presented the only solace 'vhich remained for such misfortunes. Often' she desired her daughter to sing, and her Inusical voice seemed to alleviate the wido,v's grief. It 'vas a severe trial of Julia's fortitude to control her own agita~ion and n1odulate her voice t0 music, especially when her mother asked her to sing such hymns as this: IIYl\fN. We cry to thee, 0 Fat11cr of the fatherless, Out of fhe depths, 0 Friend of the forlorn: Among their dead the Jiving- call in dire distress, The orphans wail, tile widowed mothers mourn. |