And now these parents’ hearts were rendered glad...

And now these parents’ hearts were rendered glad

By a sweet babe as ever parents had;

A lovely boy, a precious first-born son,

An April flower ere Spring had well begun.

Thus were their family and cares increased

While pleasure was not lessened in the least.

But a few months were destined to disclose

A lengthy list of what some think are woes.

Three serious accidents that year befel

His aged father, and‘ twere hard to tell

The weary months of suffering he endured

Ere loss of limb to him relief procured.

Their patron, too, was by sore sickness brought

Down to death's door, as all who saw him thought

WILLIAM at last was on a sick-bed thrown

For many weeks, and then was fully shown

The fervent love and patience of his wife

Increasing still through years of after life.

Bereft of reason, as his friends declared,

Rich consolation he at all times shared.

Death — man's “last foe” — for him no terrors had,

His blighted prospects did not make him sad.

To leave his wife and babes he was resigned,

And this while all deemed him of unsound mind.

The tempter, true, his faith and feelings tried,

But his suggestions met “God will provide.”

This simple text was strong enough to stay

Each wavering thought that rose from day to day.

The time when he fell sick was in the Fall,

When lively business made most pressing call.

And yet he was enabled to abide

Content with this, “Jehovah will provide,”

Ev'n so he did, and that in wondrous way,

For his wife's brother worked both night and day,

A striking instance of unselfishness

But rarely seen in youths of such a class.

Though outward things looked dark, this chastisement

Was plainly from a loving father sent;

And they saw constant reason to rejoice

That what is painful might be made their choice.

For, while it weaned their thoughts from things of earth

It made them prize the more their heavenly birth.

And ev'n their fond affection for each other

Was purified from that which tends to smother

The noblest energies of Christian souls,

And far too often their best thoughts controls.

This sickness showed, and that most strikingly,

How good a nurse this faithful wife could be.

Through all her trials she was quite resigned,

And not one murmuring thought rose in her mind.

A more attentive or enduring nurse

I'm very sure ne'er shone in poet's verse.

When his recovery was manifested

Her love and patience were severely tested.

For calomel caused him such great distress

He was oft found in fits of fretfulness.

But yet she meekly bore with his caprice

And her self-sacrifice did never cease.

He, when restored again to perfect health,

Grew far more conscious of the store of wealth

By him possessed in having such a wife

To act as helpmate through the storms of life.

And not long after, when their lovely boy

Was very sick, he did his skill employ

To soothe her sorrows by an artless lay

Exhorting her to make God's love her stay;

And holding up to view Heaven's perfect bliss,

He aimed to show that naught can come amiss

To those who all their hopes on Jesus rest,

And “seek through His Atonement to be bless'd.”

Their child restored, their joys again increase,

For God's sweet service yields them constant peace.

He, constantly employed in hard bench work,

Let not a thirst for wealth within him lurk,

And was enabled to preserve his mind

So free from care that, when he felt inclined,

He could with ease bring all his thoughts to bear

On Scripture truths, and each with each compare,

Or let his fancy take her random flight

To bring from Dreamland some new-coined delight.

At other times would raise his tuneful voice

And sing sweet hymns which long had been his choice,

Or else recite some charming poetry

With touch of skill and much of energy.

At times his spouse, too, did her sewing bring,

And joined harmoniously God's praise to sing.

Thus mostly passed their time for months and years

In bliss too great to last, as it appears.

Meanwhile their debt most honestly was paid,

By which then prospects were much brighter made.

Yet gratitude glowed brightly in each heart,

To him who acted such a friendly part

As to lend money and then wait for years

In patience for the payment of arrears.

About this time they visited “The Falls,”

As business was not urgent in its calls.

WILLIAM felt joyful in no trifling measure

With such a wife to share so great a pleasure,

And gladly spent his money and his time

To view with her that scenery sublime.

This jaunt gave both the most heartfelt delight,

And furnished her the first and only sight

She ever had of wonders there displayed,

Which were in Spring's fresh beauty then arrayed.

They stood and gazed, or sat in shady place,

With glowing feelings pictured in each face.

He greatly longed to have a dwelling near,

That he might oftener view scenes grown so dear.

But family needs would force themselves on him,

And those bright visions very soon grew dim.

Yet he inquiry made of settlers round

To learn what prospects then might there be found

Of earning a just living at his trade;

But this quite threw the project in the shade.

Then he thought fit to let “well be” alone

Till clearer light should on the scheme be thrown.

Hopes next arose that he might yet revisit

Once every year, with pleasure more exquisite,

Those grand, unrivalled Falls with her he loved,

More lovely still now that her love was proved.

The sequel shows how little we foresee

Of good or evil in our destiny.

‘ Tis right; and this should make us place our trust

In God, our Father, ever wise and just.

Since naught can happen without His permission

Who orders our affairs with wise precision.

At the appointed time they home returned,

While love for it more strongly in them burned.

One Winter and two Summers now had passed

Since a fine boy upon their care was cast.

Again stern winter came, with cloudy skies

And howling blasts like some fell demon cries.

Dark, chill November had been ushered in,

With much of elemental strife and din,

When came another daughter, bright and fair,

To charm the hearts of that still loving pair.

The new come love pledge, as time swiftly flew,

In sweetest bands their souls more closely drew.

Increasing means more household comforts brought,

Not greatly coveted if they were sought.

They asked God day by day for such supplies

Of worldly blessings as He deemed most wise,

Took those most thankfully He kindly sent,

And with their lot, for most part, were content.

‘ Tis true that COOPER wished to spend more time

For the improvement of himself in rhyme,

But greater duties had a higher claim,

Neglect of which would bring upon him blame.

He therefore kept his muse in close subjection,

And gained God's blessing and most kind protection.

Yet now and then his pent up feelings broke

Through all restraint, and his rude harp awoke

To pour forth numbers with intent to cheer

Parents or friends, who lent a willing ear

To his effusions, void of learning's grace,

But full of feeling, which supplied its place.

Another Spring and Summer passed away,

Then Autumn, too, and Winter held the sway;

While January, when half its course was run,

Brought to our friends a second infant son.

Two of each kind parental love now claim,

As sharers of their destiny and name;

While years of happiness might seem in store

For, prosperous still, they loved each other more.

That season was their best in way of trade,

And thus their prospects wore no darkening shade.

Satan — arch enemy of all mankind —

Beheld with envy their true peace of mind,

And most maliciously employed his skill

To work them woe — defiant of God's will.

Their worldly property he did not touch,

For loss of this would not be felt so much

As trouble with their brethren in the church,

Severed from whom they might be left in lurch.

His plan succeeded, as I know too well,

For some deemed wise were held as by a spell

In hands of strongest preconceived opinion,

While Ignorance held them in his dominion.

WILLIAM had seen this long, and mourned in soul,

With such emotion as scarce brooked control,

And, knowing that they held it just and right

For all to seek increasing Scripture light,

He, in the search for truth, gave up his mind,

And was well pleased some few choice pearls to find.

These lustrous gems he had no wish to hide,

So held them up to view, and earnest tried

To lead his brethren to approve their worth;

But such a course gave to contention birth.

Nor was it long before occasion came

For those opposed to lay upon him blame,

The end of which was that they did him sever

From sweet communion with their church forever!

Under this blow he tried to bear up well,

But all he suffered‘ twould be hard to tell.

His spouse and parents with him sympathised

And broke the bands which each so long had prized.

Naught now remained for them but to unite

In holy fellowship with purer light.

Soon some few other friends who knew their case

Their humble cause did with much warmth embrace.

One with our hero labored in the Word

With what small skill and time he could afford.

Things went on smoothly for about a year,

And some success did much their hearts to cheer.

Ere long, however, troubles unforeseen

Burst on the little band with shafts so keen

That WILLIAM'S faith and strength were sorely tried,

And with his lot he was dissatisfied.

One of the flock was easily led astray,

And self-indulgence held him in its sway.

Two others left because a change of view

Made several seek to be baptized anew.

Slow passed another very trying year,

And thick gloom gathered, filling them with fear.

Our friend was sick from an unquiet mind,

While Comfort — wonted guest — he failed to find.

At last his loved, his idolized wife

In her accouchment left this mortal life.

Schooled long, he firmly bore this heavy stroke,

And bowed his head submissive‘ neath God's yoke.

This brought him peace, and his sad muse ere long

Found utterance in the following mournful song: