. American scenery. hatredof their savage neighbours. The good ship which was dailyexpected to bring relief to the sufferers, came not. In vain,with each succeeding dav/n, did they strain their watchful eyesto catch a glimpse of its distant sails, and turn again in despairto the supplicating faces of their dying friends. It needed all the strength and courage of the bravest tosupport and cheer the weak and desponding; and, happily,brave hearts were not wanting in the hour of trial, thoughthey sometimes came from unexpected quarters. Yapouringstrength soon burnt to empty ashes in the fiery furn
. American scenery. hatredof their savage neighbours. The good ship which was dailyexpected to bring relief to the sufferers, came not. In vain,with each succeeding dav/n, did they strain their watchful eyesto catch a glimpse of its distant sails, and turn again in despairto the supplicating faces of their dying friends. It needed all the strength and courage of the bravest tosupport and cheer the weak and desponding; and, happily,brave hearts were not wanting in the hour of trial, thoughthey sometimes came from unexpected quarters. Yapouringstrength soon burnt to empty ashes in the fiery furnace of sor-row, and the true heroism blazed forth under its humblestdisguises. Among the strong souls which the exigencies of thetimes developed was that of our heroine, Little Emma Mun-nerlin, or Little Emma, as she had been always called, notso much from her physical diminutiveness, thougli she wasbut a wee thing, as from the quiet gentleness and the tenderdelicacy of her character. People lamented that a plant so. LITTLE EMMA MUNNERLIN. 53 fragile should not grow in a less rude soil; yet, as tlie daintyforest-flower lives unscathed on its Alpine rock, while the gianttrees fall prostrate, so our little Emma withstood many stormsto which sterner natures succumbed. Little Emma lived much among her own quiet thoughtsand dreams. She seldom had a great deal to say, and hergeneral humour was more pensive than merry ; yet whentongues were silent, and hearts grew heavy around her, smilessprang into beautiful life upon her loving lips, and soothingand cheering words fell from them, abundant and grateful asjewelled drops of summer showers. Little Emma, in her modest humility, never ventured toquestion the wisdom even of her mates; and yet now, whenexperienced matrons, and bearded men, and hoary-headed menwere brought, they scarce knew how, to learn from her coun-sels, they stood in her simple presence with some such feelingof wondering reverence as that which filled the hearts of theDo
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Keywords: ., bookauthorrichards, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, bookyear1854
