His lips trembled with a final effort. "Have mercy on me, O God,
according to thy great mercy," and with the words "Father, into thy
hands I commend my spirit!" his last breath was spent, and his voice
echoed into eternity.
CHAPTER XII.
It was easy for us to understand the cause of my father's sudden
illness and death, when we came to enquire into our financial
condition. The family treasury had been well-nigh emptied of its
contents, by a series of pecuniary losses that had been sustained
unknown to us by my unfortunate father previous to his demise. He had
risked his money with good motives and a hopeful outlook, but the
realization had brought such a merciless contradiction to his sanguine
expectations that he gave way under the cruel and unlooked for blow,
and passed out of the medley and confusion in which he had been thrown
by Fate to grope his way unaided and alone. Although we were no longer
what the world calls rich, we were by no means left destitute or poor.
We were, of course, called upon by the exigencies of our altered
circumstances to make many sacrifices. As this was an inevitable
necessity, it was as well for us to put our shoulders bravely and
generously to the wheel and accept the decree with a respectful
resignation. "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away" and men's
defiant or wailing attitudes under an unexpected visitation of
adversity only re-act to their own ultimate prejudice and do not
lessen the heavy burden by a feather-weight.
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