Constance Sherwood, Chapter I-II [pp. 78-96]

Constance Sherwood.
taught him music, in which he made
great progress. And this wrought
with his father to the furtherance of
these his visits to us. I doubt not but
that, when she told him the names of
the heavenly luminaries, she inwardly
prayed he might one day shine as a
star in the kingdom of God; or when
she discoursed of flowers and their
properties, that he should blossom as a
rose in the wilderness of this faithless
world; or whilst guiding his hands to
play on the clavichord, that he might
one day join in the glorious harmony
of the celestial choirs. Her face itself
was a preachment, and the tones of
her voice, and the tremulous sighs she
breathed when she kissed him or gave
him her blessing, had, I ween, a privi lege to reach his heart, the goodness of
which was readable in his countenance.
Dear Edmund Genings, thou wert indeed a brother to me in kind care and
companionship whilst I stayed in Lichfield that never-to-be-forgotten year!
How gently didst thou minister to the
sick child, for the first time tasting the
cup of suffering; now easing her head
with a soft pillow, now strewing her
couch with fresh-gathered flowers, or
feeding her with fruit which had the
bloom on it, or taking her hand and
holding it in thine own to cheer her to
endurance! Thou wert so patient and
so loving, both with her who was a
great trouble to thee and oftentimes
fretful with pain, and likewise with
thine own little brother, an angel in
beauty and wit, but withal of so petulant and froward a disposition that
none in the house durst contradict him,
child as he was; for his parents were
indeed weak in their fondness for him.
In no place and at no time have I seen
a boy so indulged and so caressed as
this John Genings. HIe had a pretty
wilfulness and such playful ways that
his very faults found favor with those
who should have corrected them, and
he got praise where others would have
met with chastisement. Edmund's
love for this fair urchin was such as
is seldom seen in. any save in a parent
for a child. It was laughable to see
the lovely imp governing one who
should have been his master, but
through much love was his slave, and
in a thousand cunning ways, and by
fanciful tricks, constraining him to do
his bidding. Never was a more way ward spirit enclosed in a more win some form than in John Genings.
Never did childish gracefulness rule
more absolutely over superior age, or
love reverse the conditions of ordinary
supremacy, than in the persons of these
two brothers.
A strange thing occurred at that
time, which I witnessed not myself,
and on which I can give no opinion,
but as a fact will here set it down, and
let such as read this story deem of it
as they please. One night that, by
reason of the unwonted chilliness of
the evening, such as sometimes occurs
in our climate even in summer, a fire
had been lit in the parlor, and the
family were gathered round it, Edmund came of a sudden into the room,
and every one took notice that his face
was very pale. He seemed in a great
fear, and whispered to his mother,
who said aloud-" Thou must have
been asleep, and art still dreaming,
child." Upon which he was very urgent for her to go into the garden, and
used many entreaties thereunto. Upon
w-hich, at last, she rose and followed
him. In another moment she called
for her husband, who went out, and
with him three or four other persons
that were in the room, and I remained
alone for the space of ten or fifteen
minutes. When they returned, I heard
them speaking with great -fear and
amazement of what they had seen; and
Edmund Genings has often since described to me what he first, and afterward all the others, had beheld in the
sky. He was gazing at the heavens,
as was his wont, when a strange spectacle appeared to him in the air. As
it were, a number of armed men with
weapons, killing and murdering others
that were disarmed, and great store of
blood running everywhere aboui them.
His parents and those with them witnessed the same thing, and a great
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