The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-04-04
MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT, TUESDAY MORNING, APRIL A. 1915

"Why am ready. 1 have been at home
waiting all the time. I'm ready give me the
dress" she said, holding herself up by the table
You are in no situation to visit dying child,
l said. "You have been drinking
is it me that has been drinking % cried the
wretch making an effort to conceal the bottle
under the ragged folds Of her dress. Me in
deed there is sister can tell you that not a
blessed drop has passed my lips this morning
drinking indeed y
"She is in no condition to 60" said the wo-
man to whom this appeal was made, and who
seemed Il few degrees more respectable than her
self But if you will pay the stage fare !
would go and see the poor, dear child"
The woman shed a few tears that seemed to
be natural and so transferring the clean dress
and more tidy bonnet and shawl TO her person.
! | prepared 10 take away the woman whom john
ny called "aunty,H instead of his degraded moth
err.
All this time the little boy had been CRYING
piteousy in corner of the room, protesting that
some one was going to take her mother TO pris-
en-, and looking the very picture of infantile
misery This was Johnny's brother so after
procuring some decent clothes in which the lit
tie fellow looked very well-and arming him
with big orange and lnrge apple-the aunt
and brother were fairly started for Blackwells
Island.
When Preached the hospital, there was little
Johnny sitting on the steps, where the pleasant
Autumn sun shining-nestled close to his
aunt and sheltered by her shawl. His ewes were
bright as diamonds. and the smile that beamed
over his wan face like that ofan angel. Still you
could see that he was on the very brink Of the
grave; his breath came with painful CULVER
at every word and his pale lipswere even now
tingcd with the hue ofdeath Ills head was up
on his aunts lap and at his feet sat the little
brother, holding the orange in his hands, and
looking 50 cheerful ard healthy. The contrast
was enough TO thrill the hardest heart with pain.
sat down behind the group and listened TO
what passed. for Johnny was talking, and his
sweet feeble voice fell like plaintive lute-strain
on my spirit
'Aunty-dcar aunty" he was saying, "tcl
her how much l think of her. how dream Of
her at night, ard watch for her all the day long.
Tell her this will YOU, aunty but let her be
clean like YOU, and-and-" here lis voice sank
to a whisper-~oh, beg her not to drink any
thing for that one day. / think that l should die
that minute ifshe came here among all these sick
children. You know how, aunty-this-this is
one reason why want to see her so much. If
she could only know how short of breath am
and-how the fever burns me at night-if she
could feel my hot hands, and know as well as l
do what IS coming next, lam sure-oh, quite
sure that she would never drink again. l must
see her-oh. aunty, aunty, dear-I must must
see her She did not drink so when father went
to Heaven and if should 60 there, oh, aunty,
l could not tell him about her as she is now =
The child lifted his head as he said these
words, faint color rose in one check, and the
other was white as marble Inn life never
saw eyes so wildly bright, they absolutely burn
ed with holy inspiration. l arose and went a.
way, the scene had become too painful.
The next time | saw the child he was lyinr
bis little cot gasping for breath, and almost
speeches.. Yet the poor fellow smiled, and
thanking me, said-"that he did not suffer so
very much" He cast wishful hook through
the door as I came in, which L could understand
too well. This was the last time poor Johnny
ever asked for his mother When inquired for
him the next time, the doctor pointed to his
empty cot, and his eyes were wet as well rs
mine Ladiss' National Magazine