The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-12-04

looked very well, and a little boy who had
never had shoes should be glad TO get them
For tea there were warm cakes and Wallace
in his hurry to get there, upset II chair, for
which his father caught him sharply by the
ear, upon which he said, "Bill made me do it
he was trying his best to get before me-! In
vain Willie protested his innocenco-he was
ordered out of doors, to stand in the cold until
the rest were done supper
Ii was terrible cold and dark-the winds
whistled through the naked grape vines free
zing to ice the tears that dropped upon his blue
cotton roundabout, and the stiff shoes seemed
to make his feet colder than they would have
been without them. o how long how very
long it seemed At last he was called in. and
told that he might now have some supper if he
could behave himself Jemima had good heart
and had kept two warm cakes by the fire, nicely
buttered-he thought they must be very good
but before he had tasted them Wallace crept
behind his chair, saying, If you eat those
cakes you will die He was half incredulous
at first, but when the mp repeated it adding,
Sits just rs true rs you live he thought of the
red coffin, and the white cloth over his mothers
face and was afraid so, having eaten piece
| of dry bread which Mrs McClary said was full
better for him, he was sent to bed, and Wallace
devOured the two cakes
Jemima having put him in a cot in the
garnet, with half clothing enough to keep him
warm and told him he must pray for his good
uncle and aunt, or else some great big black
thing would come down the chimney and catch
him, left him alone. How the wind moaned
and ratified around the gables-how spectral
the moonlight that came through the little
square window; he feared to look up. lest he
should see the red coffin and tho white sheet
and when cloud yelled the moon he was glad
yet he trembled still, lest the great black thing
should come down the chimney and catch him,
/, trT fN~ - 4 Q~a - - -, s4r - ~
he began to feel sick and was no longer afraid
restlessly he tossed for a while, and then rising
lrUS -5, ina 10 NM ne uvor nlncas a,,er
| feeling long time about the wall, he did but
it was locked, and all his efforts to open it were
| fruitless
When William and Molly, who had been tc
n temperance meeting, chiefly because it wa
where none others of the family would have
gone, returned they heard moaningand feeble
scratching against the door, and opening it
found poor Willie lying on the floor and almost
choking with the croup-the result of his being
thrust out in the cold
Molly lifted him softly in her arms, and
carried him to the kitchen fire, where she
rocked him to and fro while William prepared
such remedies as came within his knowledge
Tightly the little hot arms chung about the
| girls neck, and would not he loosened away
Dismally howled and moaned the wind with
out-black masses of clouds flew fast across the
heavens-now the light was obscured, and now
it streamed broad and pale over the earth
the child family murmured and complained
and the young watchers watched on
Suddenly q smile swept the agonized express
sion from the child's face. Mother" he said,
his arms relaxing their hold of the girls neck
and reaching forth They fell back in mo-
ment, and the smile settled into eternal still.
ness and when the morning dawned cold and
gray, it was over plighted lovers whose hopes
stretched goldenly down the future and thu
dead-untimely persisted.
| Everybody said it was pity little Willie
should die just as he was taken to a goo'
home-that it was dreadful blow to poor MI
and Mrs. MeClary, who loved him as their ow
child, sc.
Butas Mary took from his little feet the coars
rough shoes, and smoothed the curs along tn
icy forehead, she said, {" am glad the goo
Father has put the arms of his love about I'll
friendless orphan so soon"
"Thc boy must have died in n fit said Nj
McClary; "such trouble is enough to break
mans heart-mother, haven't you got sOm'
thing about the house that will make him
shroud ~ And going to the sdeboard, he too
a heavier draught than usual, to enable him b
sustain the affecting Office of chief mourncr.
. He is not one of the vulgar sort that drink a
a grocery and lie in the gutter-not he, though
many poor fellow does, with drinking hal
the quantity which he can swallow and still
walk erect and be respected and influential
| man.
The last time was at his house, he told me
it was enough to break mans heart to have
the trouble which he understanding on the
prohigacy and dleness of George, and the in,
efficiency and gormandizing OF Wallace with
complaints of his wife's extravaganza William,
he said was becoming an active and pains.
taking lad, of whom he had some hope, provided
he didn't make fool of himself by marrying
poverty and Molly.