North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-06-14
BE KIND TO EACH OTHER.
"Be kind to each other!
The nights coming on,
When friend and when brothcr
Percbance NAV be gone"

When friend and when brolhcr
Perchance may be gone.
81 IN AWAY. Willie. / do hate to be leased when
am reading said Annie Mason to her lltte orother'
who was begging her get him drlnk OF water.
{" But, Annie, 1 cannot get it myself, and am so
hot and thirsty; please DO. ..;u, ,o,,
can't Won wait for Bridget? she will be home soon.
8. Oh. WHY can't you get me some water! cried
the moor child. mpatiently, and bursting into tears
he threw himself sobhing on the floor.
81 won't get you drink now, because you are
cross and cry for it,, said his sisters and she tried
TO feel that she was behaving very property In pun
ishing her little brother for his fretfulness.
Annie went on reading her book and soon forgot
while, fell into a troubled sleep. His face was
flushed, and the breath came quick and hot from his
parched lips.
with the nurse, while their mother visited friend IN
the neighborhood. Annie ten years old, and
Willie nearly FIVE. She was quite old enough to
take charge of her little BROTHER and amuse him; and
this she generally quite glad to do; for wine
was a merry, happy child, and loved his sister very
dearly. They almost always were good-natured and
happy; but sometimes Willie was fretul, and some
times Annie was selfish, and did not like to take
trouble; and when she was cross, WIllle was 'en
times worse than if she had been good natured.
After long time, Bridget returned from heI CT
rand and found Willie still lying on the nooraseeP
She took him up and lay him on his PEG III 'le "uI
sery. When Mrs. Mason came home, she 1ouna ner
hut Law in heavy stupor. He was Immediately put
N he'd. and everything done for him. In the morn
inc he was no better, and physician was sent Ior
who pronounced him in dangerous conditlon. ne
had ali the symptoms of scarlet fever, and was quite
deIirious Annie stood by anxiously watching TO
hear the doctors opinion sand hen he told her moth
er that the child very ill, and would need most
careful attention, she could not help sobolng aouu;
The doctor told her be frightened for he hoped
her little brother would soon be WELL Annie did not
cease CRYING at the comforting words, tor sne couiu
not forgive herself for her unkndness to her Drother'
Oh! how her heart ached when she 'hougn' o' ''ei
cruel neglect and how many times she SAID 10 her-
self She would never be so unklnd again.
For two days Willie lay in great suffering he did
not seem TO know any one; even his motheT' "hom
he loved so dearly, called him In vain. ne never
smoke 10 them again and the morning OF the third,
he died. =.
No one knew, when Annie threw herself, with a
wild, despairing cry on the bed beside her deaa
brother how hopeless and bitter was the sorrow o,
her heart; for she knew that again in this world
could she atone for her cruel words-those last words
that Willie had ever heard, c1d and selfish, and
cruel Oh ! that indeed the bitterness OF death.
If he had only lived TO speak to her, to tell her ne
forgave her unkndness, to give one kiss OF reconci-
ation and love, she thought it would not have been
half SO hard to see him 60 down to the cold grave;
But now all was over. The little brother she loved
so we'll was gone forever. All his pleasant Ways
and loving words came thronglng back to her heart
and she could only remember her own selfish cruelty
to him when he was sick and suffering. She trec
comfort hersef5y saying, Oh! 1t had only KNOW
he was sick-if had thought to look at him, nigh
dave seen he not well, and then l am sure
would have done everything for him. Oh how
thoughtless, how selfish, how cruel was.
After the funeral, when they had returned home
and Annie sat by her mother in the still evening, She
told her, with many and sobs. how unkind she
had been her little brother that first day OF his
sickness, and how very dreadful it was to know tina
she could never ask his forgiveness, never hear his
sweet voice 10 tell her he loved her again.
Her mother wept bitterly, too; bat she told Annie
that her little angel brother could feel no sorrow Of
pain that he loved her even better than he die
when he was on earth for he was redeemed from all
sin, and could feel anger resent nent, but tina
his heart was full of compassion and love.
After this confession, and her mothers comforting
words, Annie felt more composed and resigned thar
she had before but she could quite forget and
to regret the last harsh words her darling
brother had ever heard from her lips. 1t was les
son to be remembered forever, and its influence was
felt by her through all her life. Whsn she fell
tempted speak unkindly, the thought that these
may be our last words' would come with pang &c
her heart, and she was humble and gentle as lamb
Years passed by, and Annie grew to be a woman
loving and beloved by all, but in her heart she never
forgave herself for her last words to Willie.
Friend IF Youth.