Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1853-12-11
NO. III.

water, and some were standing on the edge Of the
bank ready to dive down head foremost into the
river. When came up to them they welcomed
me boisterously, and asked me why did not come
earlier. l...-
'FNsSShys t0tell you the truth, a little matter Of
business detained me- 1 answered importantly,
commencing to pull off my shoes and stockings.
i guess your mother doesn't know you're ont
Marx, old fellow" said one boy.
II guess so, too" answered coolv. AYen're
about right there, Harry"
The boys all laughed and applauded nv shirt
and I, lite fool, was fattered and pleasa5 and
commenced Boosting in the most ridiculous WAY
about freedom and independence, and all that soFt
OF nonsense. The boys praised me. and eacouTa-
ged me to talk on; so dashed about in the water.
and ratified off one assertion after another. tn
really believed myself the veiest little hero in tn,
world and thought l convinced nv hearers Of the
same
The afternoon passed by. and It was sunset he
lore We got tired of our play, and commenced 10
get ready to 60 home In spite of nv boassips.I
had grown very nervous as the time siippeI bx
wondering what my mother would think Of my
long absence, and what the consequence wouhl =.
II she discovered where had been. When Heath
cred up my clothes TO put them on missed sa,pe-
'ninS WHICH always wore. Ay stepmother lad
given me shortly after her marriage with my f,,A.
or TWO years before, little gold ocket contain;Ds
on one side her own likeness on the other a curl af
my dead mothers hair; and she had said. "a sb.
hung this by a ribbon round my Heek-.Y on must
4 a r.
to remind You when you look at it that You have
two mothers now, one to watch over you from bes-
ven, one to love and care for you on earth.
And so had always kept it carefully. and wern
IL night and day; it was sacred thing TO me.
; young as [ was, and many time when have look
ed at it, and remembered that the ewes of my dead
mother saw me from heaven, it has kent me from,
some contemplated mischief. Now. miss., :, for
the first time, it was not on my neck. not on tn,
grass with my clothes, and nowhere to be ronnd.
could not remember having taken it on when
went in to swim, it was probably lost in she wa
ter Still searched for it long time. in every
possible and impossible place CRYING bitterly all
the while in my remorse and sorrow Some Of the
boys pitied me, and helped me in my search: som.
OF them laughed at me, and called me. @onlv
Molly after all" did not care for their ridicnL,
now though was so entirely wretched on anoth- -
er account
So had to 90 home without the locket and what
a miserable walk it was In how different spirit
l came up that ravine, from that in which hal
gone down it How sobbed and cried all the
way, for was by no means so bad as in nv would
be maniness had represented myself to The BOYS.
and truly loved my step-mother. and rot only
grieved over the loss Of her gift but was really
ashamed and penitent for having disobeyei her.
She was not in the house when came homp-a
servant said she had gone to take tea with afriend
1t was great relief to me, for dreaded much 10
see her. went to my room, and went to bel
without my supper. | had no heart to eat. ard 50
cried myself to sleep. Hours after. woke up
with burning fever upon me, and an aching pain
in every limb / had taken cold from STAYING so
long in the water and now / was very sick. Ttos-
sed upon the bed restessly, moaning in nv pain
| felt so desolate so wretched' / could not tell
how late it was, but by and bye as lay there sob
bling and tossing about door communicating
with my room and my mothers opened hastily.
and she came to my bedside in her nieht-dress.
with lamp in her hand
~Are you sick, Marcus - she asked tenle-iy.
you Weakened me by your sobbing and moaning
tell me what is the matter"
But could not speak for crying. aud she laid
her hand upon my forehead and felt its throbbibg
and burning, and did not require me to speak
She sat down by me, and bathed my forehead with
cold water, and when she thought was more easy
she asked me questions about where | had been.
and what | had done to make me sick She did
not think Of the swimming, for she had not imag-
ined that would go, in positive disobcdence To
her commands
told her at last with many tears sat up in
bed and hid my face on her shoulder while sob
bed out my confession, and my penitence and told
| of the loss of the treasured locket-She did not
scod at me at all-she gave me no reproying; she
did not say word Of any sort when had finished
the story but looked at me so silently and so sor
fowfully that I could not bear it. DO sneak to
me- mother l said impOringly; tell me that yoa
VIII love me again, and will be so gOodl L will
always do as you tell me, mother"
L do not know if she believed me fully then or
not, it was hard to trust any premises after had
been so naughty; but nevertheless She forgaye me-
and sealed the forgiveness with a kiss upon nv fe-
verish brow. She sat with me, too Til | went 20
sleep, worn out with varied emotions and she nur
scd me most tenderly through a weeks illness /
do not think she ever regretted her forgiveness and
of me at that time, for never forgot IL, and
never ceased to be grateful for it. And [ renem-
bered my promise and tried very earnestly to fulfil
! it, and become really good boy. The little gold
lOcket never found again-it was irrevOeably lost
in the deep water but the memory OF it proved 10
me a more powerful talisman than It's actual pre-
( sence.-D ". Times
Tremendous Crash.