Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1853-05-12


somewhat of reproor
! shall not tell mamma until have done
IT, answered Lizzie, with that precocious
foresight which the hot-bed atmosphere Of
poverty and suffering sometimes produces.
1t is better to beg than to starpc and, be-
sides, the lady looks very kind, and speaks
very softly. | don't believe she will refuse
me something for you and mamma, when /
tell her how sick you both are; and you
know we have not eaten anything all day,
aud | am so hungry | can't sleep. There,
they've taken the lights from the parlor -
Oh, dear, how dark 1t is
Sister, sald the htle Invalid in faint
voice, Cor the fever had produced tina kind
of dosing exhaustion which levers generally
do | can't talk any more. Try and 60 to
sleep
And the two children drew closer 10 each
other aud the cold aud the hot cheeks we're
pressed together aud the children slept. aud
the tears hung heavy on the eyeashes of
both, and the angels bent down plyingly IN
the darkness, aud kissed them away And
through all this the mother slept on 1t was
very singular.
Ii vas morning. Soft aud clear broke
the winter sunshine into the chamber where
lay the sleeping children, aud rested like
the benedlctlons of spirIls upon the thin,
far checks, aud long, golden hair, on the
liule pallet. There was anolher bed ia the
opposite corner of the chamber-some old
quilts were carefully laid upon it; aud d.
buve those quilts on the single pillow with
which the ted was furnished rested the
white, ghaslly face of a woman. The dark
hair was pared away from the cleaning
forehead, aud the sunshine rested there, too
With a loving caress on the stark. stony iea-
lures. 1t was very fair face, but the lines
around the mouth, aud The lurruws on the
forehead, wrote their history very iegihly--
history Of sharp and terrible suffering -
There vas smile on the white hps-a
sweet, settled smile, bat somehow the sun
SHINE and the smile looked sadder than any
thing else
Llzzie, LIZZIE, wake up, don't you see
1t is morungl aud the child shook gently
the arm of her elder sister Lizzle's brown
ewes slowly unciosed, but the Sunshine look
ed 50 bright and CHEEKY that her sad, hlte
heart was gladdoued.
Yes, see II is morning. How do you
feel now, lnde sister ? she said, rising Up,
aud looking with fond anxiety iutp the soft,
blue eyes that gazed into her own
don't feel any better, Lizzie said tie
little glrl 1t seems as If my head would
crack open. and l'm SO thirsty. On, Lhz-
zie, If oOHM have some water =
Ak.H -, 49,. IL
well ia the yard, down stairs answered
Lizzie, as she sprang from the bed, and
drew on a PAIR Of very old slippers.
Sister, ami mother awake yet asked
Mary, rather mpatehuy.
LIZZIE glanced towards the opposite bed.
The face was turned ,owaros her, and she
SOW the sunshine aud the strange, settled
smile She could not understand 1t, and
she set down the pitcher, which she had Ia.
ken up, and walked towards the bed.
Mamma, mammal she sand, bending
down to the white face, won't you wake
up, for IT'S morning. How long YOU haze
slept Are you dreaming of home, that
makes YOU smile so ?
But the white face did not stir, and the
eyes dad not unclose
Mamma, sand the child, IN a louder
voice, aud bringing her face down close 10
her mothers, don't you hear me It Is
your htue LIZZIE calls you. Open your
eyes aud speak 10 me aud she laid her
cheek down against her mothers. But the
next moment her head was lifted, aud the
face on the pillow was not winter than The
cmld's, for chhl-a fearful, paralyzlng
chul-had crept 10 her Utmost heart, aud a
sudden, terrible thought had daried through
her BRAIN She gazed wildly on those ghasI-
~ features, laid her hand on the stony fore
head, aud then a shrek of exceeding agony
rang through the room and Mary hlied up
her head, and stared wildly at her sister,
Tor the fever bad mounted 10 her BRAN, and
the shrek had bewildered her senses
Mary, Mary, mamma Is dead dead
aud leh Us here alone calculated LIZZIE,
IA voice hoarse with agony.
Dead, dead = repeated Mary, as if try
Ing to comprehend her sisters words We'll
|. zzle, lets you and die too aud 90 IL
herr and she fell back heavily upon The
pillow.
No, no. Mary, you mustn't die too, and
leave me here al alone, cried LIZZIE, a,
sine sprang To the bedside; but those mild
blue eyes opened, ant rolled vacanlly over
her face o., what shall do won't
somebody come aud help me 2 cried the
child IN her desolatlon, aud then a sudden
hope flashed Into the darkness of her heart
aud with the energy Of desperation, she
rushed from the room. Down, down the
rckely stairs, plunged the hight form of the
llile gIrl aud right across the street, to III,
stone steps of the brick house, IT rushed
with the speed OF spirit.
/ Howard lngersoll aud his wife sat will
their two fair children before their luxur.
anlIy furnished table; and loving word,
and kindly smiles gave to the chocolate ;
richer flavor, aud to the mullins more ex
quiste relish.
And so Charlie. Ellen, you did no, heal
the wind last night, for sleeping so souudly
| hope It was the same with all the Other
little children, aud all the mother was in
the glance which the lady bent upon lhos,
bright Young blossoms at her table. Jus
then the street bell rang il was a loud
startling peal, and Mr.. aud Mrs. Ingersoll
put down their cups, aud the children thei
mullins A moment after the door opened
aud a child sprang past the servant, glanced
a moment wildly around the room, aud lheI
rushed TO Mrs. IngeTsoll's side Her long
| k.,r Ia AZ, hrtuht tanrlaI ,nasaas a