Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-05-12

UiouSh ali uis the mother slept on. IL was
very singular.
Perhaps mamma will be better tomorrow,
sister, she sleeps SO long, said the sick child,
striving to hush up her tears and find a word
of consolation for the little, heavy heart, that
lay throbbing close to her own.
Oh! hope she will, said Lizzie, in more
hopeful voice, but it grew sad again as she
asked, But what is to become of usi we have
no food and no fire.
I'm sure don't KNOW answered the little
one; j. am not hungry now, only my throat
is SO parched up, and all day long kept
thinking Of the great apples that grew on the
old tree in front of our house. Don't you re-
member it, Lizzie' And those pretty roses
that used TO look in at our chamber window;
and the spring under the rock, with the mint
that grew all around it. Oh, we were so hap
py, then, and father would take US on his knee,
when the stars looked out of the sky like the
sparkling eyes of little children, and tell US
such pretty stories. Oh, Lizzie, if they hadn't
buried him under the great willow in the grave
yard, we shouldn't have been here all alone in
the dark tonight And then both the chill
dren cried again.
Lizzie whispered the little girl, as she
tried to send back the tears that would come
in spite Of her efforts, don't you remember the
last words father said TO US that night he died
how he lay there, looking SO white and strange,
and then he opened his eyes, and smiled on us
such sorrowful smile, and said, God will be
your Father, my little fatherless Children
Love Him, and trust in Him, and He will
bring you and mamma to me again in His own
good time. Oh, sister, if we could only go to
Him, now, we shouldn't be cold or hungry any
more, and you wouldn't have to watch for the
folks in the brick house to light up their par
lor any more, SO that we could see each other,
for mamma says it is always light there, and
we shouldn't cry any more, for God wipes
away the tears from all eyes, and papa would
come for us at the great golden gates, and be
so glad to see u.s.
Il wish we was there now,' said Lizziey
shivering, and drawing up closer to the sick
child, but shouldn't want to go without you
ard mamma. Why, little sister, how dry and
hot your hands feel =
And my head feels dry and hot, too, said
the sick child as she tossed with the restless
nees of fever on the pallet. Put your hand or
my forehead, Lizzie, it feels SO cool and good.
Sister,, said the elder child, after she had
placed her hand the burning temples, Il
mean to 60 over TO the brick house, tomorrow,
and ask the lady that lives there if she won't
give us something to eat. know they've got
great deal more than they want, and we shall
starve if don't
why, Lizzie, that will be begging. What
will mamma sayp asked her sister, in a tone
of great surprise, mingled with somewhat Of
reproof.
Il shall not tell mamma until have done
it, answered Lizzie, with that precocions fore
sight which the hot-bed atmosphere Of power
ty and suffering sometimes produces. 1t is
better to beg than to stayve; and, besides, the
lady looks very kind, and speaks very softly
| don't believe she will refuse me somethin
for you and mamma, when | tell her how sick
you both are; and you know we have not eat
en- anything all day, and am so hungry lcan't
sleep. There, they've taken the lights from
the parlor. Oh, dear, how dark it is =
Sister, said the little invalid, in a faint
voice, for the fever had produced that kind of
dozing exhaustion which fevers generally do,
Il cantialk any more. Try and 60 to sleep
And the two children drew closer TO each
other, and the cold and the hot cheeks were
pressed together and the children slept, and
the tears hung heavy on the eyelashes of both,
and the angels bent down pityingly in the
darkness, and kissed them away. And through
all this the mother slept Ont was very singu-
lar.
1t was morning. Soft and clear broke the
winter sunshine into the chamber where lay
the sleeping children, and rested, like the ben
edictions of spirits upon the thin, fair cheeks,
and long, golden hair, on the little pallet
There was another bed in the opposite corner
of the chamber-some old quilts were careful
ly laid upon 1t; and above those quilts, on the
single pillow with which the bed was fur
nished, rested the white, ghastly face Of
woman. The dark hair was parted away from
the cleaning forehead, and the sunshine rested
there, too, with a loving caress on the stark,
stony features. Il was very fair face, but
the lines around the mouth, and the burrows
on the forehead, wrote their history very legi-
bly-a history Of sharp and terrible suffering.
There was smile on the white lips-a sweet,
settled smile but somehow the sunshine and
the smile looked sadder than anything else.
Lizzie, Lizzie, wake up, don't you see it is
morning!' and the child shook gently the arm
other elder sister. Lizzie's brown eyes slow
lY Enclosed, but the sunshine looked SO bright
and CHEEKY that her sad little heart was glad
dened.
Yes, see it is morning. How do you
feel now, little sister = she said, rising up, and
looking with fond anxiety into the soft, blue
eyes that gazed into her own.
i don't feel any better, Lizzie said the
little girl. 1T seems as if my head would
crack open, and I'm SO thirsty. Oh, Lizzie, if
could have some water 2 r
'Well, Mary, I'll get you some at the well
in the yard, down stairs, answered Lizzie, as