The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1854-06-14

with two little teeth peeping out from his
ha!fcloscd lips, and wee bits of tears spark
ling on his fringcd lids. Tomorrow"
echoed the pale wife, hopefully as she kiss
ed the last shadow Of tear away, and took
her last goodnight look at the little sleeper.
Ah, what clouds hung over the slecpess
watchers in that mansion, ready to break on
the morrow!
Mr. r. was up long before sunrise, and,
well mounted, was turning his horses head
towards C, when who should come hob
bling down the street but the rheumatic,
red-faccd landlord Of the Golden Cross"
gcsticulating MOST vehcmently to NJ. II
"What can be the matter now "a drunken
frolc, most probrbly." thought, he, as he
patted the head Of his impatient nag, and
awaited the landlords approach. Your
daughtcr-in-law is dying in my house"
shouted the latter, with characteristic deli
cacy, when within hearing. Come quick,
or she'll be gone"
True it WAS, that in narrow, ,comfortless,
smoke-bcgrimcd room of the Golden Cross,
lay dying all that WAS left of the once beauti-
iul Mary r. A terrible right had the dying
woman passed in that lone chamber: Thick
rushing memories of the past, trembling
glances into the future, and doubtful hopes
for her child, struggled with firm faith in the
Rock that never fadcth.
" You have come at last" she exclaimed.
fecbly, rs Mr.. r. staggered, pale and hag.
gard, into the room, followed by his half
crazed wife, who carried the infant in her
arms. The dying woman started mp at sight
other child. "Oh. give my boy TO me, and
let me bless him before | die" she scream
ed. "You shall not take him from me-
and would have sprung upon the floor, had
not Mrs. r. placed the boy gently in her
arms. The poor, paci6ed woman sunk back
as feeble as the infant, looked into her boys
wondering eycs,drcw her thin fingers through
his ilaxen curls, kissed again and again his
soft check, and talked to him, rs if he drank
in every word she uttered, in baby wonder
"Hc killed your poor father, baby, and
has well nigh killed me but oh he can new
CT harm my darling boy, so like his father,
so pure, so innocent" she went on to saw
in the half dclirium of disease.
"Oh spare me, Mary, spare me ! I've dear.
y atoncd for my wrong" implored Mr.. R.,
as he knelt by The bedside Of the dying wo-
man. Say you forgive me, Mary. For
| give me, or cannot die in pcacew
EBut the woman heard him not. Her glaz-
ed eye was upturned towards heaven; her
thin fingers csoayed to pass once more
through the hNX"n curIS, but the grasp of
death was Oh them. The loving child laid
It's little hands on her clammy checks, press
cd its own glowing face against them, but
no look, no word Of recognition, came from
the heart broken mother!
They buried her by the side of him for
whom she died, the James r. of my Grand.
fathers Home.
Not many years since, while driving
though the town of C....,I noticed COM
! ing slowly down the street, II very nfirm
whitc.haircd old man, leaning on the arm OF
Il tail, manly youth. The nlirmi;ics and
apparently total dependence Of the former
with the careful solicitude of the latter
mlde them altogether quite noticeable
couple. DO you know them" asked
Of my comp nion. 40 yes" was the an.
swer. at is old Mr.. r. and his grandson
The old man is almost cripple from rheu-
matism, and is lutte dependent on his devot-
cd grandson. Indeed, the old man has ncy.
er been quite himself since the dc tn ofthat
son Of his, and his beautiful wife, whom he
treated so unnaturally. His own wife didn't
survive the shock long; and now he lives
alone, with this grandson Of his, who is
fine noble fellow, the very counterpart O
his father-God bless him.
Here my friend dropped a tear, and We
rode on in silence while, / straining my
eyes after the son of my early friend, and
pondcring over the strange yicissitudes that
had befallen many of the whiI0m helpers al
my grandfather's hayings.