St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1856-11-13

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gers to her eyes, and silently turned
toward the house. We hurried on in
the direction of the wood, without Civ
ing a single glance backward. l think
kate's conscience reproached her fol
her selfishness, and / know my owl
pleasure was spoiled for the afternoon
We found plenty of strawberries rec
and ripe, among their beds of leaves
There were little blue-eyed blossoms
too, that kept reminding me of Rosie
and was not sorry when the sunset
shadows heightened, and we turned tc
go home. ......
We had gone down the hill out o1
the wood, and crossed several rods o1
the meadow-land, when Kate said, in
a hoarse whisper -" See there, girls,
what is that white thing by the brook?
Do you see it?"
We saw it, and hurried toward it.
1t was Rose. At first we thought she
was dead. Scarcely seemed the faint
est breath to steal from her parted
lips, and the pulsations of her heart
were SO weak you could scarcely feel
them. She was in a kind of trance
like sleep. 1t was sometime before
we succeeded in waking her, and then
her limbs seemed chilled and stiffened
by the subtle dampness of the mead
ow-land atmosphere. She could not
stand. How many times that after.
noon the little darling had begged us
to "make chair" for her, with our
hands, and we had answered that we
couldn't stop. We made one now
She twined her dimpled arms about
our necks, and held on very tight, but
she didn't speak, except once, and then
she only said, "Ain't l most big
enough, sister Kate?"
Mrs. Harrington met us at the door
with wild look of alarm. "Good
heavens, Kate !" she exclaimed,
whats the matter of Rose 2" And
taking her from our arms, she discov-
cred that her clothes were almost sat
urated with moisture. "kate, child,
why don't you speak +? Has Rose been
in the water!"
No, ma'am but she went into the
meadow and got to sleep, and we
found her there sleeping"
Oh, there were anxious hearts in
Deacon Harrington's brown house that
night. Very tenderly was the suffer-
ing little Rose Graded on her mothers
breast, but not once did she speak CO.
herently. Her cheeks burned, and her
eyes sparkled with fever her dimpled
arms were tossed above her head, and
every little while, between her means,
she would stretch out her hands to-
ward some imaginary object, and say:
"P'ease, sister Kate, isn't Rose most
big enough ?"
Three days passed-days of inces-
SAINT watching and weariness, and to-
ward evening the little Rose opened
her blue eyes after restless slumber.
She seemed much better, and the moth
er glanced hopefully up to the kind
physician bending over her.
cannot say she's better, madam.
God knows | wish | could but Rose
must die before midnight |" and the
tears stood in glittering drops on the
good mans cheeks.
The mothers great grief was not
noisy She quietly lifted her darling
from the bed, and sat down with her
in her arms. Kate stood by, sobbing,
as if already the brand of Cain were
upon her brow.
P'ease, mamma" said the little
one at length" am | big enough to
go to Heaven ?"
Yes, darling" was the fearful an
swer. "Jesus loves little children"
And, mamma, do you s'pose he'll
forgive me for sitting down in the
meadows to watch Katie, when you
told me mustn't ever stay there?"
Yes, my pet, the good Savior
will forgive you for anything, if you
are only sorry; but Rosie doesn't want
to go to Heaven, and leave mother,
does she 2"
II heard somebody say must go,
when was asleep, mother a beauti-
full lady, with Oh such white, shin.
ing wings, and she stretched out her
arms to take me, but l didn't go.
woke up just to kiss you and sister
once more. P'ease kiss me, KATIE
Title Rose won't never be naughty
any more up in Heaven, and I'll grow
big before you come, Katie, SO l can
play with you up there !"
There were tears, sighs, funeral
and little coffin. The rosebud open.
ed its petals on the bosom of jesus
The little earth flower was "big
enough for Heaven"