Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1856-04-12
LITTLE

LITTLE
There are few persons doubtless who have
not, in their pilgrimage through life, met some
dear little one just emerging into her teens,
the charms of whose grace and beauty, inteIIi-
gence and infantile purity, have made upon
their hearts a deep and ;mperishable impress
sion, and who occasionally arises fresh in ones
memory even in the busy marts of life, and
sending to the vexed or turbulent spirit, as it
may be, Gas thoughts upon all pure things will
thus tend) a happy, cheerful feeling-as a de-
Iightful opiate TO the senses, or as the passing
breath of perfumed air from fragrant flowers.
Nature and art had done for Little "Annie'
all that fond parents could have wished-al!
that could have been expected to be combined
in one so young. She was the eldest of the
happy household of little ones who, like a
string of jewels, were ever dazzling and charm
ing the eyes of her proud and affectionate, yet
not over induIgent parents. She was indeed a
Little Mother such as DICKENS pen could
truly portray, to her dear little brother and sis
tiers. Her parents saw in her the germ of rare
virtues and talents but while adoring eyes
were ever beaming upon her, there was a guard
ed restraint upon their love, that it should lead
them into no silly demonstrations of their af-
lection, to spoil or impair the purity of her
heart and the beauty of her intellect. All
that could adorn a mind so young she had ac~
quired, while the casual observer could see
at q glance the lineaments of rare beauty, as
well as that sweetness of disposition which
made her the idol Of a large circle of acquain>
lance. Such was Little "Annie ~ "None could
see her but to IoVe-none knew her but to
praise"
1t was bat a few days since that we were in
the company of Little "Annie." She was ex-
huberant with health and spirits. and fairer
than ever it seemed were the charms of her
mind and person. We shall never forget how
her eyes glistened, her sweet face lighted up
and her little heart appeared to leap, when ask.
ed to be god~mother for an infant, pure like
herself; nor how proud and yet angelic she ap-
peared, as standing before the priest with the
child in her arms, she listened to the beautiful
ceremony which gave another soul in charge
Of the Most High; nor can we forget either
the last piece of music we listened to, which
her tiny fingers produeed from the piano-it
was Weber'S Last WaAg, representing the fa>
ding away of life by the Pickering candle ere
it dies in its socket. Even now those sweet
vet solemn notes fall upon the ear as the sad
requium for a death~scene which was to shroud
in sorrow and mourning one of the s~unniest
and happiest mansions of a great city nor
can we forget either the sweet kiss and the
fond adieu, as with her satchel in hand she de.
parted for school, while we left the hospitable
roof of her estimable parents, TO start for our
country home. lt@was but a few days since,
Oh! little did we think that we had taken our
last look of loving Little "Annie!' Opening
the True Della on Sunday last, our eyes were
suffused and eur feelings shocked by perusing
the following record:
DIED-Ou Thursday evening, the Sd instant,
at half past II O'Clock, ANNIE, daughter of D.
I'D. and Honora Sullivan, aged IS years.
The Crescent, in abiding 10 her death, said
she died of brain fever, brought on by hard
study. Alas poor Little HAnnie!"
In The language of another, we would say
to those strickened ones she has left behind -
"Repine not when, as You number your trea-
,sures, you find that some pearl has slipped
IN the string. 1t may give the heart a pang
oossn the clasp Of the darling one from the
PARENTAL breast but oh! it is far safer to trust
the bark of childhood upon the untried waters
with Him who loved little ones for a helsm.
man, than for the shattered hulk of age to go
out upon the stormy deep, when the night is
curtaining it with It's ~starless mantle, and the
@lnds whistle amid the tatsered sails the re-
quinn of life."