The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-05-20

and wants to sleep with mamma ~
Perhaps it was the touching, wai'ine
tone in which the words were spoken
which so strnck to the heart of the
strong man. and made his frame .qniveI
like reed shaken with the wind. L
was SO like a prophecy. Might there
not be many time, in the years to come
when that fair child, so early deprived
of mothers guiding love, should yearr
with iptepser desire than now, to share
that mothers uudreamiug sleep?
Mrs Home, the mother of the deceas
ed, was startled and frightened, IS wo
men always are, at the sight of mau'
mighty uncomfortable grief. and her
heart was softened as it never had been
before, toward the husband of ber dead
child.
Herbert" said she, laying her haud
upon his arm, ' do not grieve SO, i'm
plore you We have done wrong, and
may God forgive US both !"
Haitian our aftervard, with noiseless
and reverent footsteps, they left the
chamber, and the evening dusk settled
softly into it; the white drapery of the
couch cleaned DINNER and DINNER thro'
the gloom, till twilight deepened into
darkness.
Fl bert" said Mrs HomeSthe day
after the funeral, "of course you will
have no objection to my adopting one of
the children. will take either, but
should prefer little May; she is like
what her mother was at her age. She
will have many advantages with me,
in your straitened circumstances you
could not give her."
"But I cannot separate the children,
and l will not" was his impetuous an
swer " for the very reason Mayis So
like her mother that 1 cannot part with
her."
"Dut consider the education, the
home, the society; consider, too, the
wealth which at my death viii all be
hers Of course cannot take her
without your consent; but l give you
till morning to Decide
Long after every other eye in the vii
lage was closed in sleep the father walk
ed his chamber with unquiet steps
How could he give up the little one
whose bright curls aud Innocent eyes
we've her mothers own ? And should be
give up little Elizabeth, the eldest p
No; that would never do; the child's 6
black eees, dark locks, and strong will
were too much like his own ever to find
favor in the eyes of Mrs. Heme. So,
after lo9g and painful struggle, it was
decided that May should go; that the
unopened woodland blossom should be
tranSplsuted to a city home. God keep
its white petals untainedl
Don't cry so, Elizabeth said Mrs.
Homo, as she seated herself in the car
riage which was to convey them to the
city; a" don't cry so, May shall come
back next summer and stay month
with you Do go into the house; you
will spoil your complcxion-which is
dark enough now, mercy knows-by
standing out here in this wind" men
tally adding, as the carriage rolled away
" That child, By the time she is eigh.
teen, will look like an Oneida squaw
Thank Heaven that he gave me May
iustead of her although, of course,
pity the child" and Laying this fat
tering JUNCTION to her soul, )" she settled
herself among the cushions. 1t wal
evident that her heart bad only bee,
softened, not chsnged by grief; it wa
still of the earth, earthly.
Poor little Lizzie this double be
reavement was almost too much for he
young heart to bear. She watched tb
retreating carriage till it disappeared
then few to the chamber, threw hersel
upon Nays little empty crib, and wept
not with the usual noisy grief of child
hood, but with dreadful, silent sobs a
though some mighty agony were wiring
ing her little frame. Here she wa
found, some hours later, by her father
completely exhausted, and lying quit
pale and still. Hs was alarmed, carrie
her up and down the room, soothing he
with endearing words and caresses, til
she fell into quiet slumber; then h
sat for some time by her bedside; bu
as she seemed to sleep well, he left hel
and souget his couch.
Next morning she rose with SO brigt
face that he hoped she would 500
forget her sorrow. But when were eve
mans perceptions like woman's Ha
chiid's mother been living she would th
have noticed that the little face gre
daily thin and wistful in its expression
that the simple breakfast was often pusl
ed aside untasted; she would have st
len to her bedside; in the still mit
night, to see ie she slept well /; and 81
would have found her rocking herse
backward and forward in sleepless, tea
less agony while the housekeepU WI
snoring by her side. Night after nigl