Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-07-16


very few; and she can hear you.
She was again hanging over the child,
watching every quiver of her little face, lis
tening to every faint breath that came ard
went.
Presently the eyelids trembled and m
closed. The wide blue eyes sought the
mothers face, and rested there content "A
smile parted the pale lips. and she seemed
to try 10 speak.
Mamma
She laid her head beside her, so better -
hear the feeble utterance,
The pains gone-'
: yes, my darling. Q, ray child. my ch ~
The sgony would have way Tor the mi
Tse little heal turned restlessiy On isz' n
low. - -
is mamma sorrg!' s
'No-no-no. Mamma Iscont s
There was long silence. Taf1 sash q
the week, tremulous tiny voices s = :.
Where are you, mammal and papa -
We each took one small hand.
why can't I see soue Why you afstsp
far offl' s. =. = !. K.
Paula slid her arm undeesA dsar hesd,
and he her SO. iY'he slendst breath grew
short and fast. Dr. Lethby drew nesi<
locked for a minute--,hen left US sofly
+ 'Mamma-papa. I'VE detected The fsahf
whisper, and oeht' down very close, That xs
might lose nothing OF the fragile s9hnz
Come too. Come with Wish.
And that was all. The lips ceased tosit
stirred, even by the futtering breath. 4
slight spasm conyulsed her lace for a tso--
ment, ana then left it settled in thai pure.
peaceful likeness wewereto knossit by
evermure.
We leaned over her dumbiy. | telt as
in Dream could not realize; | eonlt
not believe IN any thing that saw. Wrfh
lying there with that white, soft smile en-
her iace was not real, and still less was
Paula, sitting without word or sign gazing
down on the dead face with steadiast eyes
It was in an instructive effort TO break ue
circle of illusions which surrounded me that
calledson her name.
She reused then, and looked up. The
anguish seemed to surge over her face in a
gradual wave Of consciousness. 1t broke.
with forlorn Wandering of the eyes, a
beseeching gesture Of the outstretehed arms,
and low Iong, desola,e wall.
NV ydari;ng-my treasure. o, my child,
my child. my child.' @
sat there, mute, land watched heraagony.
dared not go near it. was stonelike and
helpless. | felt as If all my world had slip
ped by me-foated away irretrievably into
an unknown vortex, x,whie | stood watching
as now. with my hands bound to my side
and my ulterunce choked, even from lamen-
tatious.
Ny last remembrance was of Paula coming
to me.toucbing my forehead with her hands
Then every thing was biotted out from eJsts
sa6s naiiis -
had been a streng nan, vigorous il
health as was held to be in intellect But
in that long illness seemed to be drained
OF life, both mental and physical, till only
the dregs Of both remained. Then there
followed long period of convaiescence.
during which ali could DO was to lie quiet
ly where they placed me, sometimes with
closed lips. and heavy, listless thoughts
vaguely traversing my mind; sometimes
with my eyes wandering restiess.y about
the room tilllhey lit on Paula's Patien: face
whersop they would linger. About thai
face my thoughts grew entangled often.
could not rightly order them.
At length, one day. very little thing
broke the spell that Kept my mind so tighth
! In It's bonds. Some flowers were brought
aud laid beside me. Their delicate frag
rance seemed to steal into my very irmost
heart. "a thong them were one or two spray:
of white iasmin,w their peculiar aromag'
odor On the wings of that subtitle essence
recollection Ito me, and renewed Cos
sciousness. These were iavorite flowers D
cur Wish; they had been among those-ih'
last gathered by her hands-that | hA'
carelessiy takenuP that evenirg-a who's
lie since! and Gistinctly TO every stnalies
detail of that evening" | remembered.
From these remembrances 7 lifted ny
lseyes, and read their sequel in Paula's tarc
Yet wast there still something in that shaa
towed face which could not understand
lnvuiuntarily my Ihoughts took words
: .How cbanged.' said. And again in N.
: mind | Commenced groping about fer som
new revelation which should make thing
clearer to me. But at the sound OF my voie,
Paula came and stopped beside me, .cokin,
earnestly into my face, as il she were stag
q led TO hear me speak. Her own voice treIn
5 bled,as she asked meS'What was Changed
She was afraid lest smy answer should De
tray that | was still not myself. for-poo
! wife!'-l had been utterly sbereft of sens
for many weeks. You are changed, Paula,
said; is this new world!'
:, .Ay, it is, it is.' she answered me; an
she pat her arms round me. and s.-r-ffs--,sl. s.r-ffs--,sl
Gantly
By and by, she gradually told me the his
tory of those past seven weeks. It all re
y CURED to me with viyidness as i lay on ID
e sofa, holding her hand last. and watchin
: 1.-THE outlinl ofsthe pale, beautiful face tls
e was Slightly ayetted from me. She va
y looking ut the landscape which wa
r stretched out before the window. IL 81
Il early autumn now; knew the looks ofth
S trees in the garden, or thescepse on II
II slope Of the hill. The aM-l remenbere
q it.-Cruelly, relentlessly bright it locke
y now in the sOft sunshine. After a hit
u while hid my face from it.
4 WHAT month is thisr asked her,
She told me August. 1t was the la
n week in July that our darling went sal
( She, softly. 'And then,' ST presently adde
Id in thessame hushed tone, ,yon leit me tc'
| thought had lost both.'
4 'How did you bear IL, Paula!' I cried, ,ha
e. tily. why dId your heart not break! WI
was the one to fail, and tall helpless
'e this iimer
"A year ago. said Paula, Il should hav
fallen helpless too. Lewis. No hunt
u strength--no human fortitude is capable
g. enduring such woe as ours She stopp'
y abruptly; then added, in u strange tone, IL
IN but distinct, and with tremulous quw
vibrating through every word, But IL W