Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-03-25
Too Little to Come.

Il
with appreciation. The very brooks SEEM
ed to have the general Inspiration, and
danced along through the meadows as if
keeping time to quickstep of the fairies.
: Annette Summers and had been invited
to spend the half-hOliday with cur school
mate, Kate Harrington. Deacon Harring-
toms oId-fashioned, brown house, fronted to-
ward the South. Behind it stretched
broad, green meadow, and still further back
was densely wooded acclivity. famous for
flowers and berries in the geography of ev.
cry child in Ryefeld. used to love to To- K
at Deacon Harrington's old brown house,
even in those early days, when had lot
single well-defned notion of artistic skill in
my early head. ] kn w that it comb ned 10
an eminent degree the elements of the pic
turesque The low roof, which sloped back:
ward nearly to the ground, was gray with
moss Ivy crept about the windows, and
over the rustic porch had Climbed twining
roses, along with heavy clusters OF trumpet
creeperS.
| There was a rude seat at the doorway,
made of the little boughs of the white birch
twisted together in fantastic fashion, and
here grandmother Harrington was wont 10
sit, with her gray wooden knitting work
Oh! what treat we used to think j; to
spend hal-hoIiday with Kate Harrington.
81 wish | were you, Kate" exclaimed
Annette, alter we bad spent half the long
.summeralterroOn chasing butterflies aud
arranging a vegetable baby house. with ho-
lyhocks for our ladies' parasois, and teapots
manufactured out of veritabIe p0ppy-pods.
II wish | were you, and then | could be
happy all day long, with nothing to trouble
me-"
You could, could your and Kaie's cheeks
flushed as she put away from them her hel-
Wy bands of black hair; "you think 50, aud
that's all you know about it. have thou
sand things to vex me: There is Rose, for
instance. Mother expects me to be con-
stantly taking care of her aud she's the
greatest little torment you ever saw. By
the way, girls, let's start after those straw
berries ia the wood, now she is out of sight
| for minute; so she won't tease TO go with
u.s."
| we "ciC Hdl-Ndy oCiU-S thE EsCduOS=
when we heard sweet voice crying
"Please, sister Kate, Rose wants to go,
too"
turned around, remember. and thought
how beautiful was the little creature com
ing toward US She was very unlike her
sister Kate. Kateavas brunette, but tbs
little white-robed figure tripping across the
meadow had pale, spiritual face, and long
ours of golden hair falling by her tiny
waist. There was a flush on her cheek,
and look of eager, beseechiug interest in
her Il rye blue eyes; and she stretched her
dimpIed arms towards US, aud kept crying
in her earnestness:
"Please, girls, witt for Rose"
A look of vexa,ion crossed Kate's face,
and she called out in tone of extreme ir-
ritabi.ity:
Go back, Rose, you're too little to come!
Go back! 60 back"
Kate always had a way oe being minded,
and the little one put her fineets to her
muse, and silently turned towards the house.
We hurried on in the direrti0n of the wood,
without irving single glance backward
| think Kaie'S conscience rePFoached her
for selfiShness. and know my ogn peasEre
was spoiled for the afternoon. We iouAd
plenty o. strawberries. red and ripe, anoag
their beds of leaves There were little bue-
eyed blossoms. too, that Kept remin1;aI me
of Rose. and | was not sor.f wien the sun
set shadows ltngtheuei, to e. home.
We had gone down the hill out of the
wood, and crossed several rods OF the mead
ow land, when Kate said, in d hoarse wh:s-
per
"See there gir's, what is hat white thing
by the brook' Do you see!"
We saw it and hurried towards i. 1t was
Rose. At first we thought she @as dead
Scarcely seemed the fIintest breath 10 steal
from her parted lips, and the pa's4tions of
her heart were so weak you cJu Scarce!y
feel them. She was in trance Ike sleep
1t was some time before We succeeded in
waking her, and then her liz bs seemed
chilled and stiffened by the subtle tamPneSs
of the meade -land atmosphere She nd
not stand How many times that a!tefncoa
the little darling had begged Of rs u '-1iske
a chail" TOR her with our hands, and We had
nsw cred that we couldn't STOP We made
one now. She twined her timP'ed arass
about our nscks, and held on Tery tight; bat
she didn't speak, except once, anc then she
only said, "Ain't ] most big enough, sister
! Kate?''
Mrs. Harrington met US al the door with
! a look of alarm.
GOOD Heavens, Kater' she exclaimed,
whats The matter with RoseP And taking
her from our arms, she discovered that her
clothes were almost saturated with moiS-
tnre 'Kate, child, why don't you speak!
Has Rose been in the water?
=.
Oh. there were snxions hearts in Deacon
! Harriuston's brown house that night Very
tenderly was the suffering lite Rose cru
died on her mothers breast, but not once
did she speak coherently. Her cheeks burn
ed, and her eyes spanked with fever; her
dimpled arms were tossed absve her head,
and every little while, between her means,
she would stretch cut her hands to seek
some imag nary object, and say:-'Please,
@i-'sr Kate, isn't K Sc most big enoush!
Three days passed -d-ys of incessant
watching ana weaIi-~-S, and towards eye-
ming the little Rose o?ened her blue eyes,
alter restless slumber. She seemed much
better, and the mother laacsd hopefully up
TO the kind physician b. nding over her.
81 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 god mems cheeks.
The mothers great grief was not noisy.
She quietly lifted her darling from the bed.
and sat down with her in ber arms. Kate
stooe by, sosbirg, as if already the brand of
Cain was upon her brow.
"Please, mamms," said he little one at