Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1858-04-15
.AFTER A WHILE "
BY ANNA BLYTHEwooD,

| BY ANNA BLYTHEWOOD,
Blessed little Jessie she sleeps in
the graveyard on the hill beside her lit
tie brother, whose boyish sports were
wont to awaken her merry shouts and
sleeful laugh she sleeps beside them,
and their ransomed spirits wander to-
gether, led by the Good Shepard"
through the fowery meads and beside
the still, sunshiny waters of paradise.
She is safely housed from the storm
and the tempest, and securely nsstles in
the Saviour's bosom.
But ah how I miss her. l miss the
soft caress of her dewy lips and the pure
light of her sweet blue eyes,, when
morning calls me to the toll and care
of another day. 1 miss her when in
the mellow twilight, her little sister
kneels beside me to lisp her evening
prayer. 1 miss her when 1 gather buds
and flowers in the cool, dewy morning
When 1 lie down at night, miss the
warm clasp of her dimpled hand and the
fragrance of her soft breath. Dear Jes-
sic ! I miss thee everywhere.
| When her brothers were covered up
in the grave -yard-twin lilies nipped
by the cold blast her infantile grief
would not be soothed until | dried up
my own rebellious tears, and stilled the
bursting of my heart, to tell her of the
bright, bright land to which the Good
Shepherd had borne our pet lambs
AS talked of its glories; its pure ''river
of WATER" its wonderful trees, ever bear
ing, ever budding, ever blooming; of its
| G. Il holT m ahn1s
ub inhabitants and its angel music, her
sobs ceased; and looking up into my
face with light in her eyes, which
seemed like sudden glance from the
land of glory, she murmured, softly,
ooh ma, will we ever 60 there?'
eyes, yes, my child" replied, "God
will come for US, after awhile"
"Then Jessie will not cry any more,
ma" she said.
And so, with faith and love and hope
in her little heart, the sweet child sunk
to sleep. After that she wept no more.
The few brief weeks she remained
with US, faith was really ''the substance
of thinks hoped for" She seemed to
live in the sunlight of Gods presence;
-ffeel-thnt heaFeu, ths=har1aH of her
brothers, ''was about her. -IIer perfect
assurance was an hourly support, as
we'll as AN hourly reproof to my own
timid, half f-hearted, fearful faith.
1t was Sabbath evening. Day was
melting into twilight. Jessie and sat
on the low door step, watching the stars,
as one by one they silently lighted up
their twinkling, blinking lamps in the
deep blue azure Her beautiful head
rested on by bosom. She gazed up
ward, long and silently, as if reading,
with her infant soul, the unrevealed
mystery of heaven. A mist gathered
slowly over her bright eyes; then hung,
like dew drops, on the long, silky LASH
es, and rolled over her plump, rosy
cheek; sigh, rather felt than heard,
parted her lips; and when l bent over
her and said,
"What is the matter. Jessie?"
She suddenly threw her tiny arms
around my neck, and sobbed out,
ooh ma, me think God is so long
coming"
1 whispered words of comfort and
submission, and bade her be patient
and trusting, and good, and God would
come "after awhile"
After awhile All! little did !
think how soon that 'after awhile"
would be. The soft morning air waited
the sweet breath of the boney-suckle,
which she loved so well, to the couch
of little Jessie for the last time. Death
stole into our chamber whilst we slept,
and had almost borne off our darling ere
we awoke Startled, trembling, weep
ing, we knelt beside her crib, and as the
geutle light of the morning cleaned
upon the easement, just as she was al
most ready to begin the song of the ran
somed in heaven, her spirit paused,
and turning back to earth, she said in a
clear, sweet voice.
"Oh, ma good ma don't cry for lit
tie Jessie, God will come for you too
AFTER AWHILE"