Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1860-11-23
ROCKVILLE MARYLAND MORNING NOVEMBER 49, 1860

found; no one had seen him leave the
house, and We could not imagine what
was his object in doing so, At last |
discovered him myself, in retired cor
ner of the shrubbery, trying, with feeble
efforts, to dig hole and bury his staff
:" No one is worthy of it," he said
but he would not leave it when we had
discovered his secret hiding place; and,
after many arguments, | prevailed upon
him to return and let me polish aud
clean it,
That night he was very ill-tho excr-
ton aud exposure brought on relapse.
lie babe me put the staff quite close to
him, and his feeble fingers clasped it
fondly and stroked it down. Just when
he was dying he put it into my hand:
Keep it--ncver part with it-pro-
mise me, Jane"
| promised, for l saw his heart was
bent on my doing SO,
''Jane-thc staff s-will Children"
but his voice failed, aud his head fell
back He never spoke again, and be-
fore day-brcak he was dead
We laid him in the family vault in the
Turton church for, in spite Of his wan
dering and hayward life, he was of the
old stock; ana putting aside his favoritc
staff in my oak cabinet, we went back to
our old ways, and almost forgot him.
Years passed during which more little
faces clustered round our board, and the
elder ones were sent off to school The
clouds that had so long skirted the dis
lance came nearer aud nearer, and at last
burst over our heads.
The bank in which my money was
vested suddenly failed the steward who
had managed my husbands Affairs proved
unfaithful and abscondcd with all that
he could convert into money; creditors
pressed round an1 were clamorous; we
were ruined
! Nothing remained for us but to leave
Turton if possible to let it, and to 20
and live on the Continent. There was
10 be Il sale after we left, and the hand
bills were already out. had spent long
days in packing aud arranging, and, I'M
able longer to meet the chillrens dole
full faces and sad regrets at porting with
their old pets, | hurried to my little
morning that had witnessed many
a drealy hour of watching Uncle Davy.
| was crying, in spite of my efforts at
self-command. In the hall | had seen
little Edmond, with his arms round the
old rocking horse sobs bursting from the
rosy lips that he pressed against his ia
voritc. Lucy was taking the toys from
the dolls house as passed the school
room. Oh my heart bled sadly; for
every grief of theirs was doubly mine
The maid had been packing, and the
oak cabinet was unlocked, the door swing
ing to and fro on its hinge. The draw
er below held my chief treasures, which
[ had reserved to put up at the last fan
cying this q favorable opportunity ! now
opened it, and began to sort the things.
A packet of copy books--large, round,
| blotted, text-hand on the outside of
each cover one of the chIldrens names
and date. | tied them together and put
them up A little carved ivory box,
which had long ago been present from
a sailo r-brothcr, with nine neatly folded
little white paper parcels inside, and a
curl Of soft hair in each--the last causing
few bitter tears to fall down on my
black dress, as knceliug down | unfolled
it and touched the smooth tress Poor
little baby, that had pincd when sorrow
came to me, that had died in my arm,
and now lay with its little coffin resting
beside Uncle Davy's ! moved the pack
ct Of baby's clothes that had put away
the day after the funeral THE little gowns
and caps aud things gulped down II
very sad sob. Poor little baby, God had
provided for Il!
There was yet few more things, aud
then the drawer was elnpty, save for I'm
cle Days staff left it lying there
while packed up the other things, and
it was still there when went down to
tea.
As came up again I heard loud tones
Master Edmond, | shall tell your
mamma Of you. Have done immediate
! ly. What naughty boy you are =
Don't you see you have knocked all the
paint of the bannisters p
Nurse was Standing on the first land.
ing, looking down into the hall, with a
very red face while the child in her
arms bad very inquiring look in his
brown eyes, and was mounting and tug
ging Mt an India rubber ring held by two
fat slippery hands.
The delinquent was Master Edmond
aged six, who was consoliDg himself for
tho parting with the old rocking horse,
by racing up and down the irst flight Of
steps, Uncle Davy's staff in hand, rat
Ting the round handle all the way against
the bannistcrs.
Z" There p screamed nurse. {" What
have you done now y as the child miss
ed his footing, aud lay screaming on the
ground She hurried down, till the lus-
ty roars treasured her, when she COM
menced nursery mode Of consolation
There have done, will you? It's all
your own fault, you naughty boy. Just
see how you've dirticd your clean pima.
fore aud now you are making baby cry.
Get up"
Edmond scrambled up, by aid Of her
great red hand but Only to reveal slir
in his frock, and Uncle Days staff Oh
the floor broken in two. Nurse shock
him.
" DO you know what you have don q
Where did you get that stick from p