Litchfield enquirer., 1860-05-03

T DoN'r LOVE You NOW, MorHER."-
 A great many years ago, I knew lad
 who had been sick for two years, as vol
 have seen many one, all the while slowl
 dying with consumption. She had but on
 child; little boy.
 One afternoon I was sitting by her bed
 side, for dearly loved her, watching witl
 an aching heart; it seemed as if she would cough her life away. Her little boy Hen
 ry sat, too, at the post of the bed, his blue
 eyes so like hers, filling with tears to see hel suffer SO. By-and-by the terrible cough ceased. Henry came, put his arms around hls mothers neck-nestled his head in his mothers bosom, and said, "Mother, I dc love you; wish you want sick"
 An hour later, the same loving, blue-eyed boy came in, all a-glow, stamping the snow of his feet. "Oh mother, may I go skating, it is so nice--Ed. and Charlie are going ; Henry" feebly said the mother, "the ice is not hard enough yet" "But, mother,n very pettishly said the boy, "you are sick all the time, how do you know?' "My child, you must obey me-" gently said the mother. 'It's too bad," angrily sobbed the boy, who, an hour ago, had loved his moth CT so much. "I wouldn't like to have my little boy go," said his mother, looking sadly at the little boys face, all covered with frowns; "you said you loved me; be good.' "No, don't love you, now, mother," said the boy, going out and slamming the door,
 Again the frightful coughing came upon her, and we thought no more of the boy, after the cough commenced noticed tears falling thick upon her pillow, but she sank from exhaustion into light sleep.
 In little while muffled steps of mems feet were heard coming into the house, as though carrying something; and they were, carrying the almost lifelcss body of Henry.
 AngriIy he had left his mother, then gone to skate--disobeyed her, and then broken through the thin ice--sunk under water, and now saved by great effort, was brought home, barely alive, to his sick mother
 I closed the doors, feeling more danger for her life than the child's, and coming softly in, drew back the curtains from the bed. ''I heard them--it is Henry: Oh! l knew he went; is he dead?" But she never seemed to hear the answer I gave, telling her, "Oh, mo-" She commenced coughing; she died in agony--strangled to death. The poor mother; the boys disobedience killed her.
 After a couple of hours, I sought the boys room. "Oh I wish I had not told mother I did not love her. Tomorrow I'll tell her how I do," said the child, sobbing pitifully. My heart ached; tomorrow l knew we must tell him she was dead. We did not till the child came fully into the room "mother do love you" Oh! may I never again see agony like that child's, as the lips he kissed gave back no kiss; as the hand he took fell lifelessly from his hand, in stead of shaking his hand as it always had, and the boy knew she was dead
 Mother, do love you now," all the day long he sobbed and cried. .'Oh moth TT, mother. forgive me-" Then he would not leave his mother. Speak to me, moth er," but she could never speak again, and last words she had ever heard him say, were, ''mother, don't love you now"
 That boys whole life was changed; sober and sad he was ever after. He is now 5ray-halred old man, with one sorrow ever his, one act of disobedience, one wrong word, all his life, with those words ev- sr ringing in his ears, "mother, I don't love low."
 Will the little ones who read this, re- member, if they disobey their mother, if they arc cross and naughty, they say every single time they do so, to tender mothers 'eart by their actions, if not in the words of Henry, "I don't love you now, mother"