Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-08-29


tiny wrist-no heart. beat stirrid the little
still breast. The delicate blue-veined eyeds
would never lift, the lily bud mouth never
open. This little, cold, dead thing was all.
Where was the soul :? Would they treat it
tenderly in the country of spirits-that soul
so young, so tender going out into the lnfi.
mite Dark Had God measured out to me
such measures as | had measured, and to my
cry for bread given q stone My husband
could not fully share my feelings. He was
disappointed it is true, but in bis thankfuness
for my spared life be had little room for grief.
1t was not his first child-the loss could not
be to him what it was to me.
had been i'll three days, when one morn.
ing, my nurse went out for q few moments,
leaving the door open. | lay there with clos
ed eyes, my heart full of bitter, rebeous
grief | heard little footsteps crossing the
room softly. knew Laura had come in
| did not move | wished her to think | was
asleep. ! felt that l could not bear to speak
to her then. She came to the beadsde and
looked at me for moment, then she knelt
down and murmered a little prayer, whose
words pierced me like sword
90, Father up in heaven, please let dear
new mamma get better, and make her love
little Laura"
| believe since that hour there may be sud-
den conversons-single moments which change
the whole tone and current of life. Mine was
changed then. | opened my eyes, my arms,
my heart
" Come up here, little daughter" whis-
pered, with such tenderness as she had new
er heard in my voice before.
She crept up beside me. aud drew her to
my bosom-a mothers loving bosom to her
forevermore. For few moments | wept
over her silenty-I could not help it, Then
| told her of my sorrow.
Laura, said, " God gave me little
took it from me- Your mother and my baby
are both in heaven, will you be my little girl
on earth in place of the dead 2"
Her eyes frightened. She cried eagerly,
plaintively :
" Oh, | love you new mamma, | always
did. Will you love me, too aud let me be
your little girl.
Forever, my darling whom God has Civ,
en- me-"
When my husband came in half an hour
afterward, he found me asleep with Laura
watching me.
Now mamma loves me-loVeS me dearly
she whispered joyfully; and her fathers tears
which fell on her face and mine awakened
me.
There was never any jealousy in my soul
afterward. The fulne<s of Hiram Woodbury's
love satisfied every longing of my heart, and
Laura was as dear to me as him.
| sometimes think the institutions of child,
hood are deeper than the love of the phioso-
piers. 1t was Laure's childish faith that
il" the Heavenly baby" as she always called
my lost one, had been given in charge TO her
own dead mother, who was nursing it tender
ly, as nursed her child below. 1t was a
child's concet, but it has dwelt pleasantly in
my heart.
Laura is growing toward her sweet women.
hood. | have never had another child. 60
alone, sometimes, to little grave, where the
blue vioets spread their canopy, and weep it
tears which long ago lost their bitterness
But even if its tenant could have lived to
bless my arms and heart he could hardly have
been dearer to me than the sweet daughter
of my adoption.