Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-01-30


dles.'
Tho fine eyes of my grandmother gazet
at my penny dip steadfastly for moment
She seemed TO see visions and dream
dreams.
Ny dear she said, you are the first o
the family that have turned to candle.
since the innovation of gas. You are in.
debted to your dip for my presence. How
hollow would have looked under chan
delier, how bloodless, how white As II
is, think am looking very natural, am
not.'
She glanced up at her portrait and val
ted reply.
"A little pale, grandmother said /, 'bu
tell me, dear madam, if your pursuits in
the other world are Of such nature thst
they admit Of your returning to this at
any timer
by no means. I am permitted to ap-
pear in this sphere but seldom. NV in
iuence q. can make felt oftener. | have
not been seen tefore since my coffin lid
was closed. came to tell you there
arose a yell in Pandemonium. looked
in to see whence it came. | found the
great chamber assigned to little children,
and which is always full of little ones of
all sizes and ages, the scene Of great com.
motion. Infants were craN ling into cor.
ners three year old toddlers were totter>
ing out of the way. Older ones were has
tily finding seats, and all faces wore
listening expression. A small voice was
saying:
IT Was no fault of mine .hat brought
me here. who am now but five wears
old, might have lived to be fifty. Ma.
ture unfortunately, gave me a very fine
physical development Ny chest was
round and full, my skin clear, my limbs
finely moulded. Ny birthplace was in
cold climate. My tender mother, proud
OF her offspring, barred my neck and arms
in the chill winters, when her rose bushes
and vines were packed in warm straw
an" throughly protected from every blast.
was brought down to be viewed by com.
pany, and exposed to different tenpera.
lures, as went from room TO room. NV
mothor wrapped in soft velvet and com,
Portable silSs did not suffer. became n
great trouble in the house. NY beauty
faded, | fingered from month to month.
and died at last, at five years old, of con-
sumption. Ny mother cried over my
little coffin. | knew, but could not
her then, that her own vanity had placed
me here
Il was trotted to death, cried a more
piping voice, as the first speaker sat own.
woman was hired expressly to take
care that should not want for exercise.
Her days and nights were spent in keep
ing mo going up, up. uppy, and down.
down, downy' That unknown wonder,
perpetual motion, was to be found in my
nurses knees. Every bone in my poor
little body was racked, every ounce of
flesh WAS sore. Ny food went down milk
and came up cheese. If cried was
trotted il | screamed, was trotted,
if l was still, was trotted i be-
came little better than human
churn. from which the butter had teen
taken, and the sour milk left Standing
Ny brainv turned to bruises, my blood to
whey, my bones grew so sharp they al
most pierced the knees which trotted
them. As began to cut teeth, my tongue
was constantly jolted between my jaws,
and in danger of being bit of. l dared
not whine, for knew the penalty. /
began at last to calculate how long the
torture could possibly continue. Warm
weather was coming on, and | thought
one or tho other Of us must soon give up
the ghost and rs my nurses exertions
were almost superhuman, imagined per.
hOps that might outlast her, One un-
lucky day, however, my mother entering
the room unexpectedly, l smiled at her, |
h ad never done so before
The darling cried my parent, see,
II knows me-
Poor thing, rather said the nurse, 1T
has wind on its stomach !
Forthwith she proceeded to trot it out.
Every thump of her foot was, | know, a
nail in my coffin. felt should never
smile again. Ny faithful nurse continued
her efforts, and was trotted out Of exis-
tence on the poor old voman's knee
As the speaker ceased, one of the ell
der occupants Of the room deserted me,
said ms graadmothsr. He at once made
room for me- to enter, and begged me to
remain awhile and hear the remarks, /
consen ted and took a seat near the en-
trance