Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-11-24
M0tfester 4ailg SPY.


how 1t could be so. Only the Sunday before,
he had been sitting with me, watching the ba-
by, as he sat in the sunshine, laughing and
clapping his little hands, as the shadows of
the trees were flung across the bare floor and
moved by the passing breeze. Now the child
was sitting in the same spot, the warm Octo-
Der sun streaming in on his bright curls, and
making him look SO pretty-so like picture;
but the father has gone from us forever.
sit seemed to me l must see his dear face
once more-that he would surely lift the latch
and come in, and take our child up, and say,
as he so often did Mother, what would you
take for this little bother?'
''Even the baby missed him, and would
come and stand by my knee, calling, Papa!
papan until | thought my poor heart would
break. The two Oldest children were at school
the rest were out playing, so that was quite
alone. BY and by the baby, tired of his play,
came and got up into my lap
Mamma cry mamma mustn't; he lisped
out, and wiped my wet face with his little
chubby hands; but L could only hold him
closer to me, and then cry more bitterly.
''Just then, Mr.. and Mrs. Lorrimer drove
up il their handsome carriage. They lived
not far off, and were our richest neighbors
When had invited them in, and had dried
my tears little, they seemed at loss how to
begin the conversation, but Charlie had slid
away from my side, and went and stood at the
lady's knee, and pointing to her heavy gold
bracelet, said-'Pretty, pretty!' in his child
ish way. She took it off, and gave it to him,
saying
won't you come to be my little boy, Char
lie?"
"My mothers heart took fright at once.
They had no children, and seemed to feel
as plainly as if they had told me that they had
come to ask me for one of mine.
''No, no; mother couldn't spare him. said
quickly, snatching him away, almost, rudely,
fear.
g My dear woman began Mr.. Lorrimer,
'have you thought seriously of the impossible
ity of your getting along with five children,
under twelve years of age? 1t has required
all your husbands efforts to make living for
you-hOw can you hope to do it without him ?'
"'We OFFER Joined in his wife, ito take the
most helpless of your little ones-to give him
all the advantages we would our own child,
and surely you must see that Gods hand is in
it-that through us, He intends to help you
81 need not tell you how long l withstood
all their arguments. But at last, overcome
by their entreaties, | consented to consider the
matter In two days they came for my an
swer. never mentioned their visit to any of
the Children and had changed my mind al
L
last convinced that it was for the child's good,
l consented to give him up. When l went to
dress him to go, my resolution almost failed
me. fingered over every article put on
him, and made every dear curl over and over
before could get it to please me; and kissed
the little white shoulders until they were all
rosy. But at length he was ready, and l
thought he never looked so pretty. He was
full of animation, for he was old enough to
know what it meant to go riding and he
clapped his hands, and laughed aloud at the
horses, as they were driven up. l handed
him to his new mother, (the children suppoS-
ed that he was to come back soon,) and he
never even looked at me. Oh, how Jealous
my aching heart grew.
''When | came back into the house the first
thing my eye fell on was his cradle. 1 could
only throw myself on it and sob aloud. Then
came the trial Of telling the whole truth to the
children. None of them seemed reconciled,
and l felt that the worst was to come, when
the two oldest should return from school.
almost dreaded to meet them, especially Will
lie; he was like his father, SO quiet and calm,
outwardly, but hiding beneath his apparent
GOODNESS the strongest, deepest feelings. But
the others went to meet them as they came
home, and | was pleasantly disappointed in
the way the Oldest took it. He seemed to feel
that / had done it for the best, and that he
must hide his own sorrow for my sake. He
was more thoughtful for my comfort gentler
than ever, only very still and grave
''The day ended, as the longest will at last
and it came time to go to bed. | had taken
Willie to sleep down stairs near me. Since
his fathers death, the other children slept just
above us. Well, when L came to lie down,
there was the empty PILLOW Baby had al
ways laid his little rosy face as close to mine
rs he could get it, and slept with one little
warm hand on my neck. All my grief broke
out afresh when l thought of him. Willie
raised up at last, and said earnestly
Mother, it's Charlie you are crying for,
isn't itp
EYES, answered, Il know it's for the
best; but oh it's so hard to give him up
E'Mother,' continued the child, when ia
thar died, we knew that it was all for the best
because God took him from us but l have
been thinking ever since we laid down, how
poor little Charlie must be crying for you, and
how God gave him to us, to love and keep
him; and now you have given him away. If
he had meant him to be Mr.. and Mrs. Lori
mers baby, wouldn't He have given him to
them at frst?'
"Ihe childs words carried more weight
with them than all the arguments of nv rich
nelghoors' After considering a moment, |
"'Oh, if only had him back, he sbould
never go away again, no matter how moor we
might be-
"The moon was shining so brightly that If
was almost as light as day, and presently viii
lie said
''Mother, it's only half a mile across the
fields, and they won't go to bed for long
time at Mr.. Lorrimer's; let us go and get
Charlie Why, mother, seem to hear him
crying now.'
'Urged by the child's entreates, and the
fond promptngs ofmy own heart, consented.
l think never walked half mile so quickly
in nv life and neither of US spoke until we
reached the mansion. Then we stopped a
moment for breath, and sure enough, we
could hear the baby screaming at the top OF
his voice. We went round to the sitting
room door, and knocked. They seemed halt
frightened when they saw who it was, but
asked us in politely. A hired nurse was
walking with the child up and down the floor,
trying to pacify it. Mrs. Lorrimer had
wearied herself out, and was lying upon a
lounge.
"'Come to MOTHER Willie said, and
brought the little fellow to me at once.
"How he chung to me, still sobbng, YET
smiling all the while to find himself in my
arms.
AZ cannot gre him up said at last
when l could get my voice clear. 'Yor
must let me take him home
"'They evidently thought me the stiles
of women; bur their cold words only made