The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1864-12-01

ana aclln9- Sne went 10 HeI little Deu-
and never rose again. For three
days and nights we scarcely left her for
minute 1t does not seem to me now.
that we could have ate or slept, and we
were not weary or faint except with the
sickness of despair. Meek and patient
as a lamb, she seldom said anything, but
she always smiled when we came near
her or did anything for her comfort
The first half of the last night, her
mind was wandering. She constantly
imagined herself with her brother, ram
bling through their old haunts, carried
up hill sides on his shoulder or across
brooks in his arms, or sitting in his lap
on the sunny side of some great rock
By and by she fell into troubled sleep,
and when after halt an hour she opened
her ewes she knew US. Her sweet ewes
wandered from one TO another. and ut
last they rested on me, and her little
hands were stretched towards me, went
and bent my face near to hers. She seem
ed too weak to speak but her eyes so mute
and tender, said all She fondled my
face with her hands as she had done
when baby. o those chilly little
fingers, red hot iron could not have
wrung me so NV heart moaned till [
thought it would have burst my bosom,
and shrieked aloud-and vet | would
not have lost that good bye for the
world
To each in turn she gave the same
mute farewell, and her pale gold ringlets
as they lay back on the pillow, were
soaked with our tears.
When this was done she composed
herself as if to sleep, but suddenly look
ing up to Alice whispered
Now my little prayer, l forgot it be-
fore l believe, will you say it to me dear
Alice, I'm so tired and
And the dear brave girl choking down
heI sobs, murmured in the ear of the
lamb like sufferer the little prayer which
she had said every night since she
could lisp. At the last word the head
turned slightly upon the pillows with a
peaceful satisfied look, tls hands were
still clasped over the bosom and remain
ed closed. So she lay for some time,
breathing easily but shorter aud shorter.
BY and by her eyes opened once more,
but this time they were not turned
to US, and her face kindled up with
strange light so that we who were look
Ing on seemed to have caught glimpse
of heaven-then the brightness passed
slowly away, her features settled down
into a smile SO sweet and peaceful, that
we half forgot our grieving, her eyes
closed again of themselves, and she was
dead
1t must have been long time that we
remained standing where we were, as
tonished, stunned, bewifdered, and this
did not pass away, for several DAYS
We knew that our darling was in Heaven,
but still she vaguely seemed in some
strange way to be still with us-and per
laps she was-perhaps she was. But
by and by when the cold gravel had fall
en- on the little coffin of our beautiful
one, the cold hard drearv truth began to
come home to our hearts, that she was
lost, gone forever, dead and buried
Our home had been lonely before, but
now it seemed a ruin, desolation. |
never drove my business so in all nv
life: it seemed to he the only way |
could live. But when / was busiest
here would be low restless moaning
n my heart all the time like the wind in
,he pine trees.
But by and by better thoughts came to
ne | did not grieve less but more sub
and my heart went out again
more earnestly than ever after our wan
iering boy, He has seemed nearer to
Is, and We have somehow had more
nope of his return since our little Minnie
lied When l think OF the deep dark
sea she has crossed, all the oceans in the
world seem only a trihe But so far we
have waited in vain for any word or
token of his coming, and we can only
nope against hope"
My host remained q long time silent,
looking thoughtfully into the embers
nad been unfeignedfy interested in his
simple narration, which have here writ
ten down as nearly as l can recall it, and
forbore to distrust him. suddenly
rousing himself he said, Il beg your
pardon, sir-I had no right to trouble
you with this, which have been saying
But | sometimes make the more free to
speak of my son before strangers, in the
hope that they may somewhere have
met or heard of such person 1 sup
pose, however, that if living he has
changed good deal When he went
away he was stongly and handsomely
his skin was fair, his eyes gray
and bright, and his hair dark brown and
curly"
l hastened to assure my host of nv
interest in his story, and to promise that
Oh my return 70 the CITY. l would make
iilligent inquiry of house of my ac-
4uaintance having transactions in Aus
-ralla, and If possible learn through
them something of the lost youth.
The father thanked me with great
warmth and gave me his sons name in
tuil. which entered in nv m memorandum
oook-"W illiam Henry Archer Then
At my request he lighted my lamp and
conducted me to my room
1t was a little chamber, simply vet
-astefully furnished, with an air of the
most refined neatness I sat down for
/ few minutes to listen to the beating of
The storm upon the roof over me, and the
and howling of the wind about
the caves and gables, and to collect my
scattered thoughts little. As they
came slowly back into their ordinary
channels, became aware of soft, but
decided tread in the chamber next to
mine Back and forth, back and forth,
sometimes suspending, yet soon renew
ng their pace, passed the feet of my IN
known neighbor. With many curious
,UrQises and half formed couiaeturps