American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1866-09-22
THE LITTLE BOY ON cRUrcHEs.

ue oPeu grave, Just Teaoy 10 iet
;. gently down into its silence the beautiful
Y form of little child about three years
: old. All mus. have been struck by The
pale. the 'ery pale face Of the father. and
= have said 10 their thoughts. " Poor fel =.
= low. you will soon follow her !" All
+ must have noticed the almost wild look
OF the mother as her child was about to
be buried in the dark, cold graYe. The
snow lay in the bottom Of the grave. and
it lay white on the co1ip. Bu, did they
notice little lame boy. two years older
than the little sister about to be buried,
: as he leaned on bis email cru,ches, over
: the corner Of the grave. and looked SO
earnestly into it? He was very small
and very pale. and the frst look at him
; showed you that be mus, be cripple as
long as he lived.
: He had los, his little sister. his play
mate. bis other self. No voice had been
SO gentle. and no heart so loving to him
as hers. He shed no tears. He stood
like q marble fgure upheld by crutcbes.
But bis little bosom hssved as though Il
would burst; and ,hougb be uttered no
sound. l felt sure that be was sincerely
mourning. The men nsciously push
ed him back as they finished The burial.
Oh | how msekly those little eru'ches
took him ou. Of tho way. / felt like
wanted to take him up and weep over
him. No one though, Of him. save the
One who took little children up in His
srlns and blessed them.
The family returned from the burial.
Each one thought so ;nuch Of his own
grief that the little lame boy vas not
thought Of as needing consolation.
But from that grave the little fellow
began 10 droop and wither. It was soon
noticed that be ate but little, and in tho
night would be heard. as with low voice
he repeated over and over the little hymns
he used to repeat With bis little sister.
They though, it the grief Of = child. and
that new sled and new playthings would
banish il. But the arrow had gone in
too deeply to be thus drawn out. For
hours be would 80 and sit in the little
nook where he and Jessie used to play.
with his chin in bis thin haud-thiIking.
blinking Sometimes he would ask il
JESSIE could remember now." or if shs
would love him still. or il they sup
posed "she sang the same hymns where
she Was gore that they used to sing to-
gether, or if :" she would know him il she
should meet him without any crutches ?"
The hymns that spoke Of Jesus aud his
love, OF heaven and its rest. Of the angels
and the redeemed, seemed 10 be his de.
light. Though be seldom mentioned
Jessie's name, it became after time we'll
understood that be thought only Of her.
He laid aside his play things as Of no use.
but would bend over her little drawer,
and earnestly gaSe at what her tiny fn.
gers once handled
Slowly and gently bis life began to ebb
out. He had no sickness. made no men.
lion Of pain. had no cough, and medicine
could do nothing for him. When be came
10 take his bed, from sheer weakness, be
begged that he nigh! lie on the very bed
and on the same spot where Jessie died.
Sometimes IN the night be would Be heard
70 utter a suppressed moan, and bis moth
sr Hould hasten to him and inquire what
be wanted. bis only reply would be, II
want Jessie. Do you think she has for.
gotten me! IwAnt to 60 to Jessie. and
ihe will tell NE all about it,"
Once he was heard to break out almost
INTO . shout "Whst is il. my son 80
,sid his mother.
"Oh, I though. Jessie had come"
"No' but you are going to Jessie !:
you will soon Dee her."
"Abi I know. Bu, I wish / could
larry her souhsthingl And yet I know
,hs has better things there"
The little crutches are now standing in
he corner Of the mothers chamber, lean
ing against the little bureau that held Jes-
,ie's clothes and things. His little bat
hangs Just over the erutches. The pale
little face is there no more. Side BY side
The two small graves are seen under the
grea. hemlock that tenderly spreads its
shade over them. The cold winds OF
winter whistles over those little mounds.
But where are the children? Did Jessie
know him without crutches ." Is be
lame aud pale and moaning now Orr is
thc Good Shepherd leading theni to still
waters. and educating and ttsfning them
in that pure and bright world There
Is 10 iittle boy OF, efutehes looking INTO
the ptave Of sister here.-Rev. 'Oh"
Todd, b. D.