The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1866-02-10
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the +" hour of fairy ban and spell 4" came on
apaee- " lthoHt the calm moon smiled
upon the almost deserted streets, and through
the silence could fancy that.I heard the
silSer Tinkling Of the bells as santa Claus
drove his nimble-footed team over The house
tops on his errand of ioY; Within. beside
Che eFadls. Of tPy. gaalHIqllgg ! kept sIlnt eel
emn watch. The warm, bright tints of car
pets and curtains cleaned cheerilv in the
rosy glow Of the ifeIight and the gas, half
head, made twilight in the room, aud filed
the furtsest corners with changing, s.radOwy
spirits, which danced their weird dance
upon the walls and ceiling. But all this
comfort / did not heed. I had been a
watcher for many days and nights beside
that tiny crib, and tired Nature was claim.
ing a respite. The soft pillows of heat that
flowed from the glowing Goals, were apt to
be9T one. .pneOnseiouslyJonWard to. the sgeet
river OF sleep but nay strong mother-1oye
battled Valiant Z with = Nature, and kept
guard over the child struggling silently for
It's life in that deathlike sleep.
! gazed atafhe Beautiful faceoas it.la9 be-
fore me, and to my. partial eyes no scene
could be SO beautiful KY baby, nv love
nav idol q Is he should die72 My rebeAious
heart rose blindly at that thought, and
fought against its Maker. I" Not that, o
Lord, not that, i cried In agehysA Spare my
boy, nay darling Let this cup pass from me-
The child hall not die. / bent over my
darling. His face was flushed with fever,
and his bright lip was curled In pain. AS
| looked his lips quivered Fearful of awak-
ing him, sank back to my chair, and SO. to
my knees praying for his life, denahdis isg-o
God the soul which he seemed calling to
himself As l prayed, a soft, mellow light
shOne around my baby's crib, and from its
ri 90 A.,
q soft halo about its head, appear 1t came
toward me, and l saw then that its face was
as the face of an angel. The calm eyes
looked with a pitiful repfOaclCinto mihe,,
and yet the sad lips smiled upon me- He
was clad IN loose flowing robe of dark blue,
and his hair, parted after the Eastern fash
ion,s from the middle, waved softly to his
shoulders. In his presence the fierce tu-
mutt in my heart sank silently to qpiet.4 I6
was as though a master spirit had claimed
and exercised his power. As The rough
wares Of rGaliiee ,smQothed their angry BILL
lows at tire commanding voice Of God, SO a
silent PEACE for thee, 75C7seemed spoken, to
my surging heart, and immediately I" there
was a great calm. = ~'--@
Ny strange visitor with that holy calm
upon his face, stood beside my child, and as
he spoke, his hand was laid upoh its sheart
You would have this childs life ;" he
questioned, IN soft, .melodieus voice |" Are
you willing tOrbeaF the suffering which this.
child life may bring you 2 D woman Let
not your mOther-l6Fe make you 'rebelIious to
your Maker @-iitF--t 7.s 'ae-'of 75' <if4t Z a
I stood silently before his rebnke, but my
heart could not bow to Gods decree, and I =
cried ~ Save his life. OL0Fd save butt his
life, and l win bear even unto death"
SloWlg he raised his hand-before me th
81 " md I 1o- IL
and cold and cheeTless1ad'he crushing hand
of poverty seemed to have fallen heavily
there. q Covering 6yera dsw sEast dying eng
bers, l saw myself holding my child All
the agony upon the face of that. shadow Of
myself ; the ,pinched, haggard face Of my
ldbl, and his waiting cry Of hunger, struck
teRrOEstO nay sheaEk -Rhateeene told oesuf- !
fefings, and life Of trial, but and l smil-
ed as l lOOked-my child was. there and
alive. AS looked the scenesrchanged--a1
me ore comfortable room, lighted by tapers,
was before me, and again saw maself and
cha ID He was standing on the floor, his
babyzfaeeaf1shed-Gnd -GndudlIstertec sbzzsB sBBssi9B,-
his tiny hands elenched, and his -slippered
foot set upOn5the neck of a. white dove,
which had been Ahis> pet, and had some way
offended him. l turned, shuddering from
my beautiful. child and fromsthat imageesf
myself vainly striving. to so6the the >eE1Ila /
" Are not the hands. of his Savior better
TO guide the babe asked the stranger,
SlG%Iy Raf8-y4 & SS, SS, 9RAssA,
scenes shifted, and l saw another picture of
my boy. ,5Gf113T9
He was in a schoolroom. There were
many children, and among them alb my boy
was the most beautiful He was standing
alone, and on his face noticed cruel de-
light as he watched. the painful futteripgs
Of q butterfylzFhich he was stefturing That
look upon his face, the soft baby-face, shad-
owed by dropping, golden curls, made my
fearful heart tremble. He held the insect
impaled, and laughed toseeits Auttering ag-
ony. l turned away.
sEIsOOk,l said she strange man atmy side,
" Look And, because unable to resist, l
turned again to the scene -z-~.t
1t was a small, cozy, room, lighted by
night lamp. The small clock on the mantle
held Its silent finger on the honr OF mid
night; but the figure, entering with a stealhy
tread drew all of my attention. This had
lost its shadow of cnrls, its dimpled rosy
ness of infancy, but still i knew by boy, the
babe whose life I had demanded of God.
He had grown to youth, and there was a look
in his eyes Of having drained ife,s pleasures
to the dregs. l grieyed to see that his lip
had lost its innocent, full curve, in a curl of
scOEn, and that his face wore a look OF hav-
ing sinned. ~ z
He came forward now, cautiously, stepped,
istsned,then advanced. p, His hand was on
my desk He turned the key. With
stiAed CRY my heartsprapg up. Ny boy was
a thief Silently he passed from the scene
with a roll of bills in his hand silently the
darkened room Heightened and frightened
until it lay before me a gorgeous Saloon,
bright with light and rich tints merry with
the sound Of mems Foices and the elink Of
glasses.
Again saw my boy There were. men
old IN fife and crime, and youths just stand
ing on the brink of manhood. There were
gamblers With the exultakion. Of success
lighting their dark faces and men in silent
agony bending over the boards, stalking theiR.
ali Of life, their hopes of heaven, on the
single throw of card but among them all
| saw my boy. He had staked the money
and 1 knew by the dead whiteness of his
face and the close. eienching of his hand that
on that card his soul was staked.
Bending forward, / watched the game 1t
went on Ny boy S face ightened. Another
moment and be STAGGERED ont in the silent
0irbt a hagrar The eeane slowly faded