The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-04-27
selected stas,y,
Lifted into the Light.
BY MRS. r. d. G. ROBBINS.

aiities necessary TO secure puiIr In "a Shnrt
with the prices, reduceu A'
time to extreIae poverty. -, lo. .,,
In 'necember of 1864 they hau Deem uiiVeh
tn occupy miserable garrett, ih one OF the
noorast streets in New ork, anu mere Eddie,
ffha slSiasr son q lad OF SIX years, slckened and
la Che sad event took place upon one of
80 darkest. stormiest nights of the winter and
the mother, without fire, without a light and
without food, watched his life ebb away. The
more touching, then, are the words with which
she Weakened her eldest child Ruth, when the
cold, grey dawn began to steal over the dead
boy.
Ruth, Ruth, did you know our little Eddie
has gone into the light"
Into the ightp' The child started from
her troubled sleep to consciousness of what
And while the thought was coming home 70
her, her mother repeated in voice whlch nau
IN 1t almost a tone OF joy od
His home now is the city that has no neeu
OF the san, neither of the moon, TO s.in and th,
Tor the glory of God doth ilghteh IT. anu ''
Lamb is the light Thereof, a.. s.r,oo,ino
Not here, then with this DIM strugSu .s
winter light-away beyond the el2uus anu .ne
storm! Happy little EDDIE Anu neu Iiiis,
goes to the bed upon which ne hes, looking
Gown with n solemn awe upon the emaciated
f,ca tba sunlSen eve, the tight shut lips. A
va%ne' bewildering idea she has that it is, and
vet it il not the sick, living boy; dim, first
knowledge OF the dread mystery OF death.
Poverty has given years to this small girl,
and rudely jostlng with this sorrow comes to
her the sharp necessity for help. Yesterday,
ior the nrst time through all their suffering, she
had begged; and part of the pittance given
her yet remained, kept miserly for this dread
event. which she, young as she was, saw APP
preaching
"Aelp, nelp! And with these words ring
ing over and over in her heart, she whispered
to her mother, and long before the great city
had siirrred to its daily round of toll and pleas
nahn al sx,&x lreAx.
A police officer was passing the door as she
opened it, and she laid her purple hand gently
OH his arm.
Help, sir" she said; eddie is dead"
1t was a kind-hearted man, God had sent
there for this very purpose; and he lifted the
child in his great. fatherly arI-s, carrying her
up the flight of stairs, as she pointed the way,
nor bated ne in the least his kindness until he
had brought fire. light and food, into the desc
late home he found there.
With this relief came into Ruths heart the
wish to spend tho bit of money-the hallowed
money set apart for Eddie Only-in buying
one little white flower for him to carry in his
hand into that cold, dark grave.
"ne loved them 50 well, mother" the child
said III it is only little one, but real liv-
ing flower, it seems to ME it would be easier to
let him CO." And then, with her mothers con-
sent she wandered up and down before the
hower-tillled windows, yenturing in the stores
now and then, but coming out without even
the tiniest bud. $50.
At length her pale face, with its look of unut-
terable longing, peering in through the win
dow, attracted the attention of the boy who
sold flowers in large store.
"What can this girl want?" he called to a
woman who was arranging boquets behind the
counter. 81 never saw such face. She looks
as if she mus. have flower; but when she
came in she only asked the price of these small
white ones, and went out without Offering to
buy"
,a =, On mo a., 1oo, a+ lor aud no. Loo,4
was touched. She beckoned Ruth into the
store, and said, kindly
you seem to love flowers. Do you wish to
buy some?" rt
- wanted to get one for Eddie" said Ruth,
her lips quivering, and the tears starting into
her eyes. -rs. l-.-.I -...l.i
"Who is Eddie?" st.sal
My brother. He is dead" ~ A
DO You wish the flowers for his cofin?"
"He loved them," answered Ruth "We used
to come here to the window to see them, and
he wouldn't feel alone if he had one. He was
so sick When he came last and hungry; but he
didn'G cry out there" and she pointed to the
plaoe where she had been standing, outside of
the window. '4a q
'.roor cnlld; you shall have some for him and
am sure you are welcome to them"
From among her white buds the woman Sc
lected the choicest, and in a few minutes Ruth
held in her hand, trembling il It's eagerness, a
rare bouquet.
Gods Denison on this kind heart! Those
simple buds shall not be hidden under the cold
clods, but shall blossom for Aer among the
deathless flowers above.
"A dead pauper childl Fit him for his burr
al" This was the requisitiOn which went up
to the proper city authorities; and in compi-
ance, men and a coffin were sent as quickly as
possible to Mrs. Williams room.
RuCh reached home with her precious gift as
the lrishmen were bearing their burden up the
creaking stairs She, at the foot, as well as
her mother at the head of the steirs, did not
need be told what it was. 1t is a sound
lnourner never mistakes.
me men were ealkins Loudly One of them
was swearing. Something evidently had an
noyed him, and as he came to the landing upon
which the mother was waiting for them, he
swung the uncouth black box towards her, and
said, roughly
"See here, now, was there liver such a cussed
thing seen afore? The paint haint been on an
hour. Look at my hands. If they have any
more such internal work to do, they may do it
themselves" i ~
'You make as much fuss as if your hands
were sugar or salt. Water won't hurt them, I
guess, and after the job is over, the woman will
let you have some soap" said the other man,
laus; hing loudly. .an.7afs
ATS nasty work" said Pat "Catch me at it
again" And he swore frightiully as he tossed
the coffin down on the table prepared for it,
and held out both his beermed hands.
stop your grumbling, and take hold. The
boat leaves in half an hour, and we sha II have
to drive like fury to get There now.
II don't like to touch the thing" said Pat,
shrinking away from the bed. ahold on; il
amt long enough. 1t wants four inches, good"
Jam 1T in then. Where's the odds?"
"Into the light" little Eddie has gone! Poor
mother, do not think of him as being here
now ~. -. 81. tr- -.
The two men approached the bed and lifted
the child. As they did SO his mother bent for
ward to look into his coffin.
Rough, unplaned boards; not q pillow, only
some loose straw and sawdust, which seemed
to have fallen in. OF such groan as broke
from her then, nothing had been able to call
forth before.
The men laid Eddie down again, and turned
quickly towards her. There she stood, with
clasped hands, her eyes tight shut, and her lips
moving
Was she saying prayers for the soul of the
dead boy? Pat thought she was, and with
touch OF true feeling IN his voice, said s.
by me sowl, ma'am, it's bad, very bad.
lost my little Pat, and I'd rather heave coal
forty-eght hours on q stritch than go through
the like of it again. An sure, it's the holy
mo her must want a heap of them little ones up
there, for she is always afther them, poor dar-
limits that they are"
Pat held his black hands out towards her
now, without thought of the paint that was
on them In his Irish heart, rough and coarse
as It Was, there was built a little temple, and
shrlned IN it lay his dead boy. Silent tears
there.
Eat, drunken, dissolute, wicked Pat, was on
" father there
"It's too bad, indade it is" he continued
"and this box amt fit to bury dog in. i
bought a box all lined with white ribbins for
my boy rest his dear sowl. And we had a
matter of candles, and the praists they said
many a mass for the darlint. It's hard enough
barring these things; and if ye have mind to
wait, Mike, I'll be for taking the dirty box
away, and wen get one that's long enough for
the bit of child; better, sure he is, without
our help" and Pat looked askance at Eddie,
shaking his head.
"Ye'Il be losing the boat and your time too"
well, well, niver mind, Mike; he'll sleep
the aisier, and his mither, too Bedad, if could
shut the eyes fine for the night, if little rat
was squazed up SO; and can't stan it," So |
forgetting the paint, and knowing full well |
tnat Mike had lost no Pat and would not help |
MN, the freshman lifted the coffin almost rev |
erentiy, as II the tears which were plisteniug |
in his eyes made it look holy to him. and ear |
ried it out.
Mike stared, but offered no resistance. nor |
was it till he heard him going down the Stare
the coffin as he went that be
thought of following him. '
Ruth, still holding the flowers was stand,no
on the lower floor, waiting for the men to come
down; but when she saw them with the coffin. |
she thought they were carrying Eddie away, |
and for a moment the whole scene seemed to
grow dark and fade from her sight; but in an
other, her hand was on Pats arm, and she
said, quickly
'Do not take him without his flowers; dear
little Eddie, he loved them So"
=, We haint got him, miss It's nothing but |
This box. An sure, it's not fit for him, nor |
those swate flowers; bnt we'll be coming back |
presently, with coffin that's good for prince,
lgp II, IL III.