Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1868-01-09

on the snow, supporting the iasensible
form of her Lost daughter in her arms.
With passionate ten derness the mother
chafsd the Geld hands and kissed the
death white face, striving by close en-
brace TO bring back the spark Of life.
But all in vain. The unhappy girl lay,
as David found her, black heap on the
snow; so still, 80 motienless, IL seemed
AS though God had saved the wanderer
from the last great sin--that awful sin,
which, shutting out repentance, shuts
out mercy too--by taking to himself the
life che would have cast away.
still the father and mother, clinging
to the shadow OF hope, ,Fslsxed not their
efforts. Wrapping the warm WOODEN
they half dragged, half carried her along
till they reached the cottage. Then,
while David hastensd for the village doc
tor, the mother essaysd such simple
means - her homely experience suggest
ed to recall thespark life, ifpeI chance
IL might not yet have faded into utter
darkness. After q little while her loving
pains were rewarded by perceiving the
beat OF . feeble pulse, aud the Appearance
OF faint flush Of color on The white
cheek; and, little later, her ears were
gladdsned by the sound of the we'll
known voice, though uttered in the raw
ings of delirium.
But the happiness was OF short dura-
tion. Soon the good doctor came. and,
with tears standing in his eyes, spake
words of doom. The frsil form had suf-
fered more than II could bear, and the
little life left was but the fire OF fever,
which might not burn through the night.
For little while the light of reason
| might come back; but If it should come
it would be to flicker for moment aud
! then be quenched forever.
! Aud meanwhile, all unconscious Of its
mothers life ebbing SO fast away, ef the
wind and snow without, and he rain Of
tears within.of life OF death-of sin or
serrow-ths little babe lay sleeping be-
fore the fire, dimpled arm supporting
a dimplsd cheek, OH which the flicker
ing firs-iight cast rosy glsry. And
the cuckoo clock on tho mantle peics
stsll ticksd on, Life, death-life, death ~
Each tick, each drop Of time, ~ it fell
into the ocean Of strnity, bringing .
stronger throb to the life that was just
begun, and steeling one more puiss
from the life that was passing away.
With quivering lips and streaming eyes
the father and mothersat by their dRugh-
ter's pillow, listening in silent anguish
to her ,delirious moanings.f Her dying
fancy seemed to hover hithsr and thithei
past and recalling incidents Of her child
isli days-incidsnts long forgotten, bu,
returning now with strange vividnesl
under the influence of her broken sen
, tences. Aud thena saddsr page wa
turned, and the pasents knew (teo late,
how their darling had been drawn asid,
|, frs.n duty, and the father learnt, will
+ bitter seIf-reproacii, hsw his own stern
, ness had repelled the loving confidsn o
/ that had often risen to his child's lips
and whish might, under Heaven, hav,
hindered that bitter ending. At one mo
/ mont she fzncied herself with her be
3 traysr, and pleading, as though she ha
1 just left her home, for his permission t
e write to her parents. And here the lii
teners noticed with strange feelings G
r surprise, that no thought efshams seem
\ ed to mingle with her pleadings; sh
: begged ss though for leave to commu
nicate joyful tidings, rather than to cor
/, fess her sin, and sue for pardon.
. "Oh, Robert, darling, it, you would ID
! me tell father and mother, they woul
be SO glad and proud. They will bs
little vexed at first, of course, tour hay
, ing kept it from them; but they will 300
forgive that. And if it must be ker
. bcCTtt ~ PIt5CDt VII dSGOuHS vi your
Gle, why, 1 do MT think they would minC
at least not very, very much. And /
/ the people did say hard things of me il
/ the village, could bear that for you
@ sake, darling, you know; and perhaps
= would only be for q little while. An
when you get your uncles consent Tan
o I'm sure you will, because you max
/ every body do just as you like darling
, why, then it need MT be secret an
: longer, need it? And / should beso proud
3 so proud of my darling soldier Robert
/ You will let me write, won't you dear, I
. please your pet Ally? / do MT min
about any body else, but can't feel quit
happy till father and mother know tha
o l am your wife, ts
: The listeners started, and bent forwar
with longing eyes, to hear more. Blu
e the feeble fiuttering spirit, exhausted b
). even so abort flight, had sunk dow
j again; and the sufferers syelids drooI
!. ed, and for while she seemed to sluII
n Der. Presently, however, she starte
/. again, with wild cry, and sat up in tn
a bed, gazing with fixed, dilatedo pupil
: and pressing her thin white hands upo
a her forehead" Oh, Roberts! do MT sa
i. that. You do MT know how my heart
!, beating, even now, when know it 's
e joke. Just put your hand against i
Il utaIy duu iSSi. w h1 w Ia JOh iooh
a me, darling; why do you turn away ?
e Pobert, it 10 MT, it can't be true. A fals
: marriage! Oh, Robert, how could yo
Q do it, when trusted you SOP"
a The loud passionate sobs of the dyin
: girl, as she, wringing hsr hands an
;. rocking to and fro in her delirious 9ris
n disturbed the sleeping child, wbic
d awoks with . cry. The ssundssemed
}. touch, another chord. She ceased h,
sobs, and listened, smoothing her ha
back from her forehead rs though tryiu
h to recollect something. Her mothe
e with womanly instinct, put the baby
Il her arms. A look of sweet content can
o over the faded face, and she sunk bse
r upon her pillow, nestling. the little ol
10 her bosom, and csressing the baby
Y head with her wasted fingers. The
d the wandering mind roved into snoth
d track. l
= "Baby dear! baby dearl Baby wi
~ never, never 60 away from his poor mai
J. ma, will he! Poor mammal left all aloi
: with baby in the whole wide world.
T. Hush; dear, must not cry; poor malnli
|. Alice may cry, but baby dear must n
i. cry. Baby must be happy baby bo
q and grow up strong and handsome, Ill
papa. Oh, baby darling, pray God W
e may never break any body q heart! Hus
!. a-bys, dear, 80 to siesp on mothers b
e som. Mamma will sing TO him, sir
him to sleep n, 49,, ~. =
+. And then she softly crooned 1 fragms
:. es . song that had been her fAyori.s i