Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-05-22
THE LITTLE BOY On CRUFCHES.

THE LITTLE BOY ON CRUFcHEs.
Tho snow was falling fast, as ,wo
stood ovcr the open grave. just ready
to lot down into silence tho beautiful
form Of littlo child about three
yoars old. All must have strucI, been
by the pale, the very palo face of tho
father, and have said in their
thoughts, "Poor follow! you will
soon follow her" All must have no
ticcd tho almost wild look Of tho
mother, as her child was about to be
buried in tho dark cold grave. The
snow lay in the bottom Of tho grave,
and it lay whito on tho coffin. But
did they notice lame boy, few
years Older than tho little sis:er about
to be buried, as ho leaned on his small
crutchos over tho corner of the grave,
and looked So earnestly into it? lie
was very small, and very pale, and
tho first look at him showed you that
he must be a cripple as long as he
lives. uo had lost his little sister
bis playmate, his othor self. No voice
had been 80 gentle, and no heart so
loving to him as hers. uc shed no
tears. Ho stood like marble figure
upheld BY crutches. But his little bo-
som hcaved as if it would burst; aud
though ho uttered no sound, 1 folt
sure he was sincerely mourning.
From that grave tho littlo fellow
began to droop and wither 1t was
soon noticed that ho ate but little,
and in tho night he would bo heard.
as with low voice repeated over and
over tho little hymns that no used to
repeat with his little sister They
thought it tho grief of child, and
that new toys and now p!aythings
would Danish it; but tho arrow had
titus gone in too deeply to bo thus
drawn out. For hours he would 90
and sit in the littlo mock where he
and jessie used to play, with his chin
in his hand-thinking! Sometimes
he would ask if Jessie could "rcmem-
ber now" or if she would "love him
STILL" or if they supposed "sho sang
the same hymns where she was gono"
which they usod to sing together, or
if "she would know him if she would
meet him without any crutches."
The hymns that spoke of Jesus and
his love, of heaven and its rest, OF
tho angels and tho redeemed, seemed
to be his doiiy yht. Though he seldom
mentioned Jcssio's name, it became
alter time we'll understood that he
thought only of her. lie laid aside
bis playthings as of no use, but would
bend overher little drawer, and car
nestly gaze at what her tiny fingers
once handled.
Slowly and gently his life began to
ebb out. lie had no sickness, made
no mention Of pain, had no cough,
and no medicine could do anything
for him. When he was compelled to
remain in his bed from sheer weak
ness, te begged that he might lie on
Tho very bed and Oh tho same SPOT
where jessie died. Sometimes in tho
night ho would be heard to utter.
suppressed moan; and when his
FASTENED to him and inquired what he
wanted, al want Jessie! Do you
think she has forgotten meY 81
want to go to Jessie, and she will
toll me all about it," Once, just be-
fore the angel camo for him, he was
heard to break out almost in a shout.
"What is it, my son 2" said his
mother.
80, / thought Jessie had comew
':No. But, my child, you are going
to Jessie. You will soon see her.
=. The little orutohss are now standing
In the correr Of the. mothor's cham.
ber leaning against the little bureau
that held Jessie's clothes and play
things. His little hat hangs lust
over the crutches. The pale face
is there no more. Side by side the
two small graves arc seen. under the
great hemlockethat tenderIy spreads
its shade Over them. The cold
winds of winter whistle over them.
But where ars the children? Did
Jessie know him "without crutches 2"
1s ne lame and palo and moaning now1
or Is tho good shepherd leading them
to still waters, and educating and
trstning them up in the bright world !
There is no little boy on crutohss
looking into the grave Of a. .sister!,
General Wade Hampton, We learn from
the Virginia pagers, is to addrsss tho ri,
aEary SDcfetieS. 1T Wasb;v,,.~, an