The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1869-03-04
4 = ~, ~ :. ~
school. Miss Ironton was a most sue

-
school. Miss Ironton was a most sue,
cessful teacher .,.
Late io::the afternoon r. Becky went:
once more to ask permission to give
the coveted water, but met another re..
fusal, and tile prayers which Margaret
had offered, during all that scene, re-
solved themselves iuto:: that one peti,,
ton
3, 1!toi::1,:.. a.: .-i. " -. j =. T
Given go, come, Lord Jesus! Como
quicklyw. 90. ,......,......
As the evening shadows .fell,. Becky
went yet again to the iron. woman and
begged her ;: to 2. come; adding With .
stern solemnity:: .r..,.,
"Dat chile am dyia', s. o." g.,
There were still two other sick child.
rem in the room, and the woman rho
had hidden the cracker, but none of
them appeared much disturbed by Pc:
ter's moan. None of them had w.t.
messed the scene in the yard ; and they
had all been SO long in "The Home"
that they were too familiar with the
call for water to be panied by it. For
themselves to have had all they wished
to drink was a state to be remembered
as something past. Their vital powers
were so dulled by insufficient food and,
sickness, loug continued, that they had
no strength for sympathy. AS Becky
left the room on this last mission, Pc
ter summoned strength for stronger
appeal, and as his cry for ."water !"
reached this. woman, she turned, moan
ed, and said:, :.....; s:.. &:
Il wish that young one: would be
stlll!: ..:: .s:. :. = .~>~ i.
1t wasrtoo dark to sec him now but
as that cry reached Margaret in the
gathering gloom, she clasped her hands,
and; looking >steadfastly ;; into heaven
she repeated. slowly T.. j. :.
"The:spirit aud the Bride say; come!
and let him that heareth say, come !!
and whososver will, letihim come and
take of the water Of life freely!"
As she thus looked to "the Lills,''
from whence alone cometh aid IN the
last extremity, Becky returned, follow
ed closely by Miss Irontou, bearing a
bottle and lamp. She set the lamp
on the window sill, took up a tin cup
which stood there and poured some
thing into it from the bottle, then set
ting this down, she raised Peters head
and held the cup to his lips. The lit
tie head was thrown back with a cry or
rather a whoop, and Peter escaped. The
little head fcllto one side, and when Nj iss
1ronton saw that he was gone she drop
ped or threw it from her hand, partly
in surprise and partly in disgust; for,
oh, it was such a poor, unlovely little
head! As itfell, Aunt Becky, whose
dim eyes were raining tears-just as if
there was anything to cry about
reached across the bed and interposcd
her hard, black hands between the iron
woman and the little corpse, saying
hurriedly, threateningly: !
"Don't you doit, ma a'am ! Don't you
doit! Don't you go t. chunkin' Nv
him noS !! I can't bar it.! I can't
You's chunked i'm mighty; chunked !
i'm when he was powerful sick; an
you musn's chunk i'm no mo-! Dat
might do ef he was cullud pusson,
but not white chile. Nobody neber
seq no white pusson used as you's used
dis chilev' Miss Ironton made ecs-
ture of impatience, to drive her away.
She did not finch, but stood bending
forward, holding out her hard hands
and black arms to protect the body,
saying, ~ doesn't car eff you do chunk
me. You dassent to tic me up, Gaze
dis am free State, an my old massa
he CUB me my papers. Ye dassent tie
me up, an ye shan't tech dis chile no
mo-"
Miss Ironton had no thought of
touching the body again. II was Aunt
Becky's life experience in the Old Do
.ninion, and the spurning motion with
which she threw the head from her,
which suggested the thought. After
the teacher had quilted the old creature,
she gave directions about the DISPOSE
tion of the body. Aunt Becky might
wash it, if she pleased; she would leave |
the lamp, There vas no occasion for
any other dress. The garment be had |
on would answer. Aunt Becky wiped
the tears away with the back of her
hand and bottom of her linsey dress,
apd petitioned for a,elean shirt. Miss
1ronton thought this unnecessary, as
that one had been put on him only two |
days before. She 'couldstraighten him |
out in the bed. it would have to be |
washed and filed with clean straw at |
any rate. Cover it:with the sheet, and |
then, goto bed she must be tired, and !
if she pleased she might leave tho lamp:
burning.
The tone in which these directions
were given were clear, firm, decisive.
Every word fell frem her lips like
cein from the die, with the impress dis
tinct, well defined and beautifully
rounded. When she had finished her
directions at Peters bed, she lcisurely |
mado tha tour IF the other. looirod ~ |