The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-06-15
[From Arthur's Home Magazinc.1
"GOD KEEP EfAMNlA."
BY RCSELIA RICE.

/ was young then; the summer had
been a very hard and busy one on the
farm, and had done ali the house
work myself, and when autumn came
my very hands upreached. pleading
for respite and rest in the glorious,
golden October.
This time / needed the call, engag-
ed good girl TO come aud keep house
month, fixed up nice, new travel
ing suit of gray stuff, and was soon
ready to go visiting. l hated to leave
the three little clildren-aged twelve,
eight, and four-But Katie said she
would care for them tanderly; and
knew she would, because | had prom
ised to give her, besides her wages, the
beautiful gold ear-dropS of mine that
she SO much, admired.
l was going to visit an only full
sister, whose lace | had not seen for
eight years. She lived away in the
far West, fifty miles beyond thesound
of the nearest locomotive.
Kutie and the three little ones went
with me to the depot, Just across the
LOT. [ kissed and babe them all
good bye bat, oh my eyes fingered
so long and lovingly upon the baby !
Her heavy curls OF pale, shiny gold
lay all over her plump neck and beau
tiiul shoulders-.just the ideal baby
that poets sing of and artists try to
paint. She put her cllu5byIittle
hands up to my checks caressingly,
and said, with. the wise air of seer
Il hope nothing will happen to you;
but feel a little ferocioas there will, -
meaning suspicious.
1 laughed at her blunder. slightly,
and corrected it, telling her to, remen-
Der and let big words alone, thatione's
language was always best and clearest
when it was the simplest and plain
est.
She rubbed her little fat fists over
each otAcr, aad winI,ed her eyes tight
ly until the lashes swept her checks /;
then catching Il long breath, she said,
II will be good while you are gone
and you mustn't forget me, a poor ba-
by, without i'll a mother, way of at
'. trWhizpered Don't forget to pray
for ma every. time, will you 2"
''Tll not forget" she replied, ami
she looked down at the little dimpled
balls of fists again." .
"What will you say ?" said I. 1t
Will be comfort to me to know when
Tam far away. =
She opened her blue eyes full in my
face then bending over and touching
her forehead To nine, hci hands on
my checks, she softly Whispered
"Why I'll say, God, keep mamma. ,"
1t was wearisome journey. L ar
rived at the house at midnight, and
my sister met me at the door,
but SO changed that L would not let
her touch me, and L turned again and
again to the door to leave her, saying
OH are no sister of mine; L new
er saw you before. Oil this is all
dcccption-all pretence; my sister is
q girl, not faded woman with the
hoarse voice that you have. / came
to find my sister; 1 want my own Sis
ter
The meeting was very sad. She
would reach out her arms with plead
ing, and 1 would cry and turn away
from them like a broken hearted, be-
reft little child wanting its dead moth
er
had anticipated Il great deal of
pleasure, and it was several days be-
fore L could be come reconciled, and feel
that the strange woman was really
Iny sister. But we had good visit
we lived over our childhood and our
lonely girlhood; we laughed together
and cried together; and the weeks
flew by, and the time came for the
rumbling old coach to take me from
her door homeNard.
My first point was one of the largest
cities in the State, wheye was to