The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-08-02
!. ALEXANDRIA, LA, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1871


sat shivering over few Goals of fire,
which was fast dying out through lack
Of fuel and then he would cast look
toward the bed. He was pale and
haggard, with wild, blood shotteh eyes.
and a lettering form. The clothes he
wore, like the room he occupied, We're
scant and ragged, and NANCY cap
covered his matted and unkempt head.
The woman at length, with deep
sigh, turned from the bed and came up
close to him, and stood leaning against
the wall. Her face in the full glare of
the Pickering candle that burned upon
the rude table looked colder and ghast-
lier than when in the shade.
"Thomas,n she said in low voice,
bending down to him and extending
something toward him which she held
in her hand, "Thomas, take this. 1t
is the last keepsake of my dead moth
er-dispose of it the best you can, and
Ibuy something-medicine and food
for little Louis. can not leave him
myself. VIII you do it ~
Eyes, yes" eagerly gasped the man,
in turn extending his hand.
"And you promise me that you will
not touch the poisonous fluid tonight;
that you will spend the money you get
for. this for nothing but something for
Louis" sim
"Damn it, woman, Of course" said
he, half eagerly, "give it to me.n
She gazed hard at him for a moment,
as though to study whether or not he
was speaking the truth, and then she
slowly yielded into his greedy palm n
small gold locket.
!EBe sure and do SO, Thomas,D she
again enjoined, as he moved from tie
miserable room. ".'Tis the only thing
! in the house that can be disposed of
for anything" and she turned to her
little charge.
In truth was he a sweet, young child;
too young to die, one would say, yet
one glance sufticed to tell that dissolu-
ton was swiftly coming on. Not that
he was gasping and struggling and
conteudipg with the icy monster; but,
like some beautiful flower that is draw
ing to The close of its existence, he was
softly fading out, without a moan,
without q murnur, for death was COM
ing on, like q soft, lulling sleep.
The mother bent over him and with
her soothing hand ,smoothed back the
! golden locks from the pallid brow.
"Ch, MOTHER" he said, in sweet
childish tones, ~ feel SO strangely hap
py and peaceful tonight, and all pain
has left me, too-all.n
CAN, sweet one" the mother replied
"Then sleep it will do you good"
"Sleep9 no, no, mother, I can not
sleep now--not for a while. l would
rather talk-talk of the bright stars
and the beautiful angels, and of-ol
heaven"
"Then we will talk, my boy"
/ And then she sat beside him and
they talked-talked of the things Of
which little Louis loved SO well to hear
Talked of the bright stars, and of the
beautiful angels talked Of Him who
made the stars, and who loves little
children so much /; talked Of the bright
and radiant shores of heaven, where
tsickness, nor SORROWS, nor suferings
never come--where all is one glorious
day of npfettered ioy-Where, ihrousl
the long silvery space of an eternal
age, the music of the blessed will never
cease to flow.
/ For long time they talked of these
things.
Il will sleep now, mother" he sale
at length; a smile dawning upon his
i wan features, 'I am tired, and viii
sleep. Kiss me, mother. Tell pans
Good night" And the little child
sunk into long, long sleep.
/ The mother sat still and watched
him, and when the heart had stilled its
bentiDg, and the little body relaxed and
became rigid, she calmly said:
"It is all over. 1t is WELL"
&. And there she sat without moving,
without changing her position, holding
1 the cold hand in her own, which was
almost as cold, gazing upon the marble
face of the little sleeper in death, as
though she sat beside her child in its
mondays nap sometimes singing soft
snatches of q lullaby song that she
had sung to him in other days. Once
she opened her mute lips and said.
''It were better had he been here
Ito have seen our child die, and to
watch with me; but I must watch
alone and await his coming"
And she watched and waited while
the slow hours of the cold dreary
night rolled by. Cold it was, cold
unto death, yet she felt it not. There
was an inward fire that drove the life
current through their proper channels,
and STAYED off the icy monster.
She did not weep, she did not moan.
Nay, instead, she seemed to smile