The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1872-10-31

NO. 10.
81 did sll l could that night, sn' then
laid down on The floor an tired to sleep.
Next oernin' wss mighty low an shsky,
and couldn't hardly move ny head. The
letteosnt wss about, but never said word
Of the row. She came an made me get up
an 60 up s,airs an lay down on my bed,
an then she brought me tea an soup that
she'd made with her ovn hands.
"An' that sv'Ein' she at with me up
there, an 'tvsrn't no preaebin'. nor yes
prsyin'. nor yet jisl like tslkin'-what she
said want. II kind Of come over one just
like music used to sound Of . still Sunday
ev'nin' when fellow was . lsyin' out on
picket, an the banl, way back in camp.
would play some Of them hymn tu mes. an
tho breeze would bring it through the cir
over the tree-,ops, till you thought it was
II often have when I've shut my eyes
tho bright angels a-singin' quiet, happy
songs way up in the ky. An when 1
looked at her, seemed as though one of
them angels Was s-se,tin' there beside me.
''A1' then she asked me. for her cake, to
promise that wouldn't never touch rum
no more. an l did promise an that prom
ise have kept, an will keep, 80 help me
Godl
"Whst times them Was, colonel, vheu
she an him WAS here Seemed to me,
when she Vas around, that We varn't here
1t oil. couldn't no more have thought .
bad thought or said bad word .han l
could have struck her. didn't know my
self. I used to pinch myself an wonder
if this Was me, them times. She seemed to
be I'll about me-so little, an yet she was
every side Of ne-every where At once.
IL knowed it couldn't last : it didn't -
She didn't belong here below. She knowed
she Vas s-goin'. The doctors esid it was
consumption. knoved better; the LORD
wanted her up above. where she belonged.
'Colonel, for the whole year an more
that she Vas here, movin' about, quiet.
lov,n', happy, a-singin' low an . vorkin'
hard that him an the baby might be CON-
fortable after she VAS eoas, an a-talkin'
to as-talkin' TO me- just like l WAS he1
bfother-talkin' like nobody ever talked
to me before. an s-tellin' mo things that
no:ody ever tslled mo of befors-sll thu,
time, colonel, never touched not even her
dress. didn't dare to. An sometimes,
when she'd l.y her hands on my shoulder.
I'd feel-fsel like - Was goia' away, far
for swsy, out Of myself.
''Thsn she wsnt-Went home, up above,
where she belonged. =,
''One Sunday night she had been singin
hymns-here, righ. in this very porch
She heard little Forty Ri ght a-cryiu' III
the bedroom. an she gets up an ssyin'
I'm wanted, I'm called : an looked up 81
her angel face-an' che says, 'Good-night
Sam I'm Wantei-I'm called An sh.
went in.
"Next norma the leftenant came out
here where I WAS. Hs Was white and
tremblin'. He beckoned me, an led into
the bedroom; an there she lsy-dead -
her little baby asleep on the pillow beside
her-her pretty little thin hand on baby,
bright curls. an the happy smile on he,
lips. just - though she were seein' hol J
things iu her dreams. There she lay, mo-
ono bit altered. and knovsd that zee VA
s~seein' holy thugs, an was happy. sh.
had bsen lied. The Lord wanted her -
couldn't feel my own sorrow an loss, d,
looked 70 happy IfeN almost glad tho
she had gone homo.
"The leftenant, he didn't take on mucs
leastwiss. not like folks generally does, b.
jist seemed to keep a-thinkin' how long i
would be afore he jined her. An as for M
though knov'd she wa gone. yet d,dn'
"eeu to lose her-sin't yet, she was aro1nt
me oil the time, jist the same-i- yet. ~,
only got to shut my eyes an can see he1
I'VE buried her. I dug her grave-I
dug his. Thank God! these big rough
hands OF mine could do for them even t,
The very last!
"The psrson prayed over her when VI
buried her. I don't know as I'm ri b.,
but it seemed to me like prayers wasted
There wasn't no call for prayer for her
the Lord knew her-she WAS near kin t
Him. He wanted her close 10 him, an
called her an she went.
"Bu. still she stays around me. sh
knowed, the leftenant knowed, how I-wel
her. don't mean loved her lik
men talk Of lovin' women. l don't kno,
ss can tell jist what mean; it's jist tha
| she seemed to DO light an breath an life
everything-to me. 1t means that Pj hav
died for her any moment. can't tell 1t il
words, colonel, but feel it. an she knowl
''She lays over the ground; she's U
above, a-sigiu' her sweet hymns and ye
she's here with me.
.'Last year, when The ice broke up all q
sudden, an I'd jumped into the river n
:; fetched Squire Edgar's little boy out,
Vas near freesin' used up, an th
squire handed ne tumbler of brandy
Without thiukin', I Was s-rsisip' it to N
lips, when; plain afore my eyes. plain as
J 80 you, colonel, seed her-seed her stand
in lookin' sorrowful at mean hear
her say Sam, SAM plain ~ could bs.
jist dropped that lioker On tho hoor, u
then I seed her smile. an Vas warE ar
strong sg,p in IN Instant
| "Will you always remain here, Sam :"
asked.
Il: "Alwsys cir, always, until TN called
! Them graves il my special duty. an whs
: I'm took, Forty ty-R'ght's TO tend to then
An: therell be one more that he'll loo
/ | after . little sometimes I've bought l,
, right next below where they lay; that
my place. My bones will rest right ct :,