Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1872-11-01

Colonel, l broke right down. Ididn'
know before that there was any cry il
me, but it came then. Ye see, / wa
weak from drink an not eatin' nothin'
an it was that, or somethin' that unset
tied me.
She knowed me from hearin' him tall
about me. The reason they'd come
home sooner was because some sickness
had broken out in her fathers house, an
so he brought 'em home for fear of the
babby. l went back with her, sir, an
helped the leftenant up, an did all ]
could, but l couldn't look him in the
face. An her ] didn't dare to speak
to her at all. So little, SO light, SO brave
seemed to me as though my big, heavy
voice would hurt her. I never felt as
though she was human being; seemed
as though she'd just come from some
where-from up above-jist to keep me
from KILN him; an l watched, an
watched, expectin' every minute to see
her vanish.
did all l could that night, an then
laid down on the floor and, tried to
sleep. Next mornin' was mighty low
an shaky, an couldn't hardly move my
head. The leftenant was about, but
never said word of the row. She came
an made me get up an go up stairs an
lay down on my bed, an then she
brought me tea an soup that she'd made
with her own hands.
" An that ev'nin' she sat with me up
there, an 'twarn't no preachin', nor vet
jist like talkin'-what she said warn't.-
1t kind of come over one just like the
music used to sound of still Sunday
ev'nin' when fellow was a-layin' out on
picket, an the band, way back in camp,
would play some of them hymn-tunes, an
the breeze would bring it through the
air over the tree-tops, till you thought it
was-l often have when I've shut my
eyes-the bright angels a-singin' quiet
happy songs way up in the sky.
An then she asked me, for her sake
to promise that | wouldn't never touch
rum no more, an l did promise: an
that promise | have kept, and will keep
SO help me God!
What times them was, colonel, when
she an him was here Seemed to me,
when she was around, that we warn't
here at all. i couldn't no more have
thought bad thought or said bad word
than ! could have struck her. l didn't
know myself. l used to pinch myself an
wonder if this was me, them times. She
seemed to be all about me-so little an
yet she was on every side of me-every.
where at once.
" knowed it couldn't last il didn't
She didn't belong here below. She know
ed she was a-going. The doctors said il
was consumption. | knowed better the
Lord wanted her up above, where she
belonged.
Colonel, for the whole year an more
that she was here, movin about, quiet
lovin', happy, a-singin' low an a-workine
hard that him an the babby might be
comfortable after she was gone, an 9
talking to me-talking to me just like
was her brother-talkin like nobody evel
talked to me before, an a-tellin' me
things that nobody ever telled me of be
fore-all that time, Colonel, l nevel
touched not ever her dress. didn't dare
to. An sometimes, when she'd lay her
hands on my shoulder, I'd feel-feel like
as | was going away, far away, far Out
of myself
"Then she went-went home, up above
where she belonged.
"One Sunday night she had been sing
in hymns-here, right in this very porch
She heard little Forty-Eight cryin' in
the bedroom, an she gets up an says
I'm wanted, I'm called an looked ur
at her face jist then-iist like an angels
face-an' she says, Goodnight, Sam i
I'm wanted-Im called. And she wen
in.
Next mornin' the leftenant came oui
here where L was. He was white an
tremblin'. He beckoned me, an led me
into the bedroom; an there she lay
dead her little babby asleep on the pill
low beside her-her pretty little hand on
babby's bright curls, an the happy smile
on her lips, just as though she were see.
in holy things in her dreams. She had
been called. The Lord wanted her. ]
couldn't feel my own sorrow an loss, she
looked SO happy.
"The lefIenant, he didn't take on much
leastwise, not like folks generally does
he jist seemed to keep a-thinkin' how long
it would be afore he jined her. An as
for me, though | knowed she was gone,
yet didn't seem to lose her-ain't yet
she was around me all the time, list the
same-is yet. I've only got to shut my
eyes an | can see her-Pve only got to
shut my ears an l can hear her.
We buried her. | dug her grave