Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-07-26
JACKSON, TENNESSEE, JULY 26, 1873.

objects, and called my thought
home.
I must have slept, for when
opened nv eyes my first though
was that it was morning, and tn
sun was shining in at the open win
dow; the room seemed flooded witt
bright rays. rubbed my eyes anC
looked about me.
was sitting in nv office chair
| it was not morning, but fading af
ternoon, and the sun was not shin
ing; instead, the rain was still com
? ing down with that ceaseless drip
drip: no sunlight without, but al
within. Surely q stray sunbeam
had stolen through q rift IN tht
clouds, and found its way into my
Office
How beautiful it was this ray o.
Hight, this stray sunbeam, lighting
up the sombre room with fts bright
preseneel
How tiny it was, too! Not more
than eight summers had famed hei
fair check with their soft winds. A
petit figure, with fairy-like feet and
/ hands, a tiny rosebud mouth and
j peariy teeth cleaning 'twixL she
4 twin roselips, violet eyes shining
through long lashes, and HAIR OF
waving, glistening, golden sun
] beams. How beautiful, how bright
the picturei / sat with parted lips,
/ ewes diIated with surprise and adj
miration, and gazed upon this
/ strange Visitant, this stray beam OF
sunlight during the rain. Her voice
How, thrilling, flntelike, broke the
/ silence.
] ''Please, sir, wont you come to
poor mamma? she is sick" The
iiny hands were clasped, and the
violet eyes, dewy with tears, were
raised to mine imploringly. win
! yOu come ?" .-...-f
''Yes, yes, little one, anywhere
you may wish" And springing to
/ my feet l caught up my hat from
the table, lifted the tiny form in my
arms, rapidly descended the long
4 flight of steps leading TO the street,
and then stopped, not knowing
which way to so. !.
"This way" And the little hand
pointed over my shoulder to the
right. "Just two doors below you /;
up stairs. But, please, sir, can
I w ain anu AAoNAO OIL CAAOA "
extricate herself from my arms.
'No, no, my sunshine, yea must
submit to be carried over these
muddy places" And looking into
her violet ewes, / asked her name,
and who had directed her to me.
''My name? Mabel st. John; but
poor mamma always calls me her
sunbeam; / don't know why, am
sure and the chambermaid told me
! you were doctor"
By this time we were at the hotel,
| for that was the building she had
pointed out as her home, and plac-
ing the little one on the top step
leading into the broad hall, re-
quested her to "lead the way" her
fairy feet tripped lightly up the long
flight of stairs, and paused on the
landing until I could finish the as
cent.
"Walk right in, DOCTOR" said the
sweet voice OF the little fairy, as she
opened q door at the head of the
stairs.
did as she requested me, and en-
tered a poOrly-furnished chamber; !;
such as are always reserved for per-
sons in reduced circumstances. A
lady, q pale, fragile creature of ne
more than five-and-twenty summers,
Law upon the white bed. Slowly the
Iife-blood was ebbing from her pur-
pie lips, staining the delicate frllls
about her throat, and flowing upon
the snowy covering.
"Mamma! o, my precious man.
ma here is the good doctor" And
darting from my side the little crea-
ture sprang to the low bedside,
taking the bright, girlish head of
her dying mother in her arms.
No attendants were near. Hasti-
" ringing the bell, 1 ordered every
thing necessary for alleviating the
condition of the sick lady. In less
than an hour the sufferer was re-
| lieved; the flow of blood from the
lungs had been arrested; q sooth-
ing, though stimulating cordial had
been administered, and l sat on one
side of the couch, holding a fair,
! fragile hand in mine, counting the
feeble life-beats, while on the other
side, opposite me, sat Mabel, the
child sunbeam, regarding first her
mamma, with looks in which deep
anguish and love were blended,
then raising her eyes to mine with a
wild pleading in them that said:
"Save my mamma! o, save my
mamma :"
Once, and only once, the beauti-
full blue eyes of the sufferer cleaned
through their heavy tringes with q
look of gratitude towards me, and
of love to her child, ard low flute
like voice L recognized the slmi-
larity to MabePs-muFmured.
al give my child to you; she has
no one else to care for her; be kind
to the little orphan, and God will
bless you"
pressed the snowy hand, and an
swered solemnly: II receive the
sacred trust"
The violet eyes, to which Aabel's
were so like, were closed, yet the
| voice once more whispered:
Gin that pearl casket upon the
! toilette stand you will find q manu-
script which will make known to
you my darling's history and now
helpless condition the key-where
is the key?" And the weak hand
was lifted towards the pale brow ;
she sighed wearily, and continued
Eyes, the key is attached to my
watch-chain when all is over, read
what you may find"
The feeble breath fluttered forth
the last words as the weak strug-
! CLING of some wounded bird. A
faint sigh, a folding of the slight
hands over the quiet breast, and ali
was over.
We laid the fair and beautiful
stranger to sleep beneath the way-
ing myrtle and dark-hued cypress
of my native city; by the side OF
my own father and mother she
sleeps her dreamless slumber.
! The little Mabel wandered from
room to room in the strange home
to which l had brought her, calling
often in hushed tones for mamms
to come ana admire something thai
had won her childish fancy; anG
. when cold memory touched hel
with her icy finger, a low, wailins
sob, not loud, but heart-touching
would well out:
go, mamma! my precious nam
: mai why did you go home to pap;
} and leave your little sunbeam 20
= Then the child would cry yer,
stilly; and in 3 short time i would
? find her upon the sofa with the tear
7 still glistening on her long lashe
E and moist upon her cheeks, hayiuI
e wept herself to sleep.
A few days after the death O
( Mabel's mother, / bethought mysel
D iof the pearl box, and proceede,
{ forthwith to look for tie mann