Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-05-27

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Nor marked. as the happy wears roll'd on, eacl
r varying. changing mood
Inc baby pranks, and the childish grace and tn
blush OF maidenhood.
Then our boy was born, and my life stood still
win q sudden horror and fright
D Jack, old man, shall ever forget that irving
awesome night,
When 1 paced this room here, through ant
through, with cropping, helpless dread,
Whlle my darling's precious life upstairs wa.
hanging on thread
But God heard my prayers-the blind mans
prayers-and spared her to me, my sweet,
And our home grew merry with cradle songs and
the patter of little feet;
with the patter of little baby feet, that would
toddle up TO my chair,
To lay little soft head on my knee. that loved
TO nestle there.
SO the years passed on, and even life now often
But when lsat in the eventide with my little ones
While Bessie would sing us some quaint old song
ia mink how good and pleasant il was to the life
had thought 10 lead.
Let's see, tits q twelvemonths ago since first
noticed, with strange surprise,
mat the darkness seem d to grow lighter-like at
tunes to my poor blind eyes,
- LII @,.ns, PAssIohaee, tremDnng nope crept
m, INTO my heart and brain;
But never a word l said to the wife, lest nv
thoughts should be false and vain:
Never a word said to my love. lest her heart
should be overcast
To know had cherish d hope like this to find
ita myth at last; ~
Bat quietly tol6 my story to viii. as we saun-
ter d up and down
The garden, and we two thought of a plan for
getung me up to town.
Then spoke to the wife of a book I,d nlanped
that fancied would answer well,
But wanted some talk with firm in town To see
II they thought q would sell;
And Willie had promised to go with me and see
me through it, said,
For knew that she couldn't leave the BARNS. or
ia like her to go instead.
She tried to persuade me from it at first. and
dolefully prophesied
All sorts Of accidents and mishaps, and then she
10 get me TO take her with us, too; but at last we
And Willie was pledged again and again not to
trust me out Of his sight.
SO we went to town for week or SO. and you,u
easily understand
My hattering hopes, and doubts, and fears, now
. the test was near at hand
Enough, that one wondrous day. Saul-like the
scales dropp'd of from my sight,
And tainted in Willie's brotherly arms in a |
ouuuch DuIbtO u8nt!
was dazed and giddy-like for a while. but 7 |
soon got round again;
Ana " the grateful, passionate joy that throbb'd
Dear God, what happy world IL was-bo,v ,.;,
:. some and fair to seel
Inc very stones OF the London streets seem'd |
beautiful TO mel
And deep, deep down in INV heart of hearts there
nestled this crowning bliss:
", what Will she feel, my Bessie, my love, when |
she comes to hear OF this {?
the tears of joy, o the casping arms. q the
bonnie head on my breast,
Shen come TO tell her the glorious news. INV
beautiful, my besti'
We sat Car into that happy night, and dear old
IN, the rose-like spell of those rich deep hours
Is fragrant memory stilli--
And we talk'd of the dear ones down at home
and the story we had to tell,
ina tne wondrous love of the Master above, who
"doeth all things well. !"
We spoke Of Bessie again and again. and ALWAYS
with mostsn'd eyes,
And we felt 'twould be best to spare INV love tao
sudden q glad surprise;
o was TO keep on my old blue ''specs,, by wav
md to patiently bide the fitting time for gently
breaking the news.
'ou can easily guess what my feelings were
when got back home at last;
md how, as trod on the threshold here, nv
heart beat thick and fast;
ND how had nearly told her all, in burst o.
passionate bliss,
S my darling few to welcome me home with n
loving clasp and kiss.
ear heart, twas the same sweet bonnie face.
nay, BONNER than before,
1ith the old soft charm In the iustrous eyes that
had won my heart of yore! |,
Napf that mn xurf ,dor
went to my heart TO see;s
cd knows that never knew till then the depths
Of her love for mel
ne put my hat and my stick away, and with
tender and wifely care
ed me, who seem ID 80 helpless and dark, to nv
old accustom'd chair;
nd there she left me minute or so, with kiss .
and gentle word,
lille she ran to bring the children down; and
my heart was kindly stirr'd
8 looked about at the pleasant room, and ont 4
on the garden view,
nat all seem so familiarity strange, so old, and
yet SO new,
nd [ dropp'd back into my chair once more.
with longing akin to pain,
} heard the children come skIlrrying down to | r
welcome me home again.
Jack, there are times and feelings, old man,
that language can never paint;
nd words, when speak Of that crowning scene.
seem weak, and feeble, and faint,--
eble indeed TO show one 1.-THE OF my bosom's 4,
passionate swell; q
u dare say you can picture IL all far better r
than words could tell h
ould scarcely see them at first for the tears that
dimm'd my yearning sight,
tney ran TO meet me Wi o