Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-10-27

mOCnor, III Jne SdIucH VI Jul uii1Piu"oOu
old house.
Our house was on the very hanks of
the river Ashley. 1t had been beautl-
tiful place once, but it was changed and
dismantled now. My father had been
rich planter, but ruin and death had
followed close upon each others heels,
and only one faithful servant-a black
woman, named Judith-remained to his
young widow.
Farther up the.river, so that we could
see it from our verandah, stood another
mansion, u splendid place, with we'll
kept grounds and finely furnished rooms.
This mansion belonged to our hereditary
enemy, Colonel Grey. Far back in the
past, there had been duel fought be-
tween the Greys and the Fairbro's, and
anything like friendship between the
two families had been impossible ever
since. Jude hated sthem niggers at
Live Oaks" beyond expression, and even
nv gentle mother never had a pleasant
word for Colonel Grey. '.A pompous.
self sufficient man. she thought him,
and perhaps he was but there was one
in that house to whom every one soften
ed-his little daughter Lilly. She was
only baby then, but she was such an
exquisite little creature, that people ut
tered exclamations of surprise and pleas
ure when they first saw her.
One day my mother died. There was
no long illness. She had been wasting
quietly away for some time and had Of
ten tainted. From one of these swoons
she never rallied; her eyes never open
ed again and so | was left an orphan,
and lived alone in our ruined mansion
with black Jude.
My mother lay in the little cemetery
under green mound, with nothing but
little wooden slab to mark her grave );
and there | used to sit weeping day after
day, feeling as though my little heart
8 would break, wishing for death, if ever
child did wish for it.
One afternoon, as | lay upon the sod,
with my face hidden, 1 heard voice.
1t said:
, '.Little boy, what are you crying for 2
l looked up It was Colonel Grey
little daughter Lilly who had spoken te
me. She stood there in her white dress
| with wide straw hat upon her head
e and her golden curls dropping under i
r to her very waist. She had great. pity
4 ing, blue eyes, and they were fixed full
e upon my face. In her hand she held !
, basket full of flowers. Behind her stoot
t her nurse-maid, black as ebony, with
r red and yellow handkerchief twiste'
|, about her head, and great gold rings i
e her ears.
II Even in my sorrow thrill ran throug
IS me when / saw who it was. | sat u
e and wiped away my tears, and though
q how beautiful she was, as [ choked dow
e my sobs and tried to answer her.
n ''I'm crying because mamma is dead,
le l said.
= She nodded softly.
u "My mamma is dead too," she sal,
- "She died when 1 was little bit of
- baby. That great white stone is her
~ come here every week to give h
+" flowers. Penny says she knows it up
:. - heaven-don't you, Penny ?"
"sartin sure, Missy said the blat
~ girl.
"My mamma has only been dead t'
OF MONTHS I said.
Tn "Here, you shall have some fowe
ey for your mamma. Don't cry, little be
es People are always angels, when they q
'se and live up in heaven-eh, Penny p
'e' claws, yes. Missy said Penn
Dr. "Sartin sure, white and black, dey
has shining robes and wings, and S
me dar playin' on de harp. Bress de Lord
ICE 1t was very comforting theoloG
LET The tears that fell from my eyes We
az not so bitter as they had been. wiz
aJ them away once more, and took
'ah flowers from Lilly and placed them
Il order upon the grass. Then | W.
II with her to the side of the white MOI
ment under which the colonePs lady |
var and saw her empty her basket She
ltb not weep she could not remember
mn mother; but she was very grave, ;
oil she knelt down behind the tombst
he. afterward and said little prayer.
ION I think that Penny must have hao
pes lover waiting somewhere outside t
tho graveyard gate that day, for shortly
eve ter we heard some one whistling fa7
er;. ite negro tune near by; and Pen
7our after listening to it for a while, told
.ors to stay and play, like good child
oso. while she went to ask what time it '
the She went off by shortcut, jumping
low wall, and we sat under it talking
Lilly was seven and | was nine.
! IT, were the most innocent little mortals
MN Of heaven. She patted my cheeks
1901 smoothed my hair, and begged me NJ
py cry any more, and comforted me :
oi more of the happy theology, saying
ould wban wa ware old wa foo wonld die
60 to heaven, to be children again
rsen- meet our mothers there.