The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-04-07

tucked against her cheek 'tSls ouly the
baby that kept her alive. Shed make
me hold him TO the lig ia dog n times
day. You're sure his eyes w,u't turn
any lighter, Mis. Dawson p sbo'I say
You see the csp'n h coal black eye
Aud then again, He grows, Mls. D,w.
SOUP You thiuk he's very we'll, dou'i
you p in voice that wistful, that had
II master fght with myself to keep the
water out Of my eyes, Instead OF answer
ing her up righ. cheerful, 'Well2 |
should think he did, the little cap'n
And CROWN ? Look at that arm Why /!
he'll be liftin' his mother off tho bed be.
tore she knows il e Then snc'd smile
little pale smile, and put her two arms
round my neck, poor thing for she was
scarce more'n baby herself.
We'll, the time passed on, and little
Jock grew up as brave and handsome
lad as you could wish too see. 1t was
real sunshine to my eyes to see him walk.
in' alongside of his mother, drawiu' him.
sell up, and keepip' step with her like
grown man. So tender of her, too, be
was. leavin' all his mates for her if she
was alone, and forever lsyin' out what be
meant to do for her when be was man.
ADd what with bein' SO fond and proud
OF him, she got to look, BARN her black
dress, almost the same as when the cap'n
was alive. Ab, ro I've thought many
times since how mercifu it is in the
Lord to let us soc so little ways ahead.
La tho best Of times, wcro only ships n
fog, and have to steer by compass.
The summer Jock was twelve year
old. was amazin' sickly all along the
coast. l was nigh beat out nursin' 'Bijah
Porter's wife through the typhoid, and
had come home ono Wednesday afternoon
to get little rest. AS was lyin' on
the louuge,in half doze, the door opened
aud Mis-. Wi!iston camo 10 She never
stopped uor sroke, but come straight
across the floor, with face white as a
ghos:. Tneu she put her hands on my
shoulders. aud says she, Mis-. Dawson,
IN, jocks got the fever rose up like
u g ssh. and put my shawl over my head.
aud went home with her. Aud never
cslur home, ma'am. Tor seven weeks.
AwesoIne week. they were. rna'am The
u. hts we're worst used 20 ie,i ns ii
wc two were f.hiih' Death hand tu hand
f + thai boy, aud he tosb' on the pill.
ius III, rai checks sunk away. all his
carly h,ir shhvel close To his head. and
10 All raat tine never Ri,in' Ia one r,a.
-Unuhic word or look. Il wa, The fourth
week, when 1indrd one mornin.' H.
Mis- Wi,Ii,tnn saI hy the b,d, th.t he,
hair was iuiuln', hut by the seventh
ma 'sm, wheu the fever lv bin, it war
as white ii, mine is how.
All bat the least breath Of lie was
tutut out OF him. aud when he did once
begu to meud. 1t was 30 slow that it took
US great while 10 find out that any thug
was wrong. Ii come to me, first, When |
u sudden. He didn't see me for min
ute, aud laid there payiu' with hi, flu
gers then, all to once, ho looked up and
laughed That laugh y ma'um all
the rest Was as nothip' to that Just
sunk down into char, aud groaued, %
Lord have mercy on his mother : Not
that =
The Lord did have mercy on her, but
not in my way. lie took her home that
uext winter, aud I've thought many b
time that I'd like to "a been BY when he
explained to hcr-ss I'm certain he
wuuld-somc things that VIC down here
waited years and years for, and many
more, belikes, that we've never found
out at all.
Poor lI,tIe JOCK got well agan--in
his body-that was ALL His mind was
clean gone. He used to GO about gentle
AID harmless as lamb. " bilst his
mother lived, he'd follow her every step
she took, but moro like dog than hu-
man child. II she sat down, he'd just
drop down a. her feet, and rub his head
on her kuee, like dumb thing Not
but that he talked yet-a good dea some.
times-but all in weak, senscless fash.
ion, that'd half.break your heart. He
didn't seem to know the reason of any
thug, be might be half.sarved and yet
never thiuk Of catin' unless you put the
vctuals before him.
There was while alter Mis-. Wilistou
died that | had little hopes OF him. Hs
used to wander arouud rs if he was
searchiu' for something, aud sometimes
all to once. an odd look'd come into hi.
face Tor hslf u second-you'd "a said to
lnsaI ek,,fh h.. at,,t eD
6nd il, whatever Twas. 1t was then he
ro"k the habit that stuck to him ever af.
ter OF clappin' both hands to his head
and ray iu'. Its comiu'! What's com.
n Jocky 2 u-ed 10 suy sometimes
'nd the pour boy d stare up into my face
with dazed, @lldered look for u minute
aud then hreak out into ono Of hs weak
Senseless smiles.
There WAS little or nothiu' lett to take
care Of him with but not It,an ~ wo.
nan ou the i,l-hd would ever "a let d
child o Car'u Willstun'- come To want
- aloue his beih II poor unfortunate lik.
J"rk. So wc all adopted him. AZ you
"i4ht say, ahd he used 10 go sLd come
rom one house To auolner Just rs suited
him. On the whole. he seemed 10 stick
~ IN, the mort. You II wonder at IT,
maybe. hut the p' or hoy wss real com'
any for me. after all, h,"'s alone "a
much when z b,d,e- that was my mal
was gone of on his whaliu' voyages.
Il used to be master hand to r,ud ID '
Bible III them days. though my old eyts
We been to dim for it now this many n
year. Thauk tho Lord. though that
eau see the page Almost as well as ever il
my mind l had habit of readiu' oul
loud great deal, seemin' to get tn,
! sense beitor so--especially in the Psalm'
. -sud queer as you might think it, there
Jock'd lay stretched on the rug, before
the fireplace, a lisisnin' by the hour.
, used TO think twas the sound o. my voice
be liked. for he didn't know eoough to uu
3 ders,and u single word rightly. But how