Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-12-16


now carries me back TO the tme-t the warm.
sunny summer morning when She stood at
my door in her little cotton gown the roses
trembling iu her tunid grasp. and her great
brown eyes wet with tears. looking up pit
eously into mine Ten-tweuty -iom many
years ago is it? Al me and ! still live
! was Younger woman then. Aly life was
one long day of pleasure Ny husband loved
mel worshiped him but yet ! was not
happy Like Rachael. mourned and wept,
and would not be comforted "Give me
children, or die" was the bitter cry
moaucd iuccssautly. Then there came to
me one dav in answer to my rebelhons.
wicked thought, great sorrow. Death in
stead of life lay on my bosom. and found
myself while still q voung woman widowed
as we'll as chidless
When awoke from the terrible apathy Of
grief which held me for a time ia its pitt.
less embrace, looked around me and
thought. There is surely something for me
TO do in this great world. I will make re-
paratiou for my sin. MAY there not be in
this wide world some little child as lone AS
some motherless one, who shall be wait
ing for the childcssY" Then determined
to search for such one, aud made the
tour rcligiousy Of all the charitable insti-
tutions, far and near. 1t was to me
religion. for ! went with an earnest,
penitcnt heart. 81 shall know her when |
ses her" answered the many friends who
all thought they knew the child | wanted,
and still | went ON searching through city
and town. found many little ones who
needed all the help that freely offered, but
none that | felt in my heart was the little
child for whom ! longed-who should be
waiting for mel
A wear passed thus. and by the grave faces
and halfheam whispers Of nv friends. |
saw they thought my grief had turned my
brain. and that sought but a phantom Of
my Imagination. The time came. however.
when found nv child They were going
through the ,ick-ward of "IIome for
/ Friendless Little Ones" in an eastern citv.
one dav i'm june. when. from a little cot In
the extreme corner of the room saw two
great brown ewes looking up at me piteously.
I left my comnauions hurriedlv ta RIM tow
ard the bedside. and stooping down | mas
sionatelv kissed the beautiful face.
e Are Won my mamma 2" the soft voice
asked tremuloiislv. the little face flushing
with Measure beneath nv warm caresses.
Yes. INV darling" whispered back. 81
am your mamma" and She clasped her arms
round my neck in a close embrace that knit
INV heart to hers forever afterl
All. | knew then that my husband in
heaven had sent me to this little one for |
saw him looking through her ewes straight
into minel asked few questions concern
inc her. and they told me little. knowing
notbinr more dian that She was a waif res,
cned from the temnest of The wicked ont
side world. but tI,ismuch GLADLY learned -
She .bould be- minel Iwanted her at once
IN take her with me in INV carriage at the
door hut it was necessary they told me. in
Z order that She might he legally mine. tha. a
form should be preliminarily gone through
with before | could take her from The
Home 2" and so was Obliged to wait another
day for my child dreamed of her all
uieht. and nv husband came to me. saving.
You have done well"
with the dawn of day was awake. NV
PRAYERS rose high with the rising Of the sun.
and began to feel blessed peace. |
awaited impatiently the hour when should
have my darling. At last a tirnid knock at
the door made my heart leap for joy, and
opening, there she stooI-a little child with
a bunch of roses They were her dover
from the only home she knew-a home OF
charity and yet the tears still tremhled in
her eyes, and the sobs were torn from hen
baby breast at leaving 1t ! folded her close
to my bosom and told her She was my own
little daughter now that God had sent me
TO be her mamma and she laughed at me
through her tears, and put the roses in my
hand saying;
" bring them to you
" called her Rosemarie, for she was my
rose, aud dated all her birthdays from that
sunny day in June when she had come to mC
with them. | grew to love as no mother
ever loved a child. She was to me my all
my husband, my child, my religion But fol
her ! should some day, perhaps, have become
a cold heartless woman of the world. She
saved me from myself And she was Sc
lovely There was no fault that | could Sc,
in her Could "a mother say more
She had been mine five happy, happ,
years, and had grown 10 be beautiful child
of eight-so beautiful that the people on the
street turned to look at her, and called hel
"white-rose' and red-sose,' and wild
rose, when they learned her fanciul name
| had utterly forgotten there had ever been
time when did not own her when, at last
there came a terrible shock to my remem
hrance 1t was in the early fall and bitte
cold had fires burning in sittingroon
and library for several days at night or
dered that the windows should not be closec
i up carly as ! had fancy that Cheerful