The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-07-17
COUNTING HER BLESSINGS.

The pale little snowdrops had not yet
| quite faded away, and out in the woods
the creeping arbutus was Just thrusting
its pretty pink blossoms up through the
dead leaves of winter to smile at the soft
green moss at the roots of the old oak
| and pine and sassafras trees. Now and
then the sweet piping of an early robin
might be heard calling to his mate,
| questioning her as to the state of last
wears nest. Spring seemed making every
effort to put on her soft robes OF green,
| forhere and there along the way side the
| grass sent mp tender shiverIng little
| blades, and the trees put out soft downy
brown buds that held wonderful promise
of yerdure. The sun shone warE' ly III
Mt the south window of little Marion
| Pixies bedroom, and smiled sweet
promise of days, soon to come, when
she should be taken out into the green
meadows and balmy woods. AND lttie
| Marion lay there very quiet and patient
on her small couch and hoped Tor the
| fulfilment of the pleasant promise 1t
was very hard never to set the little feet
| upon the ground, never to romp and
NAV nor even walk abroad with other
children. 1t was hard to endure pain
| ali the time, year in and year out, and
never know any rest from suffering.
But this was little Marion's fate, and
how sweetly and patiently she bore 1t,
all who came near her knew. To many
an older person she was an example and
an unwilling reproach.
This day, as she lay looking out of the
window, she Thought: Yesterday l had
snowdrops now mother says Jim will
go in a day or two for arbutus-dear
me- I seem to smell its lovely odor
now! Let me sect is just about a
month from arbutus time to hepatica.
In n month then father will carry me
| out to the woods, aud I shall gather,
| nv own self, a great bunch of hepatica
and anemope. Those are my flowers,
| for they are the first 1 can gather in the
| spring. How good dear father is to
carry me all that long mile to the woods
and Jim is good, for he takes the rub
Der sheet aud blankets to spread on the
ground so that can lie and pick the
| pretty blossoms. Ever since I cried,
too, the first time they spread the rub
Der down because they crushed SO many
of the blossoms, he always picks every
one and puts them in my basket before
| to my first delight What next? Why
then come June roses, and father takes
me from bush to bush, and fill my
arms; oh. yes and the woodbine and
honeysuckle; and then the strawberries
| how Jim does delight in lifting me
from place to place as I pick all within
my reach I picked enough one day
last summer to make dear old Aunt
Susie who can never go outdoors any
more, five jars of preserves. do have
a good time, don't I? Such dear
mother SO loving and pitiful always, and
20 ready at all times to comfort and care
| for her little helpless daughter Such
dear, big, strong father, with arms
always ready to lift and carry me, and
such a splendid voice to sing to me and
soothe me when I am tired and i'll and
cross. Fie Marion Pike, how can you
ever be cross !? And oh, dear such a
| good, dear, splendid old Jim, just five
years older than I, to do everything on
earth ask him to, and never, never be
cross at all. If I was the Pope or som+
srch big person I'd make Jim a saint.
| What funny saint he would be, too,
with that turned. up nose of his, and the
| freckles and the red hair. 1 wonder il
saints ever do have freckles and red
hairl
| Marion was vet smiling 1T her
thoughts when Mrs. Pike opened the
door and looked in. "My little daugh
ter looks very happy to day." she said.
els she SO glad to see the spring
again?"
eyes, mother, the sun and are hav-
ing lovely time, and he has been max
ing me promises, and I've been counting
up some of my blessings. I do have a
good time, don't ?"
ST think you do, my dear, and mother
has come to give you two other things
to make you happy-a promise and
hope"
more can have ?"
"The promise is, dearie, that you
shall go with father and mother and Jim
to the seashore as soon as the roses have
done blooming, and that you shall stay
there all summer and until the cold
weather comes in the fall"
"And, mother, what is the hope?"
"The hope, my child, is that you will
get we'll. An eminent physician in NeH
York has written your fatLer that he
has taken several such cases as yours
where there seemed no organic disease 9,
but only great weakness, and has cured
them by seaside treatment. We are
going to try it for you, and something
tells my heart that my little daughter
will get we'll" A
The wondering, longing look that the
little girl had fixed upon her mother
faded away as she ceased speaking, and
she put out her arms, raying, "Oh,
mother, take me into your h som, for
want to cry there. haveL dared to
wish to be we'll, for I thought it was
impossible, and that I must not desire
that which was not meant for me. Now
can wish fo- it. Oh, do want to be
well and strong and like other girls r.
The spring fulfilled all its promises
to the little girl. She was carried to
the woods in fathers arms and gathered
the hepatica and anemonae, and when
he woke her up to carry her home she
smiled brightly and said "Thank
you dear, for carving me all these
years next year NJ can to walk holding
by your hand"
She gathered honeysuckle and June
roses in their time, and Strawberries for
the poor old woman who was bed. rid.
den, and then they took her to the sea-
shore.
Given if I did not get well this
should be counted blessing" she said.
every one should see the sea, and
live by it little while. I think it
brings them nearer to God"
Every day her father took her in his
arms and walked with her into the sea.
| anu ulppeO ner unoer rs great green
waves, and every time he did so she
thought of the multitudes who were
baptized in the Sea of Galilee, and won
dered if the Master held little children
SO in his aims. Then lille she was
having this bath Jim was sc1oping out
shallow little place in the warm sand
Marion said it looked like little
i grave-and when her bathing dress was
Ian un-a,a- was put
I'D all up,
rm sand