Union and American. [volume] (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1875-1877, 1875-12-02


into the room, for the sunlight was
made for the poor as we'll as the
rich, and it will pour in through
crazy shutters and over the bare
floors just as cheerily as it filters
through lace curtains and breaks
into golden fragments over velvet
carpets. And Gods free air came
to the desolate room as well,
though when it had crossed the de.
caying roofs and fingered for q mo-
ment on the weather beaten sills,
it was no longer pure.
Do you know what poverty is?
A gnant, starved woman with
great black eyes, which had look
of hunger and terror, as if the
shadow Of fate had clutched her
throat. A bare room-not bare,
because it contained an old stove,
a wretched bed, broken chair,
bench, and-but nothing more.
The guant, starved face woman
had bread to eat-bread and moth
ing else. A bare room-bread and
water. That is poverty. That is
what brings to the heart that feel
ing of loneliness and grim despair
which is poisoned ort of life or
quenched, like a pickering light,
in the green waters of the river
which creeps softly past the city
and carries every burden of sorrow
and woe to the bosom of the lake.
Why did this woman live? Had
life one charm for her2 Perhaps
she asked herself these questions
as she sat with her face in her
hands and looked out upon the
cold, cheerless day. There were
no tears in her great black eyes
only such n look of wee and de-
spair that the world should have
been there to see it and to have it
painted on their hearts.
"Motherr' ..E.
A little, wasted form on the
Wretched bed-a bony hand on the
ragged quilt--a voice which told
of hunger and pain and weary
waiting.
She bent over him, and for q mo
ment q mothers love shone in her
eyes, and her wrinkled hand rested
on his pale face with such tender
ness as only mother has.
Lift me up and let me see the
sunshine" he whispered, trying to
put his arms around her neck.
There is no sunshine she
whispered in reply, sob in her
throat. ......... ...... .. ......s
~Kiss me, mother, and call me
when the sunlight comes again."
he said. ...f-
She knew that he had been dy-
ing for weck-sinking slowly and
surely into eternity, but she had
no friends to call in-she could
only weep over him and pray God
that she might soon follow. With
q gasp and sob she pressed her
lips to his forehead, then turned
away to struggle with her despair
and her great sorrow.
The cloudy cherries day faded
into dusk. She reused herself for
= moment and peered through the
gloom ta see il her boy still slept,
and then she whispered with her
thoughts again. And such
thoughts!
When the darkness covered the
bare floor as with q mantle, and
when she could no longer see her
own poverty, the boy suddenly
cried out:
"Mother. mother!. The sun
light has Gomez ..+
mot yet. dear Ned-not get.
1t is night now" - FL
"But see the sun-it lights all
the room-it blazes into my facew
he called.
There is no sun-it is cold and
dark! she sobbed. s-
And it grows brighter. an.l i
hear such sweet musici and / see
little Tommy he whispered, while
through the darkness she saw his
white face grow radiant.
"You are dreaming" she sob
bed.
at was such bright sun. The
music is SO sweetm he whispered,
clasping her hand.
ut Is dark-it is nightr' she
gaspcd, but he did not hear.
The sunlight had trucly come,
but it was the sunlight-the golden
rays reflected from the gates of
Heavcn--and not the sunlight OF
earth. The mysterious curtain
hiding the valley of death had
lifted for his spirit to pass under,
and woe had been left behind.
And of her? Ask the shadows
of night-ask the river. When
they found his little dead body
she was not there. They cannot
find her. If she is dead God did
not judge her harshly.-DetroH
Free Press.