St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-10-01
What a Child Saw.

Yesterday morning some people liN-
inc, ON NIarnmh street entered Il house.
to find father and mother hca~llN drunk
on the floor. and them child. Il boy f"m
,calS old. dead III his cradle. Tn" par
cnts looked like beasts the child wore
the sweetest. IrndcIc>t smile "ii IT.
white, face that ANY "t Them even SAW.
Ii had been aiing inI day :. and It> h1"i
life. had been iull "t bitter Woe: hut
Vet the Women cried IL they bent over
the old cradle and kissed the cold
checks. and felt ni ill., icy hands.
Father and mother lay down 1T dlI X.
the cNcmiu" hrtorc. aud people passing
hN heard the. child cry iug and Waillmg.
II was too weak Ia crawl ont of the
cradle. aud H. voice. Ms NOT strong
enough To break the chains oi drunken
,tupuI. When the ~un Vcut down and
tn, evening shadows danced aCI"~> the
rlnnr. and almost seemed t" grasp ut
him. the boy .Iou afraid. and crlrd out.
The shadow came faster. and H. they
raced around lhc room and >c"W led
d.ukl\ at the lone child. he ic>ll, ii
down and drew the ragged blanket over
his head ln keep he rrlrugrtul shadows
from ~riIim" him. He must have
lllbtIHl HlN I'll' w az ''''' ~ :.
dark the house seemed To him
Its dark. muthri il iaIk he
uci"hhoI> heard hIn vail bat no one
went in To comfort him and drive The
shadow away. The night grew ""ldri.
the. feet of pedestrians ceased To ,"iI".
and the heavy hIc;Iihimg ct tin" drunk
ards made the child tIcmhlr and dIaH
the cover still cln>,I. His little bare
irct we've rurlrd up. and he shut hl>
eye, tightly l." keep from seeing the
black darkness.
BN-:nd-hN the ragged blanket VIZ
gently pulled away. and the child
opened his ewes and SAN Il great li"ht
in the room.
lis it morning ," he whispered. hat
the dIunkaId> on the floor slept ON.
Sweet. tender music came Ia the
child'> ears. and the light had driven
every shadow away. He Wa> NO Longer
afraid. The aches aud pains he had
suffered fnr days past went AWAY all I'
once.
"M"rhcr. mother. hear the music '
he cried. and from ont OF the soft
white light came IN angel.
Il am thy mother y, she >ottl ~ said.
lie WAS not afraid. He had never >rcl
her before. hut she !oukrd :" GOOD ano
beautiful that he held mp his waste
hands and said :
Il will 90 with YOU.
The music grew Vet softer. and tl'
melody WIS - soft and tender and We
81 full of love and rejoicing. that til,
drunkaid> un the floor moved Il htll'
and uttered broken words.
other angels came. and the LIGHT tcl
on the hnN'> face in u blazing >l"Wcl
tuImiu" his rurl> To threads "t gold
He held up his aims and laughed f"
joy.
"IIcaNcn wants Won - the an",'
whispered. Earth has II" more sorrow
no further misery. Come
And he Heated away with them
leaving the >lcrprI> lying ~ If dead
The golden light faded ON. the music
died away. and the old house MAS again
filled with the grim. threatening >hId
oW~. which sal around the >lccpcl> an'
aud touched their hluatcd faces will
their gaunt. skeleton fingers. an'
laughed horribly when the drunkard
gIoaucd in uneasy ~lumhcI.
When people camc i'll the shadow
went ont. The >lccptI> still slept thcI
Soddrn sleep, and II" one minded them
Men and women bent low over the dca'
child and >m""rhcd back his curl> am
whispered
''P"nr dead hoy -
They knew not that he had seen tn,
angels. and that they had horne him l.
heavens gate. Dct,"H Free Press.