The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-07-16
COUNTING HER BLESSINGS.

uead leaves OF winter 70 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
years nest. Spring seemed making every
effort to put on her soft robes OF green,
for, here 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 verdure. The sun shone ly in
at 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 lutte
! Marion lay there very quiet and patient
on her small couch and hoped for the
fulflment of the pleasant promise, 1t
was very hard never to set the little feet
| upon the ground, never to romp and
play nor even walk abroad with other
children. It was hard to endure pain
all 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 it,
all who came near her knew. To many
|
an unwilling reproach.
This day, as she lay looking out of the
window, she thought: Yesterday [ 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 a month then father will carry me
| ont to the woods, aud [ shall gather,
nv own self, great bunch of hepatica
| and anemOns. Those are my flowers,
for they are the first [ 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 and blankets to spread on the
| ground so that L 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
| he spreads the wraps Only month
| to my first delight 4! What next? Why
/ then come June roses, and father takes
me from bush to bush, and fill my
arms oh, yes and the woodbine end
| honeysUckle; and then the strawberries
how Jim does delight in lifting me
from place to place as [ pick all within
my reach / 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 a dear
mother so loving and pitiful always, and
30 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, ard
such a splendid voice to sing TO me and
| sOothe me when l 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 |, to do everything on
earth I ask him to, and never, never BE-
cross at all. If | was the Pope or SOM
such 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. [ wonder if
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 50 glad to see the spring
again ?"
s. Yes, mother, the sun and I are hav-
ing lovely time, and he has been max
ing me promises, and I've been counting
up some of my blessings. l do have Il
good time, don't ! ?"
81 think you do, my dear, and mother
has come to give you two other things
% make you happy-a promise and
hope.
"Oh, what are they, mother? What
more can | have :"
"The promise is, dearie, that you
stall 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. q"
land, mother, what is the hope? ?"
"The hope, my child, is that you will
get well. An eminent physician IN New
York has written your father that he
has taken several such cases as yours
where there seemed no organic disease.
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"
The wondering, longing look that the
faded away as she ceased speaking, and
she put out her arms, saving, "Oh, |
mother, take me into your = som, for
want to cry there. l haven dared to |
wish to be well, for I thought it was
impossible, and that / must not desire |
that which was not meant for me- Now |
l can wish for it. Oh, do want to be |
well and strong and like other girls -
The spring fulfilled all its promises !
to the little girl. She was carried TO |
the woods in fathers arms and gathered |
the hepatica and anPmOn8, and when |
he woke her up to carry her home she |
smiled brightly and said "Thank
you dear, for ca rving me all these
years next year | n can TO walk holding |
bv 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.
Even if I did not get well this
should be counted a blessing" she said.
Every one should see the sea, and
live by it a little while. l think it
brings them nearer to God"
Every day her father took her in his
arms and walked with her into the sea.
and dipped her under 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 Mast er held little children
so in his aims. Then lille she was
having this bath Jim was sc20ping out
a shallow little place in the warm sand
Marion said it looked like little
grave-and when her bathing dress was
changed for dry wrapper she was put
in the little trench and covered all up
except her head, with warm sand
From sunrise to sunset every pleasant
day the little girl was out upon the
sand. Gradually a little flush of color
came into the pale cheeks that had never
been pink before, and the wan, thin
little face round, d out into a more
healthfuI shape. And one blessed,
never to- be-forgotten day in August the
child said, Father, stand me down
upon the sand L believe l can bear my
and he put her down before
her mother, and, holding on to his
hand, she took three little steps for {
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