The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-02-12
NUMBER A.
The Dead-Letter.

She lay In her coffin there so beautiful,
so calm, so holy, that it seemed as il
she were ut'ering a silent prayer to her
Father in Heaven, and would open her
eyes at its close. blessed are the dead
that die in the Lord, for they rest from
their labors," said the grave man who
was speaking in subdued tones to the
mourners, and no one could look upon
that fair form, from which the spiritual
essence had gone on its measureless
journey toward the mercy-seat, without
faith that she at least had found faith
She uttered no complaint during her
few months illness, and when her COM.
ing doom was gently announced by him
who had minisiered to her spiritual well
fare from her childhood, she only said,
at is we'll, " and when the parting came;
she pressed her mothers hand, moved
her lips slightly as her little brothers.
face WAS held for a moment near her
own, and in utter weariness Of life, turned
her head on her pillow, died, and made
no sign, but there was the impress of a
holy one left upon her face, as her spirit
returned to God who gave it.
80, most merciful and ever blessed
Redeemer," said the minister, as he too
looked toward the heavens, aud as the
mourners bent their heads reverently, a
little boy of some four or five summers
came into the room, and locking wist-
fully around; approached the satin and
hower-decked couch where his sister was
so clamly sleeping. Reaching with both
his little hands to the side of the coffin,
he drew himself up so that he could see
his sisters face, and in an earnest but
almost inaudible voice wispered: "Ma-
ry! Maryp But Mary was too far of
to hear him, too prc-occupied in her
new home to answer. lie sank quietly
to the floor, then taking up a flower
which had fallen with him from the
coffin, he rose drew himself up again
with convulsive effort, held by one
hand as he dropped the flower on her
lips, and again whispered, "Marylo
but the same eloquent answer was re-
turned. Loosening his hold, he stood
for few moments trembling at the
side of the coffin; the prayer for the dead
and the dying went on; again he drew
himself up, but this time uttered no
sound, only reached out a little hand
and touched her cold face; in that touch
he seemed to receive a revelation Of death,
for, uttering shrill, sharp scream, he
fell to the floor senseless. Taking him
up, we carried him from the crowd Of
mourners, some Of whom, having seen
what occurred, were weeping; others
who had not, were frightened at what
seemed for moment voice from the
coffin itself
In chamber, alone and apart, sat the
fair girts mother, her hair all too soon
mixed with white; snow in the summer
months, it had fallen upon her head as
she watched by the death-bed of her
child. We placed the little boy in her
'-'1 NA''''J a. HAiN PlE1TEd nun 10 HEI
heart, she pointed to an open and crush
ed letter lying on the the floor at her
side. Her face was haggard, there were
no tears in her eyes, and she rocked to.
and-fro with the movement with which
despair sometimes tries to cheat the mo.
ment Of some part of its bitterness
Read! read! it came from the Dead
Letter Office, contained a trinket, and
therefore was saved; the others arc ali
destroyed; it has killed her.
/ took up the crushed letter, smooth
ed it ont and read. Affection warm as
the sun which draws the cactus flower
10 life, sentiment, noble, hold, warm,
such as love draws from a good man,
but alas! misdirected, as all the others
probably were. In that weeks bill Of
mortality. the fair girl made one of the
ifty-nine cases Of consumption, bat she
died Of dead-letter And he came back
in all the fullness of manhood which
love had made noble, and found for his
embracing-a new-made grave.