The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-10-13

moments later q neighbor's child
knocked at the door and handed in
two letters, a crumpled piece Of pa
per and q bit of money, which Fran
ces had thrown to her from the win
dow, begging her to mail the letters
and take the pencil written note to
the village druggist. The child's
mother would not permit her to go,
and had sent her to Mrs. Packard
with the missive. On the bit Of pa
per was scrawlcd in an uncertain
hand:
MI. Barnes: VIII you kindly sead
me as much cliloroform as this mon
ey will bny-liye cents worth?
BY this time Mrs. Packard was
thoroughly alarmed. Physicians and
neighbors were summoned, and the
girls were appealed to to tell their
story. Nettic lay unconscious amid
the lorror-striclSen friends, but Fran
ces burst into tears and said that
they two had taken morphine; that
they had boaghtsat the drug store
sixteen GRATIS the afternoon before;
that she had stolen into the house
after nightfall; that they had divided
the drug, and that Nettie had taken
the largest portion. sit was not the
candy nor the apples that sickenea
us: it was the deadly poison. We
wanted so much to die, for we are
tired of life" cried the young girl,
only fourteen years old, and a year
younger than her companion. All
efforts to restore Nettie were in vain,
and she soon died. The letters
(which she left showed but little OF
1.-The reasons which led her to such a
terrible course. That to her mother
was written partly in pencil and part.
ly in ink, and was as follows:
August 26, 1875.
Dear Mother = There have been
stories told about me, and they are
not true. | am tired Of life. I want
to die, and when you get this ] shall
be in the other world With my faith
er. You can have my money, what
little | have, and the farm You
may lay me out in my white dress
and my pink sash, and the white lace
scarf around my neck; and this ring
with two hearts you keep and give tc
| Edgar with the message that I never
loved him, and never could have been
his wife. The other ring you may
have. Give my bows to some of my
friends, if / have any. You shall
have my clothes and do what yor
wish with them, and give my melo
deon to Hattie Bishop, and tell hel
to remember that it was mine.
will say goodbye, and may God bless
you and keep you, and some tins
you will meet me in Heaven with
Monroe and father and me. Good
1 bye till then. Your daughter
NETTIE BARRETT.
| Then followed these various admo
nitions, written evidently after tht
poison had begun it's work.
/ was tired of life, but am will
God. Think Of me often, but tlini
nothing bad of me. Goodbye.
NETTIE.
Let Mr.. Best preach my funera
sermon, and let Mr.. Morse, theschoo
teacher, take charge. Keep this let
ter to remember me by. Have tn,
funeral in the Methodist Church.
Let Frances and myself be burie1
the same day and the same hour
Let George Slauter and Harry Hop
| kins and Kirk Thurston and Will
| Nichols be bearers to both of our FIJI
nerals. +.
/ On separate piece Of paper which
lay upon little heap of trinket
marked with the name.of Nettie'
friends was feebly written:
Some one please deliver thcs
things just as they are for me.
NETrIE.
If | am asleep when you find me
keep me three or four days for fea
that we may come to life. We hav
taken -
| And then came q few meaningless
marks, as though the poor girl ha
tried to write more, and her strengt
had failed her.
j The girls clearly made up thei
minds to take their own lives sewers
days before they attempted the deco
but in the meantime they dance
and sang, and were the gayest in til
!. village. They visited the dru
| store one afternoon, and, while cor
| vorciurr Will, fha drt, nrr; 81, q s,1,, oel