Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1875-06-02

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: door there was a crash and scream
and Clara lay upon the floor !
Fanny caught her up, but she wa:
only a poor, quivering mass o.
agonized flesh and oh, horror! one
of her beautiful blue eyes, torn
half way from its little socket, lay
upon the little colorless cheek
"Fanhy did not shrek, but she
stood as though turning to stone,
while Jen, with dilating eyes, kept
mp a series of terrified screams,
that soon brought her mother in to
see what was the matter. Fanny
turned slowly toward her and said,
in a slow, monotonous voice,-"Jen
has done It at last She has killed
my baby !"
"Mrs. Myers uttered a cry of
horror and Jen fell upon the floor
in speechless terror.
"Give her some brandy" cried
Mrs. Myers, Fanny pointed to-
ward a cupboard, and opening it,
Mrs. Myers found brandy bottle.
She forced few drops between the
little blue lips and bathed the
bruised shoulders. Presently the
child returned to consciousness,
but there was no more waking OF
the little brain, no recognition of
its mother. At that moment Leon
ard came in and Fanny turned
her white frozen face toward him,
but said never word. Mrs. Myers
FASTENED to explain, aided by the
hapless Jane who still sat upon the
floor, for once in her life thoroughly
subdued. Leonard rushed out in
search of doctor. Alas there was
no hope for the golden haired little
daughter. She never for one mo-
ment had a CLEAN of sense, but
for four weary, horrible weeks,
lay helpless in her mothers arms,
every breath a breath of agony,
the little head shorn of its sunny
curls, constantly rolling from side
to side, and from between the
pallid little lips came low, faint
moaning. All those dreadful days
Fanny never for a moment let it
be taken from her. / took little
Arthur to her. l chung about her
neck. / tried every art of which
l was mistress, to bring tears to
those sleepless, burning eyes. At
last took little Arthur home with
me and kept him there with Anna
and Fred. Leonard worked all
day and paced the floor all night.
used to look over there late in
Summer nights and always see
the same picture, of the swaying
figure of the mother, with her
helpless burden, while at regular
intervals the stricken father passed
between her and the light, his arms
folded, his head bowed upon his
breast. firmly believed that the
end would be insanity or the grave
for both of them. At last death
mercifully removed the little suffer-
er, and when they took the dead
burden from the weary arms to
dress it for the grave, Fanny,
without cry, fell white and faint
ing upon the floor. Then followed
many weary weeks of what seemed
endless suffering and six months
later Fanny rose from her bed
wreck. All memory of the past
forsook her and for a year was like
a child. She learned again her A,
B, Cs, and learned again to write
and sew, but at last the cloud slow
ly lifted and memory brought back
the past, but so slowly that it
caused no great shock-but her
nervous system never regained its
balance. Fanny's suffering broke
down what little spirit Leonard
had left and he was the same gray
haired, morose old man that he is
to day. The old place grew hate
full to them, and your father learn
ing of a good opening, took him
into partnership. We moved here
about year before you were born.
81 remember shed such grateful
tears when they came to see me
on the second day after your birth
and told me that there was another
little daughter come into that sor-
rowful household, I felt 80 sure
that the little one would bring
back the sunshine but alas their
hearts were too nearly broken
they could not rally. Fanny at
times regains something like her