Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-06-09
Gone.


No watcher from the armament;
No angel from the countless host,
That loiters round the crystal coast,
Could stoop and save that only child,
Natures sweet mary el undefed?
All the Years or our sweet companions
ship were drawing to a cloSe-a compan-
ionship between 4 child and Il man. yet
not the less companionship, which the
survivor cherishes with the most unabatcd
tenderness and clearness of memory.
though eight years have interviewed. and
have rs many times melted the December
SHOWS under which his form was hidden
away.
Coming home late on the evening OF
December 90, Wille's mother first intorm-
ed me that he was sick; that he had been
taken suddenly with very sore throat
and had gone to bed early. | went to his
bed and listened to his breathing. 1t was
more rapid than usual, rough, and heavy
Next dav physician was called who pro-
nounced it scarlet fever of a severe grade
Our livelest apprehcn>ions were immedi-
telv aroused and notwithstanding all cf-
forts, the little boy rapidly grew worse
In u day or two more he no longer recog-
nized us; and on the sixth, he had crossed
over lllt lllN CT, ItdN
indeed.
On the morning Of the day on which
Willie died. Carrie, participating in our
| trouble. cried for an hour on two. saying,
"Oh. am SO sOrrv for Willie" We com
forted her. at length, with the assurance
that Willie was going up to Gods house.
where he would be happier than he could
be here and in short time she was bitle-
l. I }
childish loyousness. and no doubt with the
most implicit truth. the hymn which she
had learned Jesus died and paid 1t AZ,
yes, all the debt owe" Putting a strange
emphasis on the word " debt which we
remember as we'll rs if so many years had
not drifted between us. Indeed, time has
no power to make us forget the sweet
faces Of long ago.
On the night of that day Carrie, too
was attacked with the same malady, in a
still more aggravated form. The phvsl-
clans unprecedented a fatal termination of
the disease from its inception And their
fears were fulfilled. In four days more
she had Joined her brother, and left our
house voiccle>s We buried them side bv
side on the same day. under the white
snow, which covered ali the landscape
dark AS were our home and our hearts
All our hopes. and expectations, and
plans entertained with regard to the iu-
ture had proved cloud-castles. which had
vanished. and left us to build on more GER
tain foundations or not to build at all. We
gathered up the little playthings and put
them away; the eloquent shoe>-ls there
ANYTHING so touching as the almost worn
,,,t .bn.,- 6 ,ln,l ,.l,il}r.p S.yn1
Willie had a little drawer in which he kept
his playthngs. The drawer was locked.
and remains to-day with the little trinkets
lust as he placed them. We look into the
drawer occasionally. and association does
not fail to restore to us many rccollections,
which but for it we might lose. The books
he had read and re-re;td. and some of them
coverlcSS. and all bearing more or less
marks of usage, we gathered together and
saved as momentoe> SO we did with Car
rie's play,hings, including the curious
little wooden jumping jack; all are saved
as far as possible from time and accident,
for her sake.
Wllie's snow w-ball became Immediately
an object of deep interest. There it lay
untouched, save by the increasing power
of the suns rays, for about two months.
Day bv day watched the gradual vast
ing of its proportions with feelings ofre-
gret Every little stick which his hnad>
had placed before the entrance to his
treasure house, was counted as it fell.
Ioosened by the sun; and. at length. in
March. the treasure which be had hid
den in the center of the ball. for his moth
er. became visible; and, though 4 perish
able apple, we have preserved it until now.
1t is one of my most cherished thoughts
that have not. and | believe cannot. for
get the little boy that died, nor his little
sister. who, we imagine, walks with him
hand in hand us they used to here.