Middletown transcript., 1876-02-26

smoothing the course pillow down.
"Yss. my little Margarette. I vii
go,to sleep kiss me first and then SIM
to me-
! Silently she bent her bright colder
bead down and pressed her lips to BIZ
brow. What shall sing. grandpa
There is fountain filed with blood
or Rock Of Ages p"
Both, .Msrgarstte. if it will not tir'
you"
20 no! grandpa. it won't; love I,
sing tbem," and slowly the childisl
voice rose and filled the room with tht
sweet plaintive words:
"There is fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Immanuel's veins
And sinners plunge beneath that food
Loose all their guilty stains"
For . moment she paused in hel
singing and said to herself: Grand
pas asleep" then his hand moved and
she sang on
i'Then in uobler, sweeter song,
TIL sing thy power to save;
When this poor lispiDg, stsmmering tongue
Lies silent in the grave"
Az she flushed, be said: .'Sing on.
Marguerite. and grandpa will 60 to
sleep" Again the voice swelled:
Crock Of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From thy side, . healing food,
Be Of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath, and make me pure
Rock Of Ages, cleft for me,
Lei me hide myself in thee"
When she finished, he turned bis
face to the wall and repeated after her :
'.Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee;"
then closed bis eyes.
For . moment all was silence at last
little Marguerite leaned over and whis-
pered:
"Grapdpa, grandpa" bu. there came
no response.
Hes gone to sleep, l won't wake him
up until jean comes" And she sank
down in little heap beside the low
bed
1t was late-the candle burned low
and long fitful shadows dapced about
on the wall and in the. dark corners Of
the room. and still Marguerite was not
afraid; finally the candle Aickered aud
died out, leaving her asleep With the
dead.
Gray dawn was peeping over the
snow covered housetops and people
we're swaking to find the street white
With the fine falling snow, and partly
from the fatigue she had passed through
the day before, aud partly from the cold
she had endured. the little child slum-
bersd beside her dead grandpa.
{ It wss late when she woke; ".Jean."
she said with a yawn. ,but there came
no reply; glancing hastily around the
room, she repeated in half-frigh,ened
voice, in which tears and entresty we're
mingled: '.Jeannette. Jeanette, please
answer me 7" but still silence reigned.
soon as the vibration of the plea died
away.
"Grandpa, viii answer me-" she said
to herself. raising.
"Grandpa. grandpa. wake up, Jean
has not come home," but yet no an
swer.
Climbing on the low crouch, she
took bis hand, but it was cold and stiff,
aud sent . chill through her little
frame Bending over closer. she looked
IN the rigid face; all at once the truth
flashed upon her. her grandpa was dead
As she realized. one long dispairing
moan escaped her lips and she sank
down, almost unconscious beside the
corpse.
At the time the above transpired,
poor Jeannette was suffering in the
almshouse. whittier she had been born
the day previous. with the disease pre-
tvailing in the city at that times small
pox-unconeciou of the suffering Of her
little sister with her dead grandfather.
When Mrs. Everly (the lady where
Jean vas employed previous to her ILL.,
ness, and where she was taken i'll. J
came accompanied by a friend, she
found little Marguerite still sobbing on
the bed
'.Oh! grandpa. do come back 2" she
walled.
For . moment Mrs. Everly turned
aside to hide the tears that gushed to
her eyes. rs the pi,iful sight and still
more pitiful cry greeted her cars.
Teuderly she led Marguerite from
the couch and covered the face Of the
desd. ~
20, never dreamed Of this pow
srty." she said glancing around her.
then at the little bare feet Of Marga-
rette. "Why didn't come yester-
day?" Ah! Why didn't she 7 but We
are all apt to put of for Tomorrow
what We should have done to-day
Jeanette never mentioned her cir
cumstances. although | guessed they
were poor, bat nothing likD this"
Wrapping Marguerite in shawl she
wore beneath her waterproof. she took
from the wall the portraits Of Mar
garette's grandparents. remnants Of
better days, and from the shelf. the
family Bible, giving these to her friend,
she said to Marguerite: "Don't you
want to go home with me and get some
breakfast 7"
Stupidly the child consented and Mrs
Everly taking in her arms, the three
emerged into the street
Al they we're entering Mrs. Everly's
dwelling. Marguerite said 20. Mrs.
Everly. Why didn't Jeanette come
home yesterday? We had no Gre. only
what one Of our neighbors gave 10.
and grandpa was SO cold, it just made
him de-" i.t
A veek after tho f,,oorel If ha.