The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-12-26


had be rot seen it before 1t Wa
all plain nov aud the sight # hos
colorless checks and listless air mad
him rememl<r other things; fits o
almost frantic excitemen. followed bl
prostrating veariness, nights whel
the childish form was never still
tossing and starting; days when th'
delicate appetite had failed and tbs
weary eyes seemed TO turn will
loa,hing from the tempting food
boars when the child lay about th'
rug at his feet, or on a sofa, anC
when asked Why be did no; go ou
TO play on the lawn, had simply an
swered, Il am tired"
He saw it all now, too plainly
lie saw that al through that frs
summer Of Bereavement, while be haC
given up to grief for his lovely young
wife, his child had been fading witt
the summer, decaying with the au
tumn, and now, be felt, WAS dying
with the winter
Harry lay ppon his fathers breas
till at last be iell asleep Then lay
ing him tenderly down On the sofa
the startled man went out and called
Mrs. Perkins and pointing to the
sleeping child, whose face was as
white as Gala lily, with lips like
lilac blossoms, said:
as be dying, Mrs Perkins, like
his mother ~
"0h, don't.. Mr.. Edward" said
she with sudden gush of tears
You have seen il then ?' be said
Il was not sure, and couldn't bear
70 distress you, but | fear it is so. y
"Sisy with him; | will fetch DR.
1 Bennett" aad The stricken father
started out while the good old house
keeper sat dawn and looked ct the
enid through Der fast falling tears,
She thought: THE lamb, | knew
il vas Of no use, for no one can cure
heart disease; bnl if be had had any
ewes al all be must have seen that
have kept the lamb from excitement,
and have taken ell the care | could
Of him and have done for
him all / did for bis
mother; but he never thought it pos
-ible Ah, well We all have to wake
TO trouble some time"
Soon the doctor, accompanied
bv the father, came in, and The old
man, who had been not Only pbysi-
ciaa bat friend aad adviser to the
dead young mother all her life, sat
down by the still sleeping boy, and
watched his pale face, his biue lips,
bis purple finger tips, and his labor
ed breathing very gravely; then, at
lasI be turned sci, t,sorro face to
the father, looked long aud pitifully
into his eyes, aad the father knew,
be had been buoyed up by more hope
than he knew, and now this solemn
facb struck him as If be had not eX-
peeted IL Then they went out into
the hb ary. and the Doctor gave
some directions for general treatment;
and, taking his friends hand, said:
Edward, this is going to be hard,
but try and be brave Think; it is
NJ harder for you to miss him here,
than for his mother 10 miss him
there. God bless you, my boy; let
me know if any change takes place
He NAV live months yet, or it may
come a0v day Good by"
Harry awoke ard started up from
the sofa. saying, Where is nv dog
gle 2" and started to go down; but
bis father said: Keep quiet, Harry,
love, and the little dog shall be
brought up here" And Mrs Per-
kins went down and brought him in
to the room. He was different dog
10 even the short time allowed for
improvement but still nothing could
make beautiful the long, yellowish-
brown body, with its coarse, rough
hair, and she short Informed legs, or
the ugly head with its cropped ears,
though the intelligent ewes, which
now expressed love and gratitude
toward Harry, redeemed him, at
least in The opinion of Mrs Perkins
and Mr. Emmons, and they both
concluded be was not 80 bad look
ing dog after all.
NO, | know be isn't handsome,
papa, but | think he is good and |
love bin, don't | doggie :" Then,
again, papa, are you going to ouy
me anything for Christmas :"
"Yes, Harry, what do you want Z"
II don't wan anything now, papa.
Sill take doggie for my Christmas,
only be does look so funny, don't be :?
just as if be had never been used to
be where there was good fire, and
never had more to eat than be could
eat s'pose be has been drove from
one house TO another just ike Han
nah drove that poor old cat away,
thar wes only trying to get some
scraps in The yard, and I cried about
I il 1t looked back so sorry, off the
kitchen fence, that | felt Ike pinch
ing Hannah for it, And you, poor
doggie, you have been drove away
from houses i know, and had stones
thrown at you, and-where do you
s'pose dogs sleep, papa Z"
"Ob, almost anywhere, | guess. /
will have a nice little house made for
him. ii you wish y
Tina VIII be nice, and to night,
doggie, You viii sleep right here. "
making a soft bed out Of Mrs Per-
kns' shawl for the dog TO sleep on.
S4e would have given him her
best black silk drees which she set
grea, store by, had Harry wished it,
When they were about 10 leave the
room for the night, the little dog got
up and limped along after them and
looked at Harry SO piteously when
told TO go back, that be begged 20
have him at the foot of his crib, and
from that time on no one molested
him, and be siep. there with none to
dispute bis right.
Harry seemed to rally and feel
better for the next few days, and his
father would look ct him say:
"lI is impossible that the child is
10 any danger: He looks so well
that think that DIR. Bennett is mis-
taken. will see another doctor, -