Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-05-05
The Zee, Zee, Bair'aie.
w. Z. H. in Kelso Courier.
I.Stnn uentlu SteN DantlVN

w. I. H. in Kelso Courier.
''Step gently, step gently"
stepped hastily back. feared had
been treading on some Of the old mans
flowers.
He leant on his spade, and made no
motion for some minutes. At length he
raised his head, and in a husky voice be-
gan:
s:Aye, sir, mind the time as we'll as
'twere Yesterday, and its forty years
since, when our wee bairnie died. It was
his fourth birth day, and he stopped up
present for him, sat doom be- the fire
tae wait for my supper (my wife was ben
the house baking, when heard the pat
term O. his little feet, an looked up
an held DOT my arms for him. He didna
| come runnin tae them sac quick as usual,
an when l had him on my knees. says I,
IAN fall ye be, ye wee bit nickum?'
'.I'm foyther's wee, wee bairnie.'
"An' WI that he nestled closer to me.
He didna seem CHEEKY, see cad the dog
gle came lazy like frae his corner stretch
in bis legs. The bairnie put doom his
! little hand But he didna get up an play
wit, an seemed tired like
"Janet,' cad ben the hose, g what
ails the bairnie?"
calls him. said she' "Awa' WI ye;
! naethin' ails him."
"But he's tired like"
'.Hoot," says she, nae wunncr sittin'
| up till this time O. night"
''Ah! but it's nae that, it's mair than
tired he is, Janet; he's nae vice."
Janet took up the child in her arms.
"Aweel, said she, tan he's no weel,
III put him tae bed when haze done wi
the bakin';;" an wi that she set him
down i the floor. Forty years is it since;
but [ can see the laddie standin' there
yet WI his head hangin' owre his clean
frock, an bis wee bit leggies bare tae the
knees.
"Pit him tae bed the moo, Janet Din
ma min the cakes"
cShe took him up again in her arms,
and as she did sac, his wee facie became
az pale as Death; an his little body shook
a. over I never waited meenit, but
AVA ran out at the door for the doctor
as hard as I could rim, twa miles across
the field, wi my heart beatin' hard at every
step. The doctor wasna in. WI sair
heart turned back. ] stopped runnin'
when I got till our gate, and walked quiet
" in. The doctor nae in 'Waur luck
said I, as l crossed the door. Nae word
turned roun' intae the kitchen, an there
was SIGH sic hit could never forget. In
ae corner was my wife lying on the grun',
an beside her the wee bit bairnie nae a
SCUM frae either o. them.
touchit my wife, i'th' shouther and
she lcokit up, an then rose up wi out a
word, an stood beside me, lookin' at the
little laddie. Suddenly he gied START,
an held out his arms tae me-" Am no
yer ain wee, wee bairnie, fayther?' 'Ay,
ay, said I, for could hardly speak, an
knelt down beside him an took his little
hand. Ny wife knelt doom on tn other
side Of him and took other hand Yer
wee, wee bairnie,' he muttered. as tae
himsel'-for he gied himself the name
an then he laid his head back, an we
could see he was gone. The doggie cam
an lookit in his face, an lickit his han
an chen WI low whine an lay doom at
his feet. Niver tear did we weep; but
we sat baitA O. us lookin' intae the sweet
| wee facie til tn mornin' broke on US.
The neebors cam i the mornin, an I
rose up and spoke to them tae them; but
my wife she never stirred, nor gied a
sound, ane O. them them spoke o when
he "ad be carried tae the auld kirkyaird
'Kirkyaird!' said she, kirkyaird! Nae
kirkyaird tor me. My bairnie shall sleep
whaur he played--oor garden. Nae step
layer But it'll niver be allowed al
lowed! cried she, the barrie shanna stir
past the end O. the garden. AN she had
her way. Naebody interfered; an there
he lies jist whaur We were gaun to pit yer
! tit, an there he'll lie ia the resurrection
mornin'. An ika evenin' my wife comes
an sits here wi her knittin,' an we new
er tire o speakin' o him that lies be-
neath.o
| And the old man bent down and pass
ed his hand over the loose mould as if
he were smoothing the pillow Of his ''wee,
wee bairnie.'s