The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-04-13

n WEE WEE 4

THE WEE, WEE BAIRNIE.
H. W. T. In Kslso Courier.
"Step gently, step gently.s
/ stepped hastily back. feared / had
been treAding on some OF the old mani
He leant on his spade, and made nc
motion for some minutes. At length be
raised his head, and in u huAky voice be.
gan:
"Ay, sir, 1 mind the time as well as
twere yesterday, and lie forty years since,
when oor wee bairnie died. Il wa his
fourth birth day, and he stopped up tae
wait till I cam home wi q Bit present for
him. l sat doom be- the FIRE tae wait for
my supper (my wife vas ben the hoose
bGkinj, when / heard the patterin' o his
little feet, an l looked up an held GOT my
arms for him. He didna come runnin'
tae them sac quick n usual, an when !
had him on my knees, says I''An' fall ye
be, ye wee bit nickumH"
"l'm faythers wee, wee bairnie.n
"An' WI that he nestled closer 10 me
He didna seem CHEEKY, sac I cad the dog.
gle tae I'm, an the doggie cam lazy.like
frae his corner stretchin' his legs. The
bairnie put doom his little han an strokit
the dogs head. But be didna get up an
play Wit, and seemed tired like.
"Janet." cad l ben the hoose, "what ais
the bairnie?'
sails him." said she. "Awa VII ye;
naethin' ails him.
"But he's tired-like."
"Hoot," says she, mae wunner sittin'
up till this time o. night"
"Ahl but ia nae that, It's mair than
tired he is, Janet; he's nae vice."
Janet took up the child 10 her arms.
aAweel,n said she, "an' he's no weel.
III put him tae bed when / haze done wi
the bakin';n an wi that she sat him down
i the floor. Forty years is it syne; but l
a gee the laddie standin' there yet
VII his head hangin' owre his clean frock,
and his wee bit leggies bare tae the knees.
"Pit him tae bed thenoo, Janet. Dinna
min the cakes.n
ashe took him up 10 her Arms, and as
she did sac, his wee facie beam as pale
as death, an his little body shook a. over.
| never waited a meenit, but AVA | ran
DOT at the door for the doctor rs hard as
| could rim, twa miles acrossihe field, wi
my heart beatin' hard ut every step. The
doctor wasna in. Wi sair heart 1 turned
back. stopped runnin' when / got till
our gate and walked quietly 10. 'Thae
doctors nse In, 'Waur luck said ], IS
I crossed the door. Nae a word. l turned
round intae the kitchen, an there was
SIGH 4 SIGHT / could never forget. In ae
corner was my wife lying on the grun,'
an beside her the wee bit bairn-nae a
SCUM frae either O. them. touchit my
wife, i the shouther, an she lookit up,
an then rose up wi'out a word, an stood
beside me, lookin' at the form Of the little
laddie. Suddenly he gied 4 start an
held out his arms tae me-'Am ! no yer
ain wee, wee bairnie, faytheif' 'Ay, ay,'
said /, Tor I could hardly speak, an 1
knelt doom beside him an took his little
hand. My vile knelt doom on TIL other
side OF him and took his other hand.
yer wee, wee bairnie,' he muttered, as
tae himser-for he gied himself the name
an then he laid mis- head back, an we
could see he was gone. The dossie cam
an lookit in his face, an lickit his ham,
an then wi a low whine went an lay
doom at his feet. Never a tear did We
weep; but we sat bath o us lookin' intae
the sweet wee iacie til th' mornin' broke
in on us. The neebors CAM i the NOR.
min, an l rose up and spoke tae them;
bnt my wife she never stirred, OF gied a
sound, till ane o them spoke o when he
wad be carried TO the auld kirkyairdP
Kirkyairdp said she, kirkyairdl Nae
kirkyaird for me. Ny bairnie shall
sleep whaur he played-in DOR garden.
Nae a step farer.f fBut it'll never be al.
lowed fAllowedr cried she, the bair.
ME shanna stir past the end o the gair.
den.' An phe had her way. Naebody in
terierd; an there he lies jtst whaur ye
were gaun TO pit yer ft, an there he'll lie
Ia the resurrection mornin.' An ilka
e~venin' my wife comes an sits here VII
her knittin', an we never tire O. speakin'
O. him that lies beneath"
And the old man bent down and passed
his hand over the loose mould as II he
we're smoothing the pillow Of his wee
wee bairnie.'