Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1878-05-02
And he mildly answered, "Yes, my
dear, we hope so."
Straight up?" said the child.

dear, we hope So"
Straight up?" said the child.
"Yes, upward, upward" said the
minister, and patted her head again.
and thought how he would tell his lit
tie grandchildren what a beautiful
question had been asked him by
poor little child in a ragged black
shawl. Yes, really beautiful ques-
ton for little child.
He walked on. Lima slipped in.
She looked about her. What beau
tiful place it was! How bright the
light fell through the painted win
dows! What gay dashes of color lay
upon the wall! And the carpet, and
the great pulpit, with steps leading to
it; and the rows Of pews, how strange
they looked, all empty. How strange
that she should be the only one there
But this was not what she wanted.
She sought for and found the steps
to the gallery. There was the organ
and books and the singers seats
still not what she sought. At last
she came to little door, and opened
it. Beholdl Stairs winding upward.
The stairs to heaven, it seemed to
Lima. Yes. she had found them. They
were rough and unpainted; they were
very long, and the place was dark.
Half way up hung the great bell.
Such mighty bell, with voice that
could be heard for miles. It was a
thing to be afraid OF at any other
time. Now Lima had no fear. She
climbed up and on, and at last to the
little window. She hurried to it.
Alas! the sky seemed no nearer than
before. She burst into tears. Then
a thought struck her: had not the
old woman in the graveyard told her
that when the stars came out, those
were angel eyes looking down? Yes,
she would wait. When the angels
had seen her they would tell her
mother, and she would reach down
and take her up. No fear: she had
only to wait. She folded her arms on
the sill OF the little window and
watched the sun go down and twi-
light creep over the scene. Far be-
low lay the town. where the lights
were starting up one by one. And
now in the heavens shone one great
star-others, still others. Surely the
angels saw her now.
Mother" cried little Lima, 81 am
here; take me-"
Nothing answered her. Within the
steeple all was dark; without, only
sky and the real stars above the
lights, so like them below. Lima was
hungry and faint and ill. The tears
coursed down her cheeks.
"Mothcrl" she cried again.
And now there was a sound; but
not the mothers loving voice. A ter
rible sound that shook the whole
place and deafened and stunned the
child.
Below. the deaf old bell-ringer rang
for evening service. Lima did not
know what the sound was. but the air
seemed to break and wound her. She
tried to cling to the sill of the
window.
"Oh, mother, don't you see ms?"
she cried. Mother, motherp
Those were her last words. Then,
stunned and speechless, she sank
down and knew no more.
The next morning they found her
little body lying under the window.
The old minister looked upon the fair
dead face and said:
1T Is the child who asked if this
was the way to heaveni A beautiful
thought. She must have wandered
into the belfry afterward."
And amongst the strangers who
came to look at her was an old
woman.
Poor little thing" she said, "she
asked me the way to heaven. Her
mother was buried yesterday" But
no one knew what dreams and hopes
and fancies had led the child to that
high window under which she lay. 1t
did not matter. She had found her
mother, yes, and surely heaven also.