Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1880-03-25

soon had she failed to shield the de
voted child! With swift, unmeanine
Resentment she ordered Tommy to bC
taken from the room, needless of hil
pleadings, while she brooded the baby
laying it against her face and in hel
bosom. But when the baby cries were
hushed she he'd Tommy brought back
bethinking her that he must not be sci
against the baby; he must be trained tc
love her; to get all the good possible
from their loan, to lay by sweet memo
ries of her to which the spirit could
turn through life for refreshment. She
kissed his tear-stained face, and had
him kiss baby's fists, and told him that
he must love the little sister better than
all the world besides.
Only in necessity would she suffer
her baby to be taken from her side, but
hung over it with reverent kind OF
love, as for one already heaven-be-
spoken. At every waking her thoughts
flew first to baby, and her hand went
out with loving touch, and then the
little ones face was laid against hers,
And when the mother on the third
morning felt an anmistakable closing
of the warm lips, and heard the low,
soft swallowing, she lay back with
closed lids, and under them came great
thankful tears, And in Mares eyes
were answering tears.
When the baby was a week old the
mother insisted on having its picture
taken. The same day she. entered on
the first page Of 4 Lucy's Diary, GA
week of precious time is gone; one hun
dred and sixty-six weeks and one day
are left. Every day since she came has
been 9. Joy to me. She does not notice
any yet, but there is such sweetness in
ministering to her helplessness! When
Marc holds her feet to the fire she
works her toes as if in satisfaction; it
must be that she enjoys the warmth. I
know she enjoys the nursing. Dear
Lord, I'thank Thee that [ may get thus
near to her that she may build her life
from rnine." SJ5rrs
From this time on,day by day to the
last week, twas recorded the story of
the child's unfolding. Perhaps such
another story was, never written. 1t
noted every peTceptible change-the
clearing of the skinj the opening Of the
fists; the first watching of the light;
the first notice Of the dancing shadows
on the wall, and of the bright col ors;
The first smile; the growth Of the hair;
the first goo-goo3 the first laugh; the
first tooth, and each after one; every
infant sickness, every frohc; the be-
havior with each new toy. Then there
was the story Of the sitting alone, Of the
creeping, of the standing alone, of
the walking by the chair, Of the first
unaided walking. Every pain that
came to the little Lucy the mothernoted
with remOrseful tears-every sign of
new pleasure in the wee face was re-
corded with thankful words.
Through the whole minute record
there ran an evident solicitude to put
some mark upon each day-to so indi-
vidualize it that it might be identified
in review. And with each day rec
ord were entered the pitiless figures
which told what of the little life re-
manned.
On February IA, 1877, the mother
wrote: cone year old to-day; nearly
one-third Of the precious time is spent.
She is sleeping beside me. Ihave shut
Tommy out, that he may not disturb
her; Ihear him crying for me. Itgives
me something of a heartache to lock
the door against him, but l must give
myself to her now. When she has gone
| will make it up to Tommy. We had |
her tenth. picture taken to-day. She
sat on my lap, with the dear head lean-
ing against my pHlm, and the sweet,
eyes watching the violin
which the operator played. The picture
isaexeellent, but miss the exguisitelcol-
oritig the pale-rose complexion, the
blue eyes, and the hair unlike inseolor
any other ever saw-like the yellow !
of threshed wheat. Nothing could be
more beautiful than her sleeping face at
thisImoment. 4 begrudge the time that
my eyes must be drawn from its beauty 7
to this writing"
March 3, I877,r--I have such terri
BILE times with Marc! He has never ac-
cepted the vision, and has been all along
trying to lgetAnay mind away from it.
He has proposed a trip to California
and Southern tour, and now he is
bent Onsgoing abroad rfor, three yearsS
but I will never, never consent to scats
Ter the precious time in strange towns
and foreign hotels and along meaning
less lines of travel. My home, the "a
objects with which my life is to
be passed with these I must associate
peri t. these must help me to reproduce
: f s11prsJ s. 7877.-Laoy spoke her
irst word to-day, and, O dear God! l
hank Thee that it was mammal 1t
was perfectly spoken, and three times 1
,epeated.5 4 TRY to withdraw myself
rom Everything else tahd give allLmy
thoughts to baby; but Mare is SO un7.
reasonable as to complain dof lthis-
hat his comfort is neglected, and Tom
ny's. So live in a perpetual conflict.
want them to get the good of her, to
get sweet memories of her to keep
through life, but Tommy is so strong
md rough that ] dare not trust him
near her, Marc frets that she comes \
between me and Tommy, and so he
ieglects Lucy, and indulges Tommy
until the boy is almost ruined"
q ApfiJ.29, 1878. .-Just one year left!
IL es ~, ~ 49,, ~ r., 4I,s,lr lo,rv i,o, re- :,