The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-04-03
L MOTHERS VISION.

AS they were dressing the wee new
baby for her waiting arms the mother
passed into sleep. 1t was a brief
sleep. When she woke her husband
came to her side. Perceiving a strange
ness in her face, he bent over her with
look of surprise. What's the mat
terP You look like 4 materialized
angel" he said.
"Where is the babyp" she asked.
1.-THE little thing isn't quite rugged
yet" he answered, trying to speak
lightly; he did not Ike the weirdness
in her face.
Eyes, she's all ready" the nurse
amended, and the baby was brought
and laid in it's mothers bosom.
"Lucyr' she said, with indescribable
tenderness, cuddling her baby close.
"Lucy?' repeated the husband: "you
have said all along that if girl it was
to have your name"
81 know l did, but her name is
Lucy"
"Why, what put Lucy into your
head? There's not Lucy in your
family or mine. Do you like it better
than MabelP"
"Mabel is prettier, but-I'll tell you
about it some time" she said, in tone
which dismissed the subject.
The next morning, after she had taken
her breakfast, she told her husband
this:
"When Hell away last night-it was
not into a sleep-I had vision. There
was one instant of darkness, and then
| was in a sunny cemetery. 1t was
in the spring-tim for over the fence
beyond the grass-plats saw fruit trees
in bloom and the red-bud. 1t was our
cemetery, Mount Hope Cemetery. |
knew the gentle slopes and the winding
roads and the memorial-stones with
their familiar inscriptions. And there
was one, q marble headpiece, standing
under small Norway pine, and on this
l read, LUCY, second child of Marcus
B. Golden and his wife Mabel and
then the two dates, February A. 1876
and five o. clock p, NJ, April 20. 1872
The first is the day of baby's birth; we
shall keep her three years, two months
and fifteen days; she will die at five
O'Clock"
go, nonsenseH' said the husband,
laughing. e [ couldn't have believed
you to be such goose as to be fright
ened by dream"
But, Mare" she said, in solemn
remonstrance, cit was no dream; it was
all as vivid as the day There was
no indistiHctness; everything was as
defined as your face is this morning
1t was q vision, Marc-a revelation of
the future. know | shall see it again;
| shall some day see my shadow on the
grass lying beside the shadow of the
Norway pine and of the marble head
piece, just as saw them in the vision,
and shall read those TWO inscriptions.
and shall feel the agony of mother
bereft of her child. o, Marc! this ag-
ony is something indescribable; it has
gone from me now, but the memory
stays. When it comes to me in reality
it will not be strange; shall recognize
it,
Again the husband smiled.
She got hold of his hand. "Marc!
Marc!" she cried, "you must not treat
this with incredulity. In three years,
two months and fifteen days we shall
lose our Lucy; | know it. Now, if God
had appeared visibly to us and warned
US of this, what would be our courseP
What would you doP You would be-
gin at once to get all the enjoyment
possible out of the loan; you would
make it your study that the little life
should be happy. And this is what we
are to do, Marc. We must see to it
that she never has pain if we can
help it, and we must get all the good
we can from her stay. Now, Marc, you
must not look that way" she contin-
ued, in earnest entreaty: 81 cannot
have you slight the warning"
"Why, Mabel, in the insecurity OF
our hold upon any earthly good we
have a constant warning to make the
most of it,"
EYES," she said, "but we do not
make the insecurity real; it is vague to
us; it is doubtful; there are more
chances for us than against us. But
now we are warned; in three years two
and q half months God will take oul
baby; l know it. Be persuaded, Marc
and let us do with the child as we shall
wish we had done when we stand be
side the little grave. Now, bring hel
to me; must keep her always will
me-"
With a grasping, tender awe, Al
though the little life was already slip
ping from hers, the mother receiveC
the child. She studied the face with
long, steadfast gaze, such as we give t,
face we may never see again. :"
want" she said, Ito stamp it upon m,
memory, the face with which she cam
to me-"
Here's Tommy, come to see his lit
sister," said the father, in Cheerful
tone; he hoped to exercise the ghostl,
fancies from Mabel's mind.
Tommy was burly fellow, with tn
Judgment usual to boys of three an
thereabouts. With laughing shou
he pulled himself up by the clothes o
to the bed, and in purely animal dc
light threw himself on the baby an