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

| no -. 60 All pTODdDl0 SOOu. Will
viii w ming, if | may. her brief days
WIN happiness"
oo ~ was with this feeling that she be-
an 'ne preparations for baby's Christ
Los The child was now at that age
81 encnanting to it's watchful lovers,
nsn all its walk is among wonders,
t tInu II Is seeking the keys and asking
Inem of all about it.
al ~ VIII be her last Christmas" the
iVsner said as the festival drew near.
oo ntarc rose up at these words with a
Ss'ere OF impatient remonstrance.
"A, Now don't, please" she hurried to
w;n, know what l say, Marc; it
VI oe her last Christmas, and we must
1 Eting together all the Christmas de-
ng1,s' She must hang up her stocking
vi onrlstmas Eve; on Christmas Day
we viii have Santa Claus, and at
Msn'a tree, the handsomest possible.
we must crowd the Christmas with Joy
ioi ner-must make it so delightful to
neI mat even amid the bliss of heaven
one Will remember her last Christmas
WIN gladness. The mothers Jealous
neart thrilled at the thought of making
| IL
marc was always impatient with Ma
oel talk of her vision, and impatient
u any plans bearing on it's realization.
ne would always put in his protest,
laughlngly or vehemently, hoping thus
10 give a salutary Jolt to the morbid
FANCY, and also because he was deter
mined to keep his heart set against her
fancy
But, on the other hand, he had never
felt satisfied as to the best way of
meeting Mabers halucination. To OPP
pose it to practical final issue might
be to intensity the idea; and besides, in
the face OF his resolve not to heed the
warning, the fear was for ever DIGGING
him that Mabel might be right. So
set were her convictions that the only
alternative from this fear was con-
clusion hardly more tolerable to Marc
that her mind was diseased. So on
the present occasion, after making his
protest, he proceeded to fall in with
her plans for Christmas-her plans for
making it great joy for baby.
to seem light.
81 will keep her in my sight all
day." he thought; elf watchfulness
can save her, she shall not die. 1t
would be almost miraculous for her to
die to-day" he said as the hours wore
on. "She is in perfect health; every
instant she is in your arms or on your
knee, right here in our sight"
"Don't, Marc, waste the precious
moments in specializing as to how it is
to come about. Get all the sweetness
out of them that is possible"
The sad minutes melted away, and
when but seven remained the restless
little feet were yet pattering, the blue
eyes were laughing, the little mouth
was prattling. Baby sat on the moth
er's knee; Tommy, weary of the SOM
Der atmosphere, had slipped from the
room, and was unmissed; Marc sat by
in the silence of q dread he could moi
shake off; the mothers soul was strain.
ed in agony, yet hearing the great clock
in the next room slowly ticking.
Marc took out his watch and held il
open in his palm. "Three minutes tc
fve," he said.
Lemme hear it tick, papa" said
Lucy, making ian effort to get off the
mother knee
g Sit with mamma, sweet blessing
I the mother said, with such beseechine
tenderness that Mares eyes filed will
tears, adding grief to her heart. "Sht
must be in my arms when Death comes
l must help her meet the terror"
81 want to hear it talk" the child
persisted, struggling to get down and
beginning to cry.
mamma will show you her watch, -
said the poor mother, in terror at
having the child crossed in its last min
ute, while yet all her soul was pressing
close to help and sustain the little one
in the supreme moment.
In that instant Marc spoke: "There
it is five o'clock! The time is up; lei
her come to me-"
The child stopped crying. Mabel
felt at her heart cool, indefnable
something; it was as though all weight
had been dropped out of her being and
she was about to soar.
Lucy slipped away from her, and
then footsteps were heard in the hal
advancing, and voices repressed, but
with passion in them. There was some
dread meaning in it all; perchanct
Mares watch was fast that her baby
had not escaped, that this meant the
oncoming fate.
In the doorway stood a man, hel
neighbor. He bore in his arms linn
body, little boys. The clothes were
wet, the head was dripping. 1t il
your boy, Marc-little Tommy; he i,
drowned. picked him up in the creek
back of nay yard"
No sound passed Mabel's lips, palliG
as wax, but the mothers soul was
shrieking: " o, could have given hel
up! For three years have been getting
ready to let her go; my hold was almos
loosed. / could have let her go. Bu
Tommy, my boy! my poor little slight
ed Tommy! my first baby! U, not him
not himp' She stretched out her arms
toward her drowned boy. sit ha:
killed mer' she cried, and then she fel
senseless on the floor. Neighbors came
pouring in; two, three, four, doctors
were brought. Again and again was
she brought back to face the terrible
reality, but they could not hold her con
seriousness. Swoon followed swoon; life
seemed bent on getting away from al
their efforts.
"Her spirit is trying to get to Tom
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