Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1881-12-14

reused or die. L had thought II
was evil luck for creature to live.
/ believed in nothing. The spring
came. Josiah was strong again.
One day he laid a single May flower
in my thin hand. God watches
over the flowers, Sukie,' he said,
and then my tears b~gnn TO flow.
/ had not been able to cry for
months. Those little pink petals
spoke to me. ! camc to myself. ]
began to pray. ] said: j will not
die ....-
"Anotl,er autumn. May come to
MS, calm, placid child. had
something to live for, and rose mp
with new courage. The red leaves
fell on 'Siah's grave, but ] knew he
was beyond the reach OF q dying
life. began to look for the Lords
face. Days came when seemed TO
be in little hell OF my own, but
afterward there came peace. was
finding that my luck was the Mas.
ter himself, terrifying as He was TO
the disciples on the lake Mt first,
but on a nearer approach deliver.
err"
Here the woman ceased. had
been intensly interested. Icannot
put tone and bearing on paper. In
the winning expression of her calm
face / had fonnd bread. "But that
was long ago." ! said, hoping she
would continue her narrative.
"Yes, sir, the years went Oh. The
farmers life is hard one; You can't
realize it. 1t is tougll battle to
pay off q rtgage and live. Not
much time for play. The children
came, five of them in oil, healthy,
happy children, but making lots Of
work for n mother. We had reach.
ed the last payment on the mort.
gage and May was 10. We had
worked hard, but the years follow
ed one another with no great
changes. | thought my luck had
tnrued, and then came that awful
dimheria. May was sick two
days; the third day the blooming
girl, whose beauty we wOrshipped,
faded, and the flower was plucked
by the gardener. The four remain.
ing children were soon taken. In
two weeks time we had hut one
child. The l,illocks were fresh in
the orchard, four Of them beside
little 'Siah. So sudden was the
blow, so anxious the days. that ]
had not time to think of my grief
But, last Of all. Josiah was taken,
wearied out With watching and sor.
row. His strong constitution held
Mt bay the terrible disease for weeks.
One night, when the crisis came, he
prayed with me, his dying lips not
faltering as he commended me to
God. He said five children were
waiting for him, and he seemed to
see them rs he drew near the end,
and, at midnight, l was widow.
You say must have felt forsak
ell. | did not feel at all for weeks.
| simply breathed: but when in the
early spring ! crawled out to the
apple tree where the six mounds
we're beginning to grow green, aud
fell upon the sod, | left an awful
burden ut the feet of Him who has
made immortality sure. 1t was
Gods way and it was well. DO l
not Hourni Yes, and no; not for
them, but for myself, and yet !
rejoice
| shall never forget the expires.
sion that fitted across her face az
she told me her story. There WAS a
great peace in her heart knew, for
the calm rested on her brow.
heard the whistle of the coming
train and knew we parted soon
forever.
sinister, yOn seem sort Of down
hearted, rs if you are little re-
belious; there is something better
than children and busband--it's
Him. Acquaint thyself with Him.
The next noisy train parted us;
to the East and she to the West, but
the sermon had been preached and