Morris tribune., 1881-03-17
Z LITTLE WALTER.

/
I fell in love. Shall tell her?"
My wife looked up with smile and
blush; then tear came into her eye. i
eff Annie insists on it" she said. i
"Oh, now you must, cried the wild girl;
tell us all about it, uncle"
when first came to Russelville, said,
looking kindly at my wife, 'Sophy's faith
err was the pastor of the Episcopal Church.
If ever there was true successor of the
apostles, at least in holy living, Mr.. Howell
was one."
Sophy looked up, as thus spoke, and
frevently pressed my hand. smiled low
ingly ON hel, and proceeded:
"Sophy herself was not at home, being
on visit to New York. but was often at
the parsonage; for little Walter, her brother
was great fovorite with me. Housed to be
praising Sophy, in his isping accents, all
the time, till half began to love her, from
sympathy with him.
"One night, about twelve o'clock, was
reused from my sleep by a messenger from
the parsonage.
Little Walter said the servant has
the Group; and Mr.. Howell is from home.
DR.. Morgan, too, has been summoned into the
country.
CDR. Morgan, the oldest practitioner of the
place, was the family physician, as knew.
I will be there in five minutes, 1 said alarm
ed for my little favorite. There is no
competent person with him, since his father
is away-is there?
Miss Sophy has come back, was the
reply, and told me to run for you, when I
found Dr. Morgan was out
L soon reached the parsonage. There
was light burning up stairs, In what 1
knew to be the nursery; the only light visi-
BILE in the whole village street. The in
slant knocked the door was opened. The
servant was crying sadly, and could hardly
answer my inquiries as went up stairs, two
steps at a time, to see my little favorite
The nursery was very large room. AT
the farther end it was lighted by common
candle, which left the other end where the
door was, in shade. so I suppose the nurse
did not see me come in, for she was speak
ing very GROSSLY.
Miss Sophy!" said she, I told you over
and over again it was not fit for him to go
walking to- day, with the hoarseness that he
had, and you would take him. twill break
your papa's heart, I know; but it's none of
my doing
whatever Sophy felt, she did not speak
in answer to this. could not see her face,
for she was on her knees by the warm bath,
in which the little fellow was struggling to
get his breath, with look of terror on his
face that l have often noticed in young chill
dren when smltten by sudden and violent
illness. 1t seems as if they recognize some
thing indefinite and invisible at whose bid
ding the pain and anguish come from which
no love can shield them. tits very heart
rending look to observe, because it comes
ON the faces of those who are too young to
receive comfort from the words of faith, or
the promises of religion. Walter had his
arms round Sophy's neck, as if she, hither-
to his Paradise angel, could save him from
the dread shadow of death Yes, of death!
l knelt down by him on the other side, and
examined him. The very robustness of
his little frame gave violence to the disease,
which is always one of the most fearful by
which children of hisage can be attacked.
Don't tremble, Watty, said Sophy, in
a soothing tone; it's the doctor, darling,
who let you ride on his horse 1 could de-
tect the quivering in the voice, which she
tried to make so calm and soft to quiet the
little fellows fears. We took him out of
the bath, and l went for leeches. Dr.. Nor
gan came. He loved the pastors children
as if he was their uncle; but he stood still
and aghast at the sight of Walter-so lately
bright and strong-and now hurrying alone
to the awful change-to the SILENT mystic
rious land, where, tended and cared for as
| he had been on earth, he must gO--alone.
The little fellow the darling!
1--WE applied the leeches to his throat.
He resisted at first; but Sophy, God bless
her, put the agony of her grief on one side,
and thought only of him, and began to sing
the little songs he loved. We were all still.
The gardner had gone to fetch Mr.. Howell,
but he was twelve miles off land we doubted
if he would come in time. 1 don't know if
they had any hope; but the first moment
Dr.. Mergan's eyes met mine. I saw that he,
like me, had none. The ticking of the
house clock sounded through the dark, quiet
house. Walter was sleeping now, with the
black leeches yet hanging to his fair, white
throat. Still Sophy went on singing little
lullabies, which she had sung under far diff
ferent and happier circumstances. re-
member one verse, because it struck me at
the time as strangely applicable.
Sleep baby sleep!
Thy rest shall angels keep
While on the grass the lamb shall feed,
And never suffer want or need,
Sleep, baby Sleep
do not think either he or could have spoken
in our natural tones; but the brave girl went
on, clear though low. She stopped at last,
and looked up.
He is better, is he not, Dr. Morgan?'
s"No, my dear. He is-ahem' could
not speak all at once. Then he said-'my
dear; he will be better soon. Think Of your
mamma, my dear Miss Sophy. She will be
thankful to have one Of her darlings safe
with her, where she is
''Still Sophy did not cry. But she bent
down on the little face, and kissed it long
and tenderly.
I will 60 for my sisters-for Helen and
Lizzie. They will be sorry not to see him
again She rose up and went for them.
Poor girls, they entered in their dressing
ton, pale with terror, stealing softly along,
as if sound could disturb him. Sophy
comforted them by gentle caresses. 1t was
over soon.
"Dr. Morgan was fairly crying like a
child. But he thought it necessary to apollo
gize to me for what had honored him for
I am a little overdone by yesterday s
work. sir. have had one or two bad nights.
and they rather upset me. When l was
your age 1 was as strong and manly as any
one and would have scorned to shed tears
'Sophy came up to where we stood.
CDR. Morgan! I am sorry for papa. How
shall I tell him?' She was struggling
| against her own grief for her fathers sake
DR.. Morgan offered to await his coming
home, and she seemed thankful for the pro-
| pOodl. L, Lew 1llCuu,dliuOo oUlduSCl ,COul0
stay no longer. The streets were as quiet
as ever; not shadow was changed; for it
was not four o'clock. But during the
/ night a soul had departed.
1T was many days before saw Sophy
again. except once at the funeral. When
/ we did meet, it was like old friends; for we
| had both loved little Walter, which seemed
, to make holy tie between u.s..
3 81 had never thought, on that fatal night,
whether she was beautiful or not; at least
in the ordinary sense of the term. She
rose before my memory as a ministerine
angel forgetting her own sorrow in anxiety
for the little sufferer, and, when all was
over, thinking only of her father. She
seemed an angel still, and gifted with su-
pernal beauty"
paused awhile. Sophy was looking up
again, her eyes brimful of tears.
"And I think her an angel still, Annie,
said as I stopped to kiss the tears from
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