Richland beacon., 1881-07-09

strong, aud my mother died of consump-
ton" Then shs began to cry like a
baby. and John came in and looked at
ma ~ If II was my doing.
| | must say she ronld succeed in doing
all sorts of useless things raising flow
crs in every nook and corner, making
pets Of all the animals, and painting, or
rlaying on the organ. She WIS real orna-
, mental, and I suppose some folks
| Thought she was pretty. John did for
| one. ! don't know that she made me
murh work ethel Sho did her own
wa-hing rs long AS John would let her.
| and kept her room neat enough, thou9h
it was mostly Uttered mp with flowers
and birds aud her sketches, and at
| first sho sang from morning till night.
| and she did hayo a real lovely voice
"a auow mat, tut after Will" siis
didn't sing and didn't talk much, and
then John began taking her meals up
to her. The first time | raw him getting
lfay ready, L SAID
81 It's a good thing you wore brought
mp to he handy, John, seeing you've got
al invalid wife"
He didn't saw anything then, hut =
few DAYS after ho came TO ne and said
Janet, get q girl ss soon as you can,
and lct Aunt Botsy come over and stay
with Myra; she is nervous and low
spirited, snd needs company"
well, Isuppo,e you've guessed the
npshot of it all little daughter was
born to john, and it seemed Ia me that
miracle was worked in the house. Per
haps | had never really loved Johns
wife she was so different in her WAYS
from mc-hut when ] heard that baby
cry. / felt thrilled To- my very soul, and
just threw my work-apron over my
head and cried for tho first time in
years.
MvIa didn't get strong. and the dav,
went on and still she didn't get up. and
fcl. it was my duty to 60 and tell her
that sho mustn't favor herself that way.
tha. she couldn't lie ahcd and L.; stran-
E"rs tako care Of her child, and that
she'd never got strong till she'd got out,
but made M my mind (" sp'ak in a
E"n;ler sort Of way. j had been thluk-
my il over and about concluded to let
Myra live her own way and not try +"
max" her over, especially since john
seemed 50 well satisfied with her. and 7
wrnt upstairs and opened the door
-"f'ly and stepped inside. John WAS
standing at one window looking ont at
the sunset il was all rcd and gold, and
the room was III fame. He turned rs
I came in, and the tears vera rolling
Down his checks, ! never saw John
cry before since he WAS a grown man!
"What is it p I whispered, going rr
close TO him.
He made a motion with tho back Il
hia head in the direction Of the bed. d
went over there. Aunt Betsy was in 4
rocker by tho side Of it, reading the
Bible. Myra was looking at the sunset
then at her bahy's sleeping face. III
not dull to see things, and / saw thcr'
what made my heart turn cold-it wa
ethe valley of the shadow Of death!
That all happened these three year
ago. There is a simple rustic cross NJ
in tho graveyard with "Myra" carvc'
on it, aud little Myra and ] go up ther
every Sunday and carry flowers to deco
rate 1t, and the dear child sits in my laj
| and puts her blessed little arms abou
my neck and whispers "Auntie, ial
about my mamma in heaven" and
tell how patient and gentle she wa, and|
how sho sang and played, and how >ha
shall 10 the very same thing some day
| for know, now, that flowers ar as
necessary to Gods creation ~ tn" wood
and grain, and the least little thing that
makes sunshine in the world is of great;
valuc in the dark places, and feel sure,
when look up to the hills she loved,
| that Nyra has reached far-of heaven
! before me. Psrhaps-perhaps, she will
. intcrcede for me there.