Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-12-09
Death Of the OLD WIG.

She had lain all day in stupor, breathing
with heavily y-labored breath, but rs the sun
sank to rest in the far off western sky, and
the red glow on the wall of tho room faded
into dense shadows, she swoke and called
feebly to her aged partner who was sitting
motionless by the bedside he bent over his
dying wife and took her wan, wrinkled hand
in his.
'Is it night?" she asked in tremulous
tones, looking at him with eyes that saw not.
'Yes," he answered softly. SIT is growing
dark"
''Where are the children ?" she queried
''are they all in p
Poor old man how could he answer her
the children who had slept for long years
in the old churchyard-gho had outlived
childhood and borne the heat and burden of
the day, and, growing old, had laid down the
cross and gone to wear the crown, before the
old father and mother had finished their So
journ.
THE children are safe," answered the old
man, tremulously ''don't think of them Ja-
net, think of yourself does the way seem
dark 2"
MY trust is in thee; let me never be con-
founded. What does it matter if the way is
dark?
'Td rather walk with God in the dark, than
walk alone in the light.
L walk Will 1lm Dy Ihlll Ll0l
walk alone by sight
'John, where's little Charlie ?" she asked.
Her mind was again in the past. The grave
dust of twenty years had lain on Charles
golden hair, but the mother had never for
gotten him The old man patted her cold
hands, hands that labored so hard that they
were scanned and wrinkled and calIoused with
years of toll, and the wedding ring was worn
TO mere thread of gold-and then he press
ed his thin lips to them, and cried She had
encouraged and strengthened him in every
trial of life. Why, what a woman she had
been! What a worker! What leader in
Israel Always with the gift of prayer or
service. They had stood at many a death
bed together-closed the eyes of loved ones,
and then sat down with the Bible between
them to read the promises Now she was
about to cross the dark river alone.
And it was strange and sad to the old man,
and the yellow-haired granddaughter left
them, to hear her babble of walks in the
woods, of gathering May flowers and stroll
ling with John, of petty household cares that
she had always put down with a strong reso-
lutte hand; of wedding feasts and death-bed
triumphs; and when at midnight she heard
the bridegroom's voice, and the old man
bending over her, cried pitifully, and the
young granddaughter kissed her pale brow.
there was a solemn Joy in her voice as she
spoke the name of her children one by one,
as if she raw them with immortal eyes, and
with one glad smile put on Immortality. They
led the old man sobbing away, and when he
saw her again the glad morning sun was
shining, the air was jubilant with the song of
birds, and she lay asleep on the couch under
the north window, where he had seen her so
often lie down to rest while waiting for the
Sabbath bell. And she wore the same best
black silk, and the string of gold beads about
her thin neck, and the folds of white tulle.
Only now the brooch with his miniature was
wanting, and in its place was a white rose
and a spray of cedar-she had loved cedar
she had loved to sing over her work.
"Oh may 1 in his courts be seen,
Like young cedar fresh and green.n
But what strange transformation was
there! The wrinkles were gone. The tRees
of age, and pain, and weariness were all
smoothed out; the face had grown strangely
young, and a placid smile was laid on the
pale lips The old man was awed by this
likeness to the bride of his youth. He kissed
the unresponsive lips and said softly;
you've found Heaven first, Janet but
you'll come for me soon It's our first part
ing in more than seventy years, but it won't
be for long-it won't be for longl"
And it was not The winter SHOWS have
not fallen and there is another grave, and TO-
day would have been their diamond wedding
We had planned much for it, and 1 won
der-I wonder-but mol Where they are
there is neither marriage nor giving in mar
riage. Detroit free Press