Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-09-30

! WO0S ana mellow laugh SmOtc the ears
of those, who, although now hardened
with tie worlds folly. had still
woman's heart, they were moved by her
freshness and purity, aud the unbiddeu
tear often cOursed down their checks.
/ as they thouGht of the time when they,
too, were but little lower than the
angels.
And so they went on fcom daY to day,
little May and her father. From the
nature of Joe's profession, he was at
leisure during the dav. In the summer
mornings, while yet the dew was on the
grass, he and tie child would be seen
passing down the street. ont by the
cemetery, past the struggling huts and
tents where the railroad hands lived;
ON into the woods-the child sometimes
on her fathers back or in his arms,
sometimes running along 10y his side,
chasing the butterflies and the hum
ming birds, or gathering the Wild
flowers cf the prairie Down by
the banks of the clear stream they
would go = down into the valley,
where, III The sunli. h !, grew the
flowers and grasses, rich an /
beautiful carpet of natures weavi lg,
while in the shade the fern and the vine
tlourlshed In luxurious profusion down
III the groves of The valley. with their
patches of light ard shade. where
natures choristers chautei ca OILS Of Joy
and sang songs of welcome. There in
some quiet mock. they stayed aud played
and laughed all through the long sum-
mer day-the father telling fairy tales
to the Guild, tie little one weaving
crowns of leaves for her fathers mead,
and garlaDds Of flowers for his neck
1t Was there that Joe, the gambler, told
little May, in words suited TO her uu-
derstandng the old, Old story o! mans
creation and woman's disobelience of
Gods love and compassion, and OF the
Saviour's suffering He told her Of
Heaven and OF the angels there, aud OF
the joy and peace and rest in the home
of the good beyond this life. Joe was
"A skeptic, aud would have claimed that
he did not believe these tales any more
than he believed the other fairy tales
that he told to the chId, but he felt
that, although he could do without
religion and God himself. he could not
afford to let his child believe as he did.
With strange inconsistency, he acted
as If the belief that was good enough
for himself, was not coed enough for
his " little one, as he loved to call her,
and be taught her, as well as he could,
the religion of his mother.
One day Joe was walking down the
street with little May by has side, when
a man stepped out of saloon, and
cursed him, accusing him of having
acted unfairly at the gambling table.
He slapped Joe on the face. Joe be-
came very pale, and trembled so that
one not knowing him would have sup
posed that he was afraid. For momen
he looked irresoIutely at the child by
his side, then taking her mp in his arms,
he hurried to the hotel. Not word
was said by Joe or any of the specta
tors. 1t was sometime before those
who were witnesses to the occurrence
recovered enough from their surprise at
the temerity of the man who had i'll
ulted Joe, to oiTer any criticisms on his
action. Then the saloon-keeper, look
as II he was making an abstrIse astro-
nomical calculation, remarked
"There'il lie IA dead man round some
wbar to night"
1t was a true prediction. The jury
sad that joe was justifiable.
Duiing the second day of our stay III
Luling the doctor was called on by the
landlord and requested to go and see
little May, who was sick. Give weeks
ago, said the landlord, "she was out
with her father down by the creek, and
came home with sort of dumb chill,
aud she hasu I got over it yet, aud I'm
afeered size never will. God knows tina
we would rather part with the best man
in town than with little May we all
love her SO.
1t appeared that from the day on
which May became i'll she never left her
room. Day by day she became more
feeble, and now for a week she had
been unable to leave her little bed The
people of the town talked lovingly Of
her patience in suffering, and showed
their sympathy and love fJr her by
sending fruits and flowers, toys and
fancy groceries enough to have made
Santa Claus envions; and big Irish tie.
spiker sent her bottle of whisky, with
a message that she "wonid fOiud drap
av it wild hot wather and shugar mo ghty
comfortin' whin the chills took hoult.
The people were all very conslderate of
her comfort. The owner of the ten pin
alley closed the place for week rather
than disturb her with the noise, and the
landlord, with a club, knocked down
man who had startled the child by
shooting negro on the sidewalk.
| ace impaired the doctor il his visits
several times. We found her cheerful
and happy, as she sat propped up with
pillows at the head of her little he'd.
She was gazing ont of window across
the tree tops ut the place where, with
her father, she had spent SO many hap
py hours, and where the wild flowers
now blOomed for other eyes, and the
birds sang for other ears, for never
more would little May Sisit the place or
leave her room again.
1t was on the eve of the d " before we
lett Lining that We saw her for the last
time. Her father was going TO her
room with medicine. He tod rs she
was much better, and that he thought
the crisis was over. He invited us to
60 and see her.
We entered the room on tiptoe. Ol
a small bed by the window lay little
May. Her face WAS thin aud pale. aud
bat the shadow Of a dimple was on her
cheek. Her eye had a sober, Suffering,
far-awly look, until she saw joe coming
in behind us. Then her eyes Frightened