News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-05-25
AN OLD, OLD STORY.
Why the Light was kept Burning,
and Why it Was Put Out.

Come in! Well I declare, stranger,
you gave me quite turnl II was kind
| of expectin' somebody, and for half a
minute thought mebbe as twas her,
but she'd never stop to knock; want a
bite and sup and a nights lodging?
Why of course; sit down, do. /
a-most forgot to ask you, was that
frustrated. Poor SOUL how tired and
WORKOUT you look! I can make you
comfortable for the night and give you
a good meal of victuals and shake
down on the floor, but I would hard
l-y like to put you in Lizzie's room-she
was that particular, and your clothes
are so wet and drabbled. Why, woman,
what makes you shake so-ague? Never
heard tell of any in these parts. Gness
you must have brought it with you.
Well, good nights rest viii set you up
wonderfully, and you can lie right here
by the stove, and the fire a-smo]derin'
will keep you warm, and the light will
be Albumin till it's broad day-broad
day.
What do I keep the light a burnin'
for Well, now, when folks asks me
that, sometimes I tells them one thing
and sometimes tells them another. I
don't know as I mind tellin' you, be-
cause you're such poor, MISFORTUNE
creetur, and stranger, and my heart
kind of goes out to such. You see I
have a daughter. She's been away
these ten years, has Lizzie, and they do
say as she's Twin in grandeur in some
furrin' place, aud she's had her head
| turned with it all, for she never lets her
poor old mother hear from her, and the
fine people she's with coaxed her off un-
beknownst to me, and I don't mind tell
ing you as it was great shock to me,
and L amt the same woman since Lizzie
went out one night, and when she kissed
me said, "Leave light in the window,
mother, till 1 come back" and that was
ten years ago, and I've never seen her
since, but I've burned light in the
window every night all these ten years,
and shall till she comes home. Yes, it's
hard to be mother and be disappointed
so. allowed she was dead till folks, as
seen her well and splendid, told me
different, and I was sick long time
that's what made my hair SO white
but hope she never heard oft, 'twould
have made her as miserable as L was,
and her find things wouldn't have been
10 Ill III 1,
terribly, but I'm her mother, and it just
seems as if 1 could see her; so pretty
with her long broken curls, and the
smile she had, and her gentle ways, and
1 loving her better than Heaven above
me! This is my punishment-to sit
alone all day and never to sleep at night,
but 1 hear her crying "Mother
mother! where are you?" and if go
once, 1 go dozen times to the door,
and look up and down the lonesome road
and call, "L-i-z-z-i-e! L-i-z-z-i-e I" and
there's never any answer but the night
wind moaning in the trees
Well, L didn't mean to make you feel
bad don't cry, poor soul You've had
enough troubles of your own, I guess,
by your looks Your hands are like ice
and your temple and your face is white
and-why, what is this You are
not old and your hair hangs in brown
curls-and your eyes-Merciful God
it's Lizzie come back to her mother
it's my child that was lost and is found
put out the ight-put out the light,
for the night is over and it's the clear,
broad day at last M. QUAD.