The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-05-12

and sad group before the house. Legrand,
who, during the first stage of Nancys illness,
had repeatedly called at the house of our
settlers, now wandered again among the In
dams of the far west; no one was present but
the father, the suffering mother, and her two
children.
1T WAS A SUNDAY EVENING,
too. Abe had already on many Sabbath
undertaken his mothers holy Office of reading
the Scriptures to the pious and Cody family.
Now, again he sat upon log near Mother
Nancy, the old family Bible on his knees, read
ing the Gospel in soft but clear voice. His
little sister knelt beside the roughly improvis-
ed couch of the mother, looking dreamily into
her pale face and sunken eyes. while one of
the thin hands of the patient woman rested
upon the daughters curly head. Father
Thomas leaned against the tall sycamore,
whose mighty branches
SHADoWED THE LOG CABIN
and the sorrowing little group. His broad
chest, across which his arms were folded,
heaved and betrayed the feelings of the hus-
band. He gazed motionless into his wife
almost TRANSPORTED c1untenance, over which
| at that moment the evening cast roSeate hue.
AT times his lips moved convulsiuely, as if un-
able to repress the anguish that cramped his
heart. His fearful eyes expressed the terrible
grief and awful solicitude of the plain, but
deeply feeling pioneer. Mother Nancy S
earthly moments were numbered. This Thomas
| could not disguise from himself. He saw it
by the momentary, light, scarcely perceptible
change that had taken place during the last
hour in her beautifed gentle face; by the eyes
that became more and more glazed, and only
now and then lit up with an expression of love
and anxiety
| FOR HER DEAR ONES.
"Stop reading. Abe" he murmured, tremb-
ling with apprehension; sit worries your
mother"
"No," breathed Mrs. Lincoln, in broken
sentences; sit seems as though angels-were
singing psalms as though the entire glory
of the other world were disclosed to me-yes,
thus-thus always wished to die - the blue
heaven above me-you at my side-and Gods
The husband bent over his wife and took
her right hand, which she was unable to lift.
| Abe had been silent He now looked into
his mothers face, hastily closed the Bible,
and sprang up from the log.
Gracious God! my mother is dying!" he
stammered, and reeled, pale and trembling,
to her side, while Sarah uttered cry, and fall
ling on her knees, buried her face, over which
the tears were streaming, in the lap of the dy-
| ing woman. But Abe embraced his mother
and held her in his arms, as though, poor boy!
he could in that way stay the soul of the so
dearly loved mother.
"Don't cry" she whispered. as death
not a relief to me? | am prepared. | feel
that shall remain with you, even when l am
gone. | shall pray for you in Heaven-and-
Shall see you all again. Be virtuous, Sarah.
Remain honest and brave. my Abe-honor
and love your father-he will bring you up as
Christian-I can die contentedly-and you
Thomas---'
"My Nancy-my wife" stammered the
strong man, now thoroughly overcome.
81 have been faithful to you," she contin-
ued, in a feebler tone, land you have done
your duty. Thanks for all your kindness to
me! And now-God be with-you all"
The noble woman endeavored to utter a
few words more of love, but they were lost in
an unntelligible murmur. One more glance
she cast on ali around her and then her beau
tiful eyes, formerly so radiant with love, be-
came dim, the lips trembled for the last time.
Death had come to her like sweet sleep; Sc
rene and holy TRANSPORTATION lay over her quiet
features; a smile lowered around the lips.
Life had fled; but Nancy Lincoln resembled
a softly sleeping one, over whom the last faint
rays of the sun shed their mild, rosy hue.
The children knelt weeping at the feet of the
lifeless body. Thomas Lincoln still retained
the now cold hand within his own.
'Let us pray, Children" he muttered, in
deepest agony, ''that God may not forsake us
in the hour of our greatest trial and need-you
have no mother now!''
GENERAL BUTLER'S VOW.