Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1882-04-29

and coal was heavy, and / did not
know she had it until she set it
down on the window. Ralph
she called. / sprang TO answer, but
there was mother with handker-
chief to her mouth. o, mother
miner
81 called the neighbors, but they
could do nothing Only one ran for
the doctor and came back without
him."
"I did all there was to do. L
would not let them touch her. She
was my mother. | chafed her
hands Rntil at last she opened her
eyes, then her lips moved and she
whispered 'Snowdrop,' Ralph
and / cried:
80 mother, we are here Please
don't go! o mother, live o moth
err, mine, live! But only a quick
CULVER came over her face, and her
hand sought for Snowdrop."
81 pat my hand on Snowdrop's
golden curls, for she seemed TO
grope in darkness.
"tRalph,' she whispered, take
care-Of = Snowdrop- and-Ged-
keep-you-my-chil-"
''She could not finish the word"
"Ralph ~
81 bent over her, but only heard
a long, low sigh"
"They took us children away,
and then they buried mother in a
big graveyard.
zone of the women in room
next 10 ours took us, but they were
poor, and !, though ] sought for
work, could get none. They said
l was too young and turned away.
And yesterday Mrs. Burns hus-
band came home drunk, and he
knocked my little Snowdrop over,
because she was blind and could
not see to get out of his way. Then
he cursed her, and L just went up
and struck him. He ordered us
out, and we went into the street
just as the snow was beginning to
fall, and we walked till we were so
tired, and we thought we'd sleep on
the doorstep.
ave " ent up that fine street be-
cause we knew rich people lived
there and Twas telling SnOwdrop
about the beautiful rooms we could
see into when the gas Was lit"
] forgot my patients as | listened
to the boys story. But when |
saw the little birdie safe asleep on
wife's lap and her arm about Ralph,
then / went on my round.
| had a long round that day and
it was late when L reached home.
When | did / saw a brighter
light in wife's eyes than for M my ii
day, and a flush on her cheek as if
she was growing young again.
The children were off to bed and
wife took me up to look at them.
Ralph turned over and murmured
"SnOwdrop."
After tea wife came to her place
on my knee, just as in the old
honeymoon days, and / knew what
was coming. But she didn't say Il
word only looked straight into the
fire, and /, looking closer, saw the
tears gathered in her eyes. SO l
didn't wait for her to ask, but said:
Eyes, we'll keep them"
Then the tears ran over and she
turned and kissed me; but she
could not speak for the quivering
of her lips and | knew she was
thinking of frankie in Heaven.
The children stayed; the house
grew brighter and wife younger as
the years sped on.
Ralph has grown TO be man, my
practice will fall into his hands. |
Wife says he won't marry, his
heart is so bound up in Snowdrop. |
But perhaps well, there is no !
knowing.
We cannot spare Snowdrop, for
she knows the old home from gar
ret to basement. Who would sing |
and play for US in the evenings, |
and warm my slippers, and do all |
the other things she does for wife
and me? No, we couldn't spare |
our sunshine, our sweet spring
flower, our SnOwdrop.