Middletown transcript., 1882-02-24
ONE OF THE LITTLE ONES.

be sure the sun had shown his face twt
or three times-he had been playing a
hide-and-seek you see. But now h
had hidden himself away in goot
earnest, and it was raining; not big
good natured, laughing drops of rain
but an unpleasant, disappointed drizzle
And it was such tiny bit of baby
hood that was out in it all. Poor LITTLE
one She was scarcely five years old
with eyes like tender spring violets
wet violets they would be in a few mo
ments, for the tears were just ready tt
brim over. And if the sun had hidder
himself away, he had forgotten to take
all his brightness away with him, fol
crinkles of dancing sunbeams lay il
tangles all over the small head.
Please buy my flowers only five
cents bunch,'' piped the soft voice
but nobody needed; all the world
seemed only anxious to seek shelter az
quickly as possible.
"Oh, please buy my flowers" ani
the tender baby lips, now blue witt
cold, quivered piteously.
There were golden-red, purple asters
and soft, blue-hearted daisies and the
hands that held them were so small
they were cold, too, and the tender
flowers seemed to know, and more
thoughtful than any Of the passing
throng, they hung their dainty heads
as if to nestle closer to the little hands
and keep away the cold.
And now it was getting darker and
darker soon, very soon, it would be
night and the many stores were be.
! ginning to look so warm and bright
with their rosy lights shining out into
the dreary darkness.
Across the street, just opposite tc
where the child was standing, there was
large, handsome store, and the win
dow was filed with different colored
lights it looked so warm and cheerful
that the little one thought, "There
can't be any cold there, and maybe if l
go they will buy my flowers"
So holding tightly her dropping
treasures, the child started to cross the
street, but the soft eyes were so dimmed
with tears, and it was so very dark
now, that she could not see which way
to go.
There she lay, a tender flower crushed
almost to death, and the driver said,
with a scowl on his evil looking face,
that he &C couldn't help it /; children had
no business there"
All, the people stopped now Some
to gaze pityingly, others only curiously;
when suddenly they were pushed hastily
aside, and white, startled face looked
down upon the unconscious little form.
All, the mother love had come, but too
late
And she was but child, too she
was young, too young to bear the
weight of all the sorrow that was writ
ten on her fair, sad face. Her hair,
like the child's, had caught the sheen
of dancing sunbeams, and her eyes were
just as blue.
There was hospital near by, and to
it the little one was carried. And then
the doctor came, and by-and-by the
blue eyes opened, and the poor white
lips tried SO hard to smile on the mother
sitting there. The nurses grew to love
the patient little sufferer, and kind
ladies brought lovely flowers, and books
full of such pretty pictures. And
sometimes young lady would come
and read such pleasant stories to the
little one. And the child thought,
How kind everybody isl
But one morning the doctor came
and shook his head, and looked so sorry;
and after he had gone, one of the nurses
came, and, sitting down by the child,
told her such lovely story.
And it was about a beautiful country
far away where it was never cold; and
beautiful flowers were there, and birds
were always singing, and the nurse said
it was called Heaven, and then the lit
tie one laughed and looked, oh, so
happy. My papa is there" she said,
"and 1 guess pretty soon my mamma
will come too.;'
That night the mother asked to be
left alone with her child, so the nurses
went away, leaving the two together.
And to the poor young mother, sit
ting there, all the present seemed to
pass away, and the stiffness of the room
was broken by the songs of birds, and
she saw again the little brown cottage,
and through the open windows the sun
light came stealing in, and there, un-
der the sweet apple-tree, she saw her
little one, so happy with her playmates
all about her.
But when the morning came, and the
nurses went in to see the child, the
tender blue eyes were closed, and the
little face looked like soft white rose
with golden halo all around it.
There were tears in the nurses eyes
as they tenderly covered the little
form.
And then the mother She was
kneeling on the floor close by, with her
face covered by her poor thin hands.
They spoke to her, but she never moved,
then they gently raised her face all
the care and trouble of the past few
years had vanished, leaving not trace
behind she looked, oh, so happy, the
lips we're smiling, but the blue eyes
were hidden away under the soft white
curtains that never would be lifted
again in this world.
Just then, a little bird flying near the
window began to sing and the song
,oo,,,oJ - I,o o,,o oe ,,oooo 80