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


The twilight gathers quickly and
still the snow fails as it had been
doing ali the afternoon.
Hurrying homeward l catch
glimpses OF pleasant rooms 'twiXt
the lighting of the gas and the
closing of the curtains; rooms with
ruddy fires, beautiful pictures,
books and flowers; rooms with
groups of children at the windows
to watch the first great fall OF
snow.
Thinking of my own coy home,
where wife is waiting for me, l
nearly tip over two childTen-bOy
and girl and eXclaim:
"WelI, my boy, | didn't intend
to tumble over you! The snow is
coming fast and you'd better be
home with your little sister,"
y poor wan face with great ear
nest eyes looked up into mine for
moment; then he moved along
with the little girl by his side.
Her eyes, | looked closer-yes
blind.
The little red shawl was drawn
tightly around her, and the tiny
hand was drawn through the arm
of her protector.
ss-Very gently he led her.
"WheTe are we going tonight,
Ralph ?'
II don't know, little Snowdrop;
God will take care of us-mother
said so. May be we can sleep on
some doorstep. I'd keep you
warm with my coat, but may be
the angels would take you from me,
aud then, Snowdrop-I'd die"
''NO, Ralph, you would not.
You'd live and grow up to be a
man. But, Ralph, ia like 10 live
with you now that mother has
gone. You'd be SD lonesome with
out your little Snowdrop. No,
Ralph, God will let me live for you
if l am blind"
elf you are my little SnOwdrOp,
and l cannot spare you. Mother
gave you to me, and you are mine.
Mine, my own wee SnowdrOp."
1t so happened that being called
out that night, 1--WE doctors are sent
for at all hOurS) on the steps Of the
"brOwn stone front" / stumbled
over what seemed huge SNOWFALL.
yet-hOw is it this intuitive knOwl-
edge comes to US 81 knew it was
not a SNOWFALL, and STOPPING down
| found the children | had met a
few hours ago.
Wrapped in his coat she lay in
her brothers. arms. Poor child,
how wan he looked as we took him
in! And sheath was it possible
that she could live.
Slowly the color came back to
her lips. With what II sigh the
spirit entered into the clay and
made it life. (Where had the
spirit been meantime?) Quick,
grasping signs, then sleep, blessed
sleep.
Very patiently we worked over
the boy. Would those large, visit
full eyes never look into mine |
again? 1t seemed not, and ! had
to go up to my patient, who could |
not be kept waiting any longer. |
But by and by l came down to |
find the servants still rubbing |
away.
"Shure, sur. an there's not a |
spcck of life in the chile" said the |
soft hearted Irish cook, as the tears |
rolled down her cheeks.
l bent over and thought there /!
was a scarcely perceptible fiuIter |
life and consciousness were coming |
back.
At last those wondrous eyes
opened:
"Snowdrop! oh my Snowdrop !"
he cried, starting up.
We laid her there rosy and |
warm in her sleep-by his side.
"Snowdrop, l thought we went
to heaven and"
Sleep had come and the two were
saved.
'sShure, sur" said the cook, FAN
they shall sleep in me own bed the
night"
so the children were carried up
stairs and tucked in the cooks bed
and | went home.
Next morning | found my little
folks warm and rosy in the Kitchen
with the cook.
My own house was little quaint
and old fashioned, but wife and |
loved il more than we could have
done any stately mansion on Fifth
Avenue.
But it was 4 quiet house.
The reason ?
Perhaps, some day, wife will let
you peep at her treasures. She
keeps them in Il drawer. Only a
little torn hat, whistle, drum, a
pair of shoes. Well, our house
wasn't always quiet, and wife was
merricr i'm those days. Our boy
would have been nearly old enough
for college, now.
| took the children home to see
wife, and her soft, mOtherly heart
leaped up when she saw them.
Peeping into the Sitting-rOum
inst before going out, l heard
Ralph, with eyes lit up, telling
about: my mother, my beautiful
She used to do the sewing for
the stores all day long, and often
/ through the night. But they
would hardly pay anything, and
sometimes we had no dinner or
supper till the work was taken
home. She looked so beautiful
then, because, in the afternoon the
roses came into her cheeks and
stayed all the evening. But in the
she was pale, oh, SO pale
One day mother went out to take
some work home. 1t was cold ana
windy and we had nothing to eat
all day. At last she came back
with bread and tea, and wood and
coal for n fire 'Thp basket of wood