The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-05

how it sounded and the rest of us didn't, till
all of a sudden it struck us.
"You see, Hannah Simmons, their next
neighbours daughter on the other side, had
just been to Portland; she was girl seven
teen or eighteen then, and a master hand to
carry on. She thought the world of little
Mary Whitlow, like all the rest of us"
THAT night after shed got home, she was
in to Cap'n Whitlow's, and had Mary in her
lap, tellin' her what she'd seen in Portland.
l was in the sittin room (whar the light isl,
so was my wife and the Cap'n and his wife,
Hannah was tellin' her that the streets in
Portland wasn't like what they was here, all
sand.
What are they? says Mary, lookin' at
her with her big wonderin' eyes.
oh, they're paved, says Hannah.
What NithY says the little thing.
With gold says Hannah, quick as a
flash; with great blocks of gold
Then how the little thing stared, and
Hannah winked at US.
1.-The houses amt like the houses here.
wood and paint Hannah went on, keepin'
her face sober, while little Mary stared
straight at her. They're white marble, and
they stay clean without sweepn' or washin'
and all the folks sit in the windows and sing
all day. l had a splendid time; but l had to
hurry out, for fear they'd lock the gate on
me-
whats the gate made Of? says the little
thing She always used to ask what every
thing was made of.
Pearl says Hannah, before she thought.
''Then Mis- Whitlow just screamed out
Why, Hannah Simmons you've been tellin'
her about the New JerusalemV
Hannah looked scared; she hadn't he'd
any idea of it, but she seen what it had
sounded like, and we all did.
Somehow, it kinder sobered us. 1 don't
know why, but Mis- Whitlow took Mary
right off to bed, and thar wasn't anythIn'
more said about Portland that night to her.
But she never forgot it; she'd have it over
and over again about the gold streets in Port
land, and the marble houses, and the pearl
gate, and she was crazer than ever to go. l
| don't know, but at the last the Cap nand his
wife actually dreaded to take her and have
her find out the truth about it; don't think
| should like to have seen the look in those
| sober eyes of hers when she seen it. Deceivin'
little, ignerant trustin child, even when
it's done mostly because youlove it and want
to please it, aim just squar, after all.
| "All of sudden the little thing was taken
sick and died; she wasn't sick long, only a
few days; don't know what they called it,
l think she just died out of the Lords
wantin her. She was out of her head all the
time she was sick, and she didn't talk of any
thin but Portland. 1t seemed as if it would
kill them to hear her.
II went in thar the day she died, in the
! forenoon. She died just about the time when
the star came out and she was babblin
about the golden streets in Portland, and the
| folks singin thar. Her pretty hair was all
over the pillow, and her poor little cheeks
were as white as snow She didn't know
me- but Just kept right on about Portland.
"'The folks all sing" she would say and
her eyes looked SO bright and solemn. Just
hear them! The little pink ponies are goin
| down the gold street. She had mixed up all
we had ever told her together.
81 don't suppose you will take much stock
| in this, Miss Kent, but I'm goin' to finish it
You see, all the Cap'n's folks came from
Portland; they've all died off now, and
they're buried thar; and he and Mis- Whit
low wanted to take Mary thar when she
died.
I'VE had the funeral here in the afternoon,
and just about sunset they started-the
Cap'n and his wife in a two-seated covered
wagon, with Mr. Simmons and his wife, from
! the next house (they wanted me and my wife
TO go, but couldn't bear the idea OF goin
with that dear, blessed little thing to Port
land that wayl. and the little coffin in q
wagon behind, with Mr. Simmons's son
drivin'; they had it behind because Mis-
Whitlow look on so bout seem it all the
way right before her eyes.
Il was settin' in the bedroom window, on
that end of the house, when they came past.
1t was just about dark, but seen, plain as
ever seen anythln' in this world, that blessed
child settin' on her little coffin in the wagon,
goin' to Portland. Thar she was, just as she
always looked-ber yellow curls fyIn' back
and her sweet little face lookin' up, in her
little white shroud.
II leaned my head way out of the win
dow, and could see her as long as they
were in sight-that little bit of white
form, sittin' thar, so straight and still, goin'
to Portland. Thar's one thing about it,
believe the blessed little thing found Port
land Just as she'd thought it was; and it
wouldn't make any difference to her if she
had to call it by different name.
Captain Abjah ended with sob,
Miss Kent was rocking gently to and fro,
with tears in her bright, eager eyes, and the
light from the windows of the Whtlow Sit
ting-room shone dimly on both their faces,