Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-06-07
Beneath the Morning
Glories.

home q quaint old cottage bower
ell in morning glories all thu
Sammer ong, in which lived {
quiet, gentsel old bachelor, my
fathers long time friend, my owl
lifelong friend and mentor
whose well-stocked library was
open to me always, and under
whose morning glory shadows
read and dreamed the hours
away. He was gone all day tc
his store, and his old nurse and
house. keeper, NANNY Lucy
regarded me no more than she
did the spider beneath the vines,
Or the humming. birds that fitted
in green and golden dress above
them Out in front spread the
trim garden, bordered with mari
Colds and China asters, princes
feathers and bachelors buttons,
old-flshioned among flowers
now, as their owner was ther
among men.
One morning there came note
from my venerable friend request
ing me to come down before he
left for his store; he wished to see
me on some particular bust
ness" My father had not ye,
risen from his morning slumber
but / hurried the breakfast, scold.
ed the servants and assumed such
airs Of importance on reception
of this, my first note (for was a
little girl not yet eleven years OF
age), that all laughed at my airs
of importance.
My breakfast over, l hurried
down, and he met me at the door,
with his grave, courteous bow,
and led pe into the cool, dim hall
exclaiming, as he went, that his
dear youngest brother had been
sent from his cold mothers home
to our summer land, to try if the
change would help the disease
from which he suffered - con-
sumption.
"Poor Jimmie" he said, ten
DERBY, III am afraid his days are
numbered, and l want you, my
dear, to help me to soothe those
that yet remain; read and talk to
him, amuse and cheer him as
only a little book.worm like you
can. | must be away much of
The time, but you shall have all
the new books that come out,
and there is the library to select
from. Will you help me, BessieP"
was shy and timid with most
persons, but with this kind
friend, whose tenderness has
been SO great since he held me in
his arms, and soothed my bitter
grief the long night through,
when my mother lay dying, was
frank and fearless as with my
own dear father.
eyes, all / can do l will, do;
you know how I love to read
aloud" / said, and then he bless
ed and thanked me, and we went
out on the portico where the in
valid sat, beneath the green
wealth OF morning glory leaves.
He was youth, not yet nineteen,
pale, unattractive-miserable be-
yond anything / had ever seen;
but the great, hollow eyes were
kind, the smiles sweet as sun
shine that fitted DER his wan
face.
So my task began. l read to
him; l told him of my rambles,
and finally, after much persua
sion, wrote for him, for I was
ashamed of what l called my
"scrabley" writing. For near
ten weeks my labor of love was
performed; and, child as l was,
l think all the instinct of mother
hood reigned in my heart and
taught me how best to soothe his
suffering and console his sorrow.
Whenever the day was clear he
sat beneath the morning glories,
aud when at last too weak to
walk, and his brother remained
most OF the time with him, he
would take him up in his strong
arms and carry him out to sit be
meath the vines. At last he died
before the frost had come. We
stood around his bed, and as the
Pickering lamp burned low, he
lay with closed eyes in q silence
long and unbroken. Suddenly
he put out his hand, as if feeling
for something, and his brother
asked. What is it, Jimmie?"
Little David" he said gaspingly
flor so he had ever called mel
and / crept from my place and
laid my fingers round his own.
"Now, David, recite it now; you
know you said you would" he
said feebly, and choking back my
sobs hun, l recited as best
l could for my tears, the grand
and solemn psalms: Though l
pass through the dark valley of
the shadow of death | shall fear
no evil, for Thou art with me,
that psalm which has soothed
and cheered many a poor fearful
mortal when entering the dark
valley that leads, none know
where; but ere it was finished the
fingers in my own were pulse(ess,
and the others were beneath the
bowed face of his brother.
When l saw him for the last
time, l laid in the coffin, just be.
fore it was sealed up to send to
his mother. n cluster of scarlei