Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-07-18
A MOTHERS IDOL.

A MOTHERS IDOL.
Ina luXunOuSly furnished room, with
s,ft rich carpets, curtains, drapenes,
and dainty knick-knacks, such as are
0Dly seen in the dwellings of the wealthy.
he light was carefully shaded. and in
tba centre Of the apartment, in a child s
rrb the rich lace curtains and blue
bsngingS Of which were drawn and fas-
tsDei back to admit the air, lay boy OF
-Uo or three years in the delirium of
feyer: his lovely face was flushed, his
Kue eyes wide open, and his rounded
limbs we're tossed necessarily from side
IA SIDE. while incoherent means and
eres occasionally came from the poor
sufferer. Several servants and attend
ants paSSed nOiSeleSSly in and out of the
beayy pOrtiere of dark blue which fell
scroSS the doorway, and an oval ivory
framed mirror set in a panel of the same
ooOr was reflected in shadow on the
vail. The sweet face of the Madonna
Of the GrottO,n and her boy, and a
wptty marble Psyche, veiled, with ber
gyer Cupid by her, shOne in the dim
nsss. Everything that could bring COM
toTt and beauty was there-but, alas!
these were vain to ease the little pain.
tsSed limbs. OF still the throbbing of the
tain-anguished, curly head so uneasily
loIlng on the pillow.
The mother bent over her boy in an
agony Of grief. She was young and
BEAUTIFUL, and her whole life and being,
ave, her very soul, was centered on him.
oh. my God, spare himl / cannot
I'VE him up! Spare him, | will not
Ike without him!"
NOprayer for patience. for submission
toa ahigher viii than hers, passed her
lIs, but only the agOniZed cry to spare
lin to her, TO save him for her love.
She had never learned in all her life to
bow to another will than her own, and
now, when her idol was stricken, she
had no other hope, no other cry, but
Spare him! let him livel''
The doctors had said. IF he sleeps
there is hope. but if this restlessness
continues he cannot endure it long"
Everything had been done, every
SOthing influence tried, and still tue
blue eyes were wide open, and the child
n0aned and tossed on his weary bed,
and still the one wild prayer went up,
Oh, let him livel Spare me my child!"
Unlike Isabel in Mrs. Browning's
BEAUTIFUL poem, no vision came to ell
nest her to release her child's soul and
let him find ease and peace.
Her prayer was answered; gradually
The child's tossing became less frequent,
the ids closed. aud death-like silence
iell upon the darkened room. The
watchers held their breathS, and the
OyerwTOught mother sank back upon a
couch which had been drawn near the
little crib; but still she watched every
Use and fall of the covering which had
been at last permitted to remain over
Tie restless child.
Gradually the flush faded, the labored
breath became low and gentle-so low
that several times the mother bent over
hin In anxious dread. He slept until
The sun was high III the heavens. He
aToke, and stretching out his arms to
hls weary mother, shaped that first sweet
word, mammal And she clasped her
darling TO her breast and had no thought
but that he would live, and was all her
oEn. Wrapt in her precious idol, no
PRAYER went up now in thankfulness for
LEI answered petition.
len years had glided away, and the
sane mother was seated on a low chair
'eiore bright wood fire which burned
eAeerfully in an open CRATE. 1t was the
Alne room, but the baby's crib no longer
NOOd there. Long ago it had been re-
moved. The pictures and ornaments
sefe the same, and the fire cast rosy
gieams on various other beautiful things,
4ld on the warm draperies in that lux
Ulous chamber. Still her boy came
LOt. He was out on the darkened street.
tAe quiet, loving beauty of his happy
uonle had few attractions for him, and,
:!Oung as he was, he had tasted those
Sihpung sweets of early dissipation
uldI, like the adder, coil themselves
around their victims bodies and crush
lltlr lives, and rendering soul, body and
VAN one mangled, mutilated mass, pass
" 10 others already entering their
2eeny snare.
Ill last he came, and throwing his
S-DS around his mothers neck, coaxlng-
excused himself for his truancy. a
-. Of about fourteen. with strong,
1Sldlsnt limbs, curly chestnut hair, and
5Se 0lue-gray eyes; but there was evil
aelee OF youth undermined, of physical
gigleS dwarfed, and the large eyes
-cAed that brightness and beauty so
- s.eiy found in The orbs of the youth OF
ioung as he was there were stories Cf
ungoyernable temper and evil pro-
rne-S,iues; but they never reached his
tt-o.lers ear; if they did, she turned
~. ou Them. Her life was lonely one
ne ne lor him; an early marriage,
sseFcuul husband, who had died soon
s~o .el Their child's birth; she had wealth
oeeled -. to her; it would one day be her
- : and If even now he demanded
H. III Which were far too great for boy
No.. " cptllu Ol lllo ONh ohiu~
nm. init his weak mother thought boys
Ma as1 amuse them selves, and gladly sup
ins1 Su us eXacting wishes. And so was
tSo. supplied to add flames to the fire
Nv lae was already under way in It's dead
TN TolA OF devastation and physical ruin:
VII - !, years again had been numbered
IA ~ ~ tlle ages, bringing strange changes
bo-orai rie lonely mother in her beautiful
bsI:e Eustace's wild and dissolute
al ~ were generally known, and only
ln,aI nl'terVals did he visit his home; his
pot ofoken promises of reform could
no,be e relied upon, and even his doting
as &c S-o lelt a cold chill at her heart as
wbs.'e .elected on her son and wondered
Ere ERE II would end.
sDd " fears she hoped for better things,
so,s paced reliance on his soothing