The state journal., 1884-10-18
HOW MY BABY DIED.
A Tender "Reminiscences Wrung from a
Mothers Heart


The doctor said it had severe cold and
prescribed for it. He went away and re-
turned in an hour without being called.
Then l knew my baby boy was more i'll
than / had thought, and when he went
away | followed him out of the house
and into the snow -burdened air and said
to him:
doctor, tell me the truth? WiIlmy baby
die?"
at is very i'll, " he replied. 'but there is
yet little hope"
Then l returned and looked again on
the sweet face of my little boy. Where
dimples had been were hard, white lines
of pain. Where the nostrils had been
such soft and velvety pink, you could
see the light shine through their walls,
and every hairlike vein was blue almost
to blackness. The little hand, which was
wont to feel patting my face and pressing
my cheeks, had lost their tender cunning
and were lying uselessly on its heaving
bosom, purple and clenched. knew
that,my baby was not for long. l knew
that even then the angels who loved it
little better than |, were waiting to take
it away. l saw the death dew stand in
diamond beads upon its alabaster brow
and felt the dampening curls that clust-
cred like falling sunshine where l had
been wont to kiss it. l heard the faint
gurgling in my baby's throat and saw no
recognition in its eyes, once so soft and
blue and laughing, but now CLASSY with
the film of death. They were looking
away, through the ceiling and roof of my
humble cottage into the realms where
the Recording Angel sat with the book of
life open before him, at page as white
as snow, save where the name was writ
ten at its top-the name of my darling
boy.
The snowf1akes ceased to fall, and the
glad sunlight from the west came in
through the window and fell upon my
baby's bed, flooding it with radiance
and glory like that which tremblcs on the
golden tiles of heaven, and then the sun
sank out of view, and in the gray twilight
my baby lay, struggling body and soul
the one with the other, for the mastery.
AS the shadows deepened l saw the bony
hand of death reach out from among the
pillows and clutch my baby by the throat.
| tried to fight the monster back but he
would not loose his hold.
The lamps were lighted, and saw my
baby smile, as if it saw a face more well
come, kind and sweet than the face of
her that bore it bending over its cradle
the face of Him who said, Suffer little
children to come unto Me, and forbid
them not, for or such is the kingdom of
God" and while it yet smiled, the soul
went out from the tabernacle of clay, and
left the temple tenantless and cold, but
beautiful as life itself. My baby was
dead, and / was clasping to my heart
only the clay image of its soul, now
wingiDg its flight, through the boundless
depths of blue that lie between the grave
and the throne of God. Is it a wonder
that men worship idols of clay, when
clay is so grandly beautiful as this?
L slept and dreamed | saw the pearly
gates swing open, and knew my baby
had reached home. l caught glimpse
OF Heaven and sawit fly straight to the
arms of Him who died upon the cross,
and ere the gates were closed the angel
with the book drew his wand across the
page and held it up to the others, and l
saw that naught but the name of my dar-
ling 10y was there, written in characters
of shining gold, while all the rest was
pure and white; and as the gates swung
shut the harps of millions sang glad re-