Middletown transcript., 1884-12-26
How My Baby Died.

The doctor said it had a severe cold,
and prescribed for it. He went away
and returned in an hour without being
called. Then l knew that my baby
boy was more i'll than l 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. Will
my baby die p
1T is very ill.," he replied, but
there is yet little hope" Then
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 hair-like vein was blue
almost to blackness. The little hands
which was wont to feel patting my
face and pressing my cheeks, had lost
their tender cunning, and were lying use
clenched. | knew my baby was not
for long. l knew that even then, the
angels, who loved it a little better than
[, were waiting to take it away. |
saw the death-dew stand in diamond
beads upon its alabaster brow, and felt
the dampening curls, that clustered
like failing sunshine where l had been
wont to kiss it. 1 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 a page as white as snow, save where
the name was written at the top-the
name Of my darling boy.
The snowfakes 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 a
radiance and glory like that which
trembles 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 [ saw the b0ny hand
of death reach out from among the
pillows, and clutch my baby by the
throat. l tried to fight the monster
back, but he would not lose his hold.
The lamps were lighted, and saw
my baby smile, as if it saw face more
welcome, 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 Of 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 winging its
flight through the boundless depths Of
blue that lie between the grave and
throne of God. Is it Il wonder that
men worship idols of clay, when clay is
so grandly beautiful as this ?
1 slept and dreamed, and as
dreamed l saw the pearly gates swing
open, and 1 knew my baby had reached
home. l caught glimpse of heaven,
and saw it 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 boy was there, written in charac-
ters Of shining gold, while all the rest
was pure and white, and as the gates
swung shut, the harps of millions sang
a Glad refrain.-F. E. HUDDLE.