The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-01-11

fine surgeon didn't do anything more
the boy asked him in a careless way. that
pas all assumed, if he wouldn't be up in
q few days. He whispered in my eur as he
passed:
Inflammation set IN. Better send for
friends if he has any,"
Il didn't loose any time, and with hands
that trembled and eyes that blurred I wrote
TO that mother-who, somehow, had grown
kin to me--that Willie was wounded and
the doctor thought he wouldn't live. AT
he close l wrote, Il am doing all l can for
your dear boy" l thought, perhaps, it
would ease her mind n little. l wasn't
o ng to tell him of the letter until he spoke
f writing; but toward night he grew worse
tsain, and l could see he was linking
bout it. Finally I asked what 1 could do
for him. lie only turned his head away
and kept very still. He thought l didn't
see his lips culver, and tie tears that he
;ried to hide in the WOODEN shawl. After
4 moment he spoke up just as pleasant as
yer.
Perhaps you'd better-let mother know
L amt getting well-so fast as l WASP"
l told him jest as quietly rs I could that
| had thought for solne time that his mother
adbetter come and see i she couldn't do
better thnn l at nursing, SO / had sent a
word to her that morning. He seemed
really pleased, but didn't have breath t
tell me SO for a long tine. After while
he seemed easier, and l almost thought he
had gone to sleep; but in a minute his eye
opened "Antie"-l was at his side in S
stantly--''ds you think III get well?'
What could l say? Did yon ever hive to
answer such a hard question? / never did
myself, totell the truth. II hope 50, Vii.
lie. but I'm afraid not"
Another question followed: "Wili mother
come-in the morning?"
He shook his head, and pretty soon laid
his hand in mine. | guve it a warm pres
sure.
"Auntie, I'm fraid--I haven'tbeen good.
Didn't ever forget topray, though just IL
mo,bcr said. Won't You, now"
My first thought was to send for the
Chaplin; but. no, Willie had asked me, SO
i prayed the best ] ~could-prayed that the
mother might come soon. and if not that,
| the dear Savior would help the suffering
boy here aud the mother at home, and that
they might meet by and 10y ia Heaven.
When I raised my head l thought he was
dying. ] called an attendant and the doc
tor; bal after n time he became conscious,
and then began q struggle for breath that
lasted all through that long weary night.
Not one word of complaint. and always a
smile when we tried to relieve him. AT
day-break he was better. AS soon MS the
st tge came l was nj tho door to see if one
of Its occupants wasn't a little woman in
black. | ought TO huve known that the time
was too short. but ] was too excited to be
reasonable. l amt forget what an anxious
face turned to me.
Did she Gomez"
7 could only shake my head, aud swal-
lowed hard to keep the lump out Of my
throat.
IF she-don't come-till too .lare-tcll
her-its all right. You praycd-prayed me
through"
These were the last conscious words he
ever spoke. ] was almost glad to have him
unconscious, because his breath came SO
hard. | never left that bedside all the
morning. The doctor came, and said he
could not last long, ard l saw the same
beautiful look coming back to his face. ]
whispered:
Willie" and Kissed his fore head grow
ing moist with the death damp, just as /
thought his mother would have done we're
she present.
Now I-I-lay-me-down-down-
sleep"
And he was dead, even Wilde I held him
to MY beating heart.
Do You kpog anything abou. hospital
funerals? They buried him next day and
Still his mother had not There was
a pine colin, Il few flowers l. hud a great
deal of trouble to get, u short prayer, aud
dust to dust"
Thu one mourner had TO choke back her
tears, and go back to duti s, grown more
sacred, but never more 20 be llghtened or
refreshed by the smiles and cheers of her
own boy.
She came next DAY. l showed her the
little wooden Stat. ana o d her how he talked
Of mother, and tie message he left. and
how he went to sleep. She didn't blame
me q bit: seemed to know; that [ had done
what l could for him. and SO comforted me
more than / did her. She took the pine
cufin back with her TO bury her boy by he1
husband. Never shall ! forget how she
smiled through her tears as She talked OF
their teing together. There can be sublim-
lily IN sutf+iing. ! have seen it. This les
lament, YOU see, was given me by that moth
or, when on that dreary morning she started
out from the dark, gloomy hospital with
her boy.