The Dawson journal., 1884-12-04
HOW MY BABY DIED.
A Tender Reminiscence Wrung from
Il Mothers Heart.

He went away and returned in al
hour without being called. Thel
[ knew my baby boy was more il
than had thought, and when he
went away, / followed him out Of
the house and into the snow-bur.
dened air, and said to him:
doctor, tell7me the truth. Will
my baby die?"
ut is very ill., he replied, "but
there is yet a little hope" Then
L returned and looked again on
that sweet face of my little boy.
Where dImples had been were
hard and white lines of pain.
Where the nostril5 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 | wont to feel
patting my cheeks had lost their
cunning, and were lying uselessly
on its heaving bosom, purple and
clenched. ! knew my baby was
net for long [ knew that even
the angels, who loved it little
better than [, were wa ting to t Ike
it aMay. [ saw the death dew
stand in diamond beads upol its
alapaster brow and felt the dam
pening curls, that clustered like
falling sunshine where | had been
want to kiss it. | heard the faint
gurgling in my baby's throat, and
saw no recognition in It's eyes,
once so soft and blue, and laugh
ing, bat now CLASSY with the film
Of death. They were looking
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 darl-
ing boy.
The snow flakes 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 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 bony hand of death reach out
from the pillows and clutch my
baby by the throat. tried to fshi
the monster back, but he would
not loose 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 "SufIer little
children to come unto me, and for
bid them not, for such is the king.
dom of God" and while it YET
smiled, the soul went out from tie
tabernacle of clay, and left the
temple tenantless and cold, but
beautiful as life itself. Ny baby
was dead, and / was clasping to
my heart only the clay image Of
its soul, now winging its flight
through the bouudiess depths OF
blue that lie between the grave
and the thrown of God. Is it 6
wonder that men worship idols Of
clay, when clay is 50 grandly beau
tiful as this?
] slept and dreamed, and as ]
dreamed, I saw the poarly. gates
swing open and | knew my baby
reached home. l caught a glimpse
of heaven and saw it lily straight
70 the arms him who died upon
the cross, and ere the gates were
closed, the angel with the boil
drew his wand across the pagt
aad held it up 10 the Others, ano
| saw that nought but the name o
my darling boy was there, writ
ten in characters Of shinnin,
gold; while all the rest was pur
and white, and as the gates swun
shut, the harps Of millions san
a glad refrain.