West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-05-09

the evening before the funeral by tho
side of her dead darling, she felt as
though there could never be any more
brightness or pleasure for her this side
of eternity.
She sat there fearless, speeches. and
despairing, and heard not the timid
knock that came upon the door. nor
did she notice the figure that a mo-
ment later entered the room, until "A
voice choked with sobs said:
please, Mrs. Sunderland, mayn't /
see him?''
Then she turned and saw Charlie
Cooper. The boys swollen eyes showed
that he had been crying, but Mrs. Sun
dcrland looked at him, alphabetically,
and when she had realized what IL was
he wanted, turned quite calmly towards
the collin and withdrew the cloth that
covered the waxen face
Charlie gazed for few moments
upon his dead schoolmate, awed and
silent, though the tears chased each
other down his cheeks. In little
while the mother kissed the marble
brow, still with that unnatural calm
ness, and recovered the face.
Charlie was trembling from head to
foot with depressed agitation, and Mrs.
Sunderland almost unconscously laid
her hand upon his shoulder as if to
calm him. At her touch the bows self
control gave way; with n chld's in
stinctive desire for comfort and support
in sorrow, he flung his arms around
her and dropping his head upon her
bosom, burst into n violent fit of weep
ing.
go, Mrs. Sundcrlandn' he cried, ~
can t bear To have him die; can't
can't he was always so good TO me-"
The mothers lips quivcred; her fea-
lures worked cOnyulsively; the healing
tears came at last to her aching eyes,
and with her face bowed upon Charles
curly head, she, too, wept freely and
softly, and with the blessed tears tho
first bitterness of her anguish passed
away
Mrs. Sunderland's friends came to
her and took her away from the scene
OF her bereavement. All that affection
could do was done to- cheer her, and
after few months her healthy, cheer
tul temper began to- rcaSsert itself, and
so aided the effort of benelicent nature
that by September she felt able to re-
turn to Grcenville and her boys grave,
and 10 become again, in n measure, her
old calm and gentle self.
The schools had just reopened and
though the remembrance of one short
year ago, when her own boy was there,
the brightest and most hopeful of the
Young throng who commenced the
school-year together, brought pang of
almost unbearable pain to the mother's
heart, she endured this suffering as she
had endured all the rest, uncomplain-
ingly.
The examination for promotion was
again held, and this time Charlie Coon
er ranked first among the five of his
class who were promoted to the HIGHER
department. Mrs. Sunderland was sim
cerely pleased when she heard of the
lad triumph, and few mornings later
when she met him, she stopped to shake
hands with him, congratulatinp him
most cordially. But how does IL hap
pen you are not in school, this morn
ingP" she asked
II don't 90 to school, lust now"
he Stammered I've stopped awhile'u
'Why, how does that happen? Surely
now is the very time YOU ought to be
most regular in attendance
81 know-Pd like to be, but''-aUain
he stopped, much embarrassed, and il
was no. without good deal of cues
uoning that Mrs Sunderland at last
drew from him the information that he
had ceased to attend school on account
OF his fathers inability to procure for
him the new set of school-books his pro
motion had made necessary
Fathers had felon on his hand nj
summer, and it's not well vet. He
hasn't been able to work much, and
we've had TO be awful economical
Mother cried like everything when
father said he just couldn't spare the
money to buy lot of new books; she
was mad at first, but she soon cot over
That, Tor she knew father couldn't help
1t. She's saving up now. and so am [.
and We'll raise the money between us
before Christmas, | guess, though those
KIND OF books do cost like smoke he
concluded, with rueful sigh
After he had gone Mrs. Sunderland
went into her darkened parlor and, sit
ting in her rocking chair. rocked and
cried softly for long time.
lhen she went upstairs and opened a
deep drawer in bureau, from whence
issued n strong perfume OF withered
rOse-leaves. She removed the liner
towel that shrouded the contents of the
drawer, and from one corner drew fortl
slate and pile of school-books-al-
most new. she opened the books one
by one, and in each she kissed the
name Frank Sunderland" inscribed
in big boyish hand; then she laid her
cheek upon the books, fondling them as
though they were living creatures, and
cried again.
At last she wiped her eyes and tied
up the books in n neat strong package
90 am dong just as he would want
me to do, she said to herself. She
wrote the name Of Charlie Coopcr upsn
tie package, and giving it to her little
kltchen-maid, directed her to take il to
the house OF her ncighbor, Mr.. Cooper
The evening Of the same dav. as Mrs
Sunderland sat alone, reading over a
few erses from her Bible before rctir-
lng for the night, she heard q hustle Of
approaching footsteps, the door opened.
and her little maid said
Here's Mis- Cooper wants To see
YOU few minutes, Mis- Sunderland ~
Mrs. Cooper. for she it was, advanced
toward Mrs. Sunderland rs the latter
arose. I've come to talk about them
books YOU sent tony Charlie she said
roughly almost fcrcclv
" Yes, replied Mrs Sunderland. den