Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-09-29
Selected for the Capital by the W. C.T.U.)
POOR TOM.


through the air then its musical ca
deDce gently died away till all was
still.
"No! /! all was not still; for bird
was singing without, and the light
breath of summer came floating into
the room where / lay; and bore its
tremulous song 10 my ear. rose,
and looked Through the open
easement into the latticed porch
The geranium, the rose bush the
vine and the honey -suckle, spread.
ing out their tender leaves obstructed
the view but nevertheless left room
for glimpse into paradise of q gar
den, where the flowers were smiling.
How peaceful
After all, is not this happy world?
Toll Toll!
Again that sound; but this time its
fainting murmurs were caught up and
prolonged, by another, deeper toned
than the first. The inartieulate har.
mony tells more forcibly than words,
that imam goeth to bis long home, and
the mourners go about the streets. -
There is sadness, and yet sweet
ness in the knell; mourning and yet
q JOY.
Just such grand requiem as the
saints should have; sorrow for our
loss, joy for their triumph But, o,
fear it is not the body Of departed
believer that now takes its last jour-
ney. O, to think that when the last
trumpet shall sound--alas alas
Come with me, enter sick cham
Der. A bloated form lies before you;
the eyes glare wildly round, as be
wakes from a stupid slumber, aud a
sepulchral voice breaks the silence.
"W here is my bottle 2"
"Tom," replies middle aged man,
sitting by the bedside-it was kind
ly but firmly spoken-"Tom, you
have drunk all that was in the bottle,
and you shouldn't have had that, if
had not been afraid you would sink
before the doctor came"
II want my bottle, tell you. |
will have it, III get up out of this
! bed, and go in town, and get some for
myself" He rose up in his bed, but
hrs strength was too far gone. He
fell back in fainting fit.
A few hours later Day dies in the
west; the crimson and gold and blue
that overbang earth, our great taber-
nacle in the wilderness where even
yet the Shekinah sometimes appears,
are fading into sombre pail, as
though this abiding place of ours,
were, as it is indeed, one vast charnel
house. Knock! knock Death is at
the door.
Lift me up,n says the dying man.
"Tom, you can't stand it; you are
too weak"
Lift me up" says he stemly to q
servant. The servant takes hold of
his hand, and raises him little. He
tries to rise still further; but the effort
is too much for him; he sinks back in
his last swoon, draws two or three
breaths-and he is dead
Toll! Toll!
A group of idlers was standing on
the corner of the street, when present
ly there came into view a slow pro-
cession. Reader, will you. or your
father, or your brother or your son
ever lead such a procession
"Poor Tom" said one of the COM
pany on the sidewalk. The speaker
was plump and rubicund, with heavy
gold fob chain, and an embroidered
cravat daintily tied round bis broad
neck.
Poor Tom he was a good clever
fellow, when he wasn't drunk. My
Sam was out at the house this morn
ing, and went in and took look at
the corpse. He says black woman
was standing at the head of the lounge
| when be lifted up the coverlid from
Toms face. She looked monstrous
solemn, and when Sam laid back the
coverlid, she took hold Of his hand
and said Poor Massa Tom is gone,
and then the tears came trickIing
down her face, and she cried, as
though she would break her heart.
Boys ! you know Tom was mighty
good to his niggers. when he was
sober, but he was like very devil,
when he was drnng.'
a man who was passing, By paus-
ed on hearing these words, and said
TO the speaker. Mr. Jones, believe
be died from the effects Of liquor, did
be not g'
SO I'm told. was the reply.
We'll, did you sell him the liquor2p
what If 4 did 7 If hadn't. some
body else would. And what bust
ness is it Of mine. il be chose to go
and kill himself with il, I'd like to
know
You win learn that, better than /
can tell you, ID the last day calmly