Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-12-27


little face, that smiled with a wisdom
and sadness inscrutable up into her
own: and the mother believed that the
child told her in its yoiceless smile of
what was coming upon her. Cic'ly
would open the tiny palms, press them
to her lips and cry : sob Lordy. Oh
my God Almighty. Don't | know it,
my baby? Don't | know I've got to
give yer up"
One night in mid-winter the sharpness
of the bitter cold had broken and sub
sided, with the melancholy drips and
drizzles of sullen set-in rain. The
dead leaves whirlti from the sweet
gum-tree kept up the whispering echo
of devil's-dance on the porch. The
gusts Of wind howled like chained
ours at the corners OF the cabin, and
drops Of rain splashed down the wide
chimney. All day long Cic'ly had
moved about the cabin in state Of
strained expectancy, as if something
was going to happen. Every minute
she could spare from cooking Lum's
meals she had been sitting in the dark
corner with her baby in her arms, AM
her eyes set staring on those tender,
innocent baby eyes that smiled up into
hers. The tiny little waving tendrils
of fair hair seemed somehow to Cic'ly
to cling strangely to the little brow
they felt damp to her touch, and
strange darkening shadow was about
the small mouth, that even in smiling
was always so pitifully sad.
She had made at nightfall a little
pallet on the floor near the fire, and
placed the child upon it, but, bending
over, clasped child and pallet in the
embrace Of her arm. The two hounds,
with tails down between their legs, and
with nervous, frightened faces, stood
close by Cic'ly, watching almost as
she watched the little blue-eyed baby
struggling for breath. Not a human
soul besides was on the place. Lum
was off to a charcoal camp. There
was nobody but Cic'ly and the dogs to
keep watch with the child. For hours
she knelt over her young one, only
stirring to cast fresh wood on the fire,
and then bending lower for fear the
baby eyes had missed the comfort Of
her face.
The anguish Of death and desolation
was upon her. "Oh," cried Cic'ly,
L" it wouldn't be so hard eff she'd had
things in her little life; but she hadn't
nothin' but me and the dogs, never no
nice baby dresses, and no baby cap
nothin' in Gods world but me-"
The night wore on and the rains
ceased and the croaking of frogs in the
cane-thickets on Snake Bayou pulsated
in the silence. The hounds pressed
closer to Cic'ly's side, and one of them
whined anxiously, looking up into her
face. The blue shadow deepened about
the baby'S mouth and eyes. Cic'ly
seemed to hear whispers in the room,
TO feel shadow beside her. She
gathered the precious clay up to the in
efiectual shelter Of her breast. NV
little child" she whispered, "my little
child -
1t was about daylight when Cic'ly,
the two dogs pressing to her side,
stepped out from the cabin. A star.
luminous, pellucid, almost dripping its
golden, joyous, rich light, hung low in
the silent skies. alt must be that
Bethlehem star we see at Christmas
she said to herself; but her soft voice
was changed to the nasal, sullen, sad
dened monotone, and then she sped off
into the woods. All, there was no
wonderment to walk down now, and
the girl huddled her arms protectingly
about the stilled, marble little form
pressed against her barred breast. How
careful she was to keep back the BRAN
bles from touching her burden, how
tenderly she pulled the gray blanket
over the little creature, and kept the
white face cuddled in her full bosom.
This wuz life," she said out loud.
her voice falling fat in the dark and
echoless forest. ut warn't Lum. nor
marryin', nor heyin a home; it was
only this. ! was more raggeder than
dog-rose vine, and scratchy with thorns
but she was my little flower, she was
my little star shining in the night; my
little flower my little dog.rosc bloom.
snappit off close to the stem; nv little
child, my little child" And cooling and
grooming to herself Cic'ly pushed her
way, by old instinct, towards home.
Like every other wounded woman the
place that seemed home to her was
where father and mother were. And
when the red sun was setting the east
ern woods on fire she walked across
the old familiar porch and stepped,
with her baby burden, into the old
homo room.
How sweet and lovely her baby
looked when it came time to put il away
forever Tia star of Cic'lv,s ni0ht