News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-11-12

| lay asleep ana then kissed me at the
door. BE good boy, Willie, and takt
care of little sister Bessie slept long
time that morning, and I passed the
time in sitting by her and going to th'
door to watch for father. When sh'
!, woke up she said the first thing; Bah!
is so hungry, Willie, get something tt
eat Get up, Bessie, and let me dres:
v you, and then we will have breakfast.
| had not eaten a mouthful, nor haG
mother tasted food before leaving
home, and was awful hungry myself
9 She got up, and l dressed, washed anC
combed her; but when we sat down tc
the table, Bessie look ed at the food and
then she just dropped her curly head
right down on the table, and sobbeG
out /; oh, Willie, I am so tired
, of corn bread and molassesy l can't eat
1t. want some meat and butter Don't
cry, Baby said, stroking her curls,
mother will bring home something to-
night But it is so long to wait-this
is Mrs. Gray's day and mother is always
late when she washes for her. TRY to
eat, I said, and l put spoonful of mo-
lasses on her plate, and she did try; but
she only swallowed a few mouthfuls,
and then she left the table. I ate q
small piece of dry bread, I thought
maybe she would eat the molasses, so ]
did not touch it. All day she kept say
ing she was hungry, but refused to eat
what we had. II was a long day to
both of US. Father had not come home,
and it was nearly dark; we were both
sitting on the door step, Bessie laid her
head against my arm, and began to cry,
I'm so hungry, Willie, mother stays so
late tonight Don't cry, Baby, mother
will soon be home 'Of course she will. )
exclaimed George Anderson; he lived a
mile beyond up, and as he spoke he
tossed bunch of blue bells into Bessie's
lap. oh, how prettyr she exclaimed,
while the tears dropped from her sweet
blue eyes down on the pretty blue bells.
Come, Bessie said, let me fasten
them among your curls.' She got up
and stood on the door step with her face
towards the house. l stood behind
her and tied the blue-bells in her golden
curls. had just fastened the last one
when some one jerked me off the bot
tom step. 1t was father; he was drunk,
and l knew by his looks that he was al
most crazy with drink. He pushed me
aside and stood between little Bessie
and me. Bessie turned to run, but he
caught her and said, You have been
crying; what did Willie do to your
She was so white and scared that
! thought she would faint. Willie didn't
do anything, she gasped out. Father
let her go and grasped me; he com
menced to shake me awful. you rascal,
what did you do to Bessie2 Tell me- or
l will shake the breath out of you He
shook me so l could not answer. Then
little Bessie caught him by the arm,
please, father, don't hurt, Willie; Twas
so hungry it made me cry He looked
in at table and saw the bread and mo-
lasses. You little white-faced liar, you
are not hungry; look at that table, there
is plenty to eat and good enough, too,
for such a brat as you, and he shook
her roughly. She began to cry and
but my father pushed me away. IF
you can't eat anything, l will
give you something to drink. and he
caught her up in his arms and started
down the path that led to the pond
where we got wash-water. 1t was not
a frog hole, the water was as clear as a
lake, and it was surrounded by green
grass and several large trees grew near
mer and glorious place for skating in
the winter. 1t was only short distance
from the house. Bessie hushed crying
but she looked so awful scared. fol-
lowed close behind father. I'll give
you something to drink he exclaimed,
when he reached the edge of the water,
and he walked right into the water, and
followed, scarcely knowing what was
doing, | was so frightened. He waded
in about knee deep, then he took Bessie
and putting her feet under one arm, he
put her little curly head down under
the water, she threw up her little white
hands and cried out, oh, Willie,
take baby just as the curly head
went down. waded around
strength to raise her head out of the
water, but father held it down. Ibegged
father to take her out, but he did not
listen to me. She threw up her hands
wildly, there was gurgling sound, and
then all was still. begged father to
take her out, prayed God to save Bes-
sizes life, but all in vain, God was far
away and did not hear me cry, at least
it seemed SO to me. 1t seemed hours to
me, but father at last lifted up Bessie's
white dripping face. 1 called her name
frantically, madly, wildly, but her blue
lips didn't move; she was dead. Father
carried her and laid her down on the
green grass. Il guess she won't be
hungry for awhile, he said, as he laid her
down. was SO stunned that I neither
moved or spoke, until 1 saw the blue
bells that had twined in Bessie's hair
floating out on the water | could not
bear to see them drift away; it
seemed as if it was dear little Bessie's
sweet, dead face drifting away; l could
not bear the thought, so l waded out
after them; the water was deep, and on
l went; 1t was up to my arm-pits, now
over my shoulders, still the blue bells
were just beyond my reach, but must
have them; the water touched my chin,
another step and l caught them, and
AAAAdA, l heard mother call
'Williei oh, Willie where are you 2 l
looked for father, he was seated on the
ground by Bessie. Willie! oh, Willie
came mothers voice again. / was out
of the water now, but so weak could
scarcely stand. Bessie! oh, Bessier p
| called Here mother, at the pond
Father gave one mad leap into the water,
he plunged in face down. / was SO ter
rifed | did not know what to do. l
heard mother coming. l trembled so |
could not walk, SO crawled up to Bes-
sic, and taking fathers old straw hat,
put it over Bessie's dead face to keep
mother from seeing it. In moment
she came in sight. She saw | was drip
ping with water willie, Willie, what
is the matter?" l could not speak. She
lifted the hat off of Bessie's face. She
stood for moment as if turned to stone.
Tell me how it happened, Willie; tell
me quick Then | found voice and
told her everything. She heard me
through without word, but when L
had finished, shrek after shrek rent
the air. She stood with clasped hands
over Bessie, and sbrieked such unearth-
ly cries that soon the neighborhood
flocked to the spot. Father had
drowned himself; his body was taken
from under the beautiful water and
buried in the cemetery along side OF
Bessie. Mother was raving maniac
from the moment she uttered the first
heart-rending cry over her dead baby
Bess. put the blue bells in little
box, and hung them around my neck,
but after the funeral l lay in the hos
pital, sick for weeks with brain fever,
but when / came to myself, the box was
still around my neck; here it is, and
he drtw from his bosom small box,
which upon opening, revealed few
withered leaves.
''They speak of sweet little baby Bes-