The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-01-16

to do lust as she would wish-waiting
for the daily expected message to re-
turn to her His aunt was in the city.
assisting the nurse and friends in watch
ing with his mother She had no. teen
home for a week. though word rad been
sent daily. They hal put the children
to bed one evening little Walter IN q
small room in tn end of a long hall
on the sc :ond toor. where he always
slept, next to a large room which was
his mothers when She visited the farm.
They had not heard from her that
day, but ~ ord would come in the
morning, no doubt she was better"
his sister said, rs she kissed him good
night, and leav ng the light burning in
the hall near his door. as usual, went
down to the parlor. where two or three
neighbOrs and friends were gathered.
1t was eight o'clock when the
children retired. 1t was ten by the
clock on the parlor mantel when little
Walter came running down the stairs.
bursting into the reom in great excite
ment, calling eagerly:
s'Mamma dear, dear mamma. take
me with you.-oh, take me with you!'
Not finding her there he ran from
room to room. struggling franti-
cally away wien they sought to
detain him, darling through the
front door. who stood open,
and out upon the lawn, his little night
dress disheveled. his hair tossed wildly
back. the tears streaming down his
flushed cheeks, calling: Mamma, oh,
come back..n
His uncle, clasping him firmly in his
arms carried him to the parlor, assur-
ing him that his mother was not there.
and had not been that night. This he
would not believe, but declared, with
passionate bursts of sobs and entreatieS
to be taken to her, that ''she had been
with him in his room-had kissed him.
and told him she was going away and
he would never see her again"
1t was useless to try to comfort him
or to persuade him that his mother had
not been there. Again and again he
broke away from them, rushing from
room to room, up and down the stairs,
calling despairingly for her to come
back. 1t was twelve O. clock when his
aunt unexpectedly returned from the
city, and learning at once of his condi-
ton, took him in her arms, soothed his
passionate grief with loving words and
,aresses, telling him that his mother
was resting quietly now. and he should
be taken 10 see her tomorrow.
With perfect faith In her assuran e
he went readily back TO bed, where he
told his sister, who again accompanied
him, the story that both of them have
repeated many times in later yea S, ev-
ery detail of which, he says, remains
ineffaceably impressed on his memory.
When his sister took him to bed the
first tine and left him, leaving the door
open. with the light burning brightly
in the hall just outs de, he fell asleep
at once, he said. Later he awoke and
saw as mother standing beside him!
This did not seem strange to him, as.
childlike he expected size would soon
be we'll and come herself or send for
him. In his Joy al seeing her, he sprang
up and threw himself upon her bosom,
kissing her again and again delight
eddy.
She took him in her arms, carried
him down the long hall to the head of
the stairs, and, standin. him on the
floor. knelt before him. Pushing his
curls back from his temples, she took
his little face between her warm, soft
hands, as she had often done before,
and looking lovingly into his eyes, told
him TO lie good boy. and when he
grew up to remember that she pr yed
him to be a good and true man; that
she was going away now and he would
never see her again. and kissing him
passionately, suddenly broke from his
OBTAINING arms. and disappeared,
going, as he supposed, down stairs,
where he followed, as before described,
rushing into the parlor just as the
clock was striking ten. The next morn
ing he was up bright and early. full OF
eager happiness, Tor was he not going
to see his mother?s
He got together all the little treasures
he had gathered for her, tying them in
. small box preparatory to the journey.
1t was impossible to subdue his high
spirits, even though all but the young r
children seemed strangely sad and
quiet After breakfast they were all
carefully dressed and seated in the
wagon. his eldest sister holding him
closely to her side. and were driven by
his uncle to their home. Oh, the Joy
of going home once more! He had
never been away from his mother be-
fore in all his little lie, and as they
drove up The Garage entrance to the
side door he could n speak for very
happiness. A strange man was COM
ing down the walk. and
strange boy with q broom was
sweeping down the steps. What was
tnat long black scarf Huttering from
the door? He rose up quickly, leaned
eagerly forward, aad, without q word
not even an exclamation, fell heavily
insensible. He has since told me that
all he had ever heard of death was
when driving with his mother, upon
one or two occasions. she had pointed
out to him some Grape fastened on a
door or window, and told him that
some one inside the house was dead
that God had taken them away. HIS
mother had died the previous evening,
just at The hour of ten!