The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-11

nad gone out to cNpend. On, surely,
thought ess, and thnftless. as he was,
he would not forget and the children
that Christmas Eve.
But the stormy hours wore by, yet he
did not return. Poor, half famished
little Tom sat before the fire, and watched
the scanty supper with longing eyes.
His mother noticed the little fellow, and
proceeded at once to place it on the
table; she made them cat, and then
coaXod them TO go to bed. Then she
sat down again to her work and her
anxious vigil
Slowly and YEARLY the hours wore on,
and with every moment the storm seemed
to increase. At last she heard the vii
lage bells striking for midnight. At
the same moment feeble little moan
from the crib made her start to her feet.
The babe was growing worse, its
breath came now in sharp gasps, and its
little face began to wear strange,
purplish pnllor. The poor mother caught
it up with sti1ed cry. Then she ran
to the bed where Tom was lying fast
asleep, and dreaming, no doubt, of
what the long chopped for tomorrow
would bring him.
"Tom, Tom" she cried, shaking him
gently, get up, dcar--you must run for
your father, for I'm afraid baby's dying"
The sturdy little fellow was on his
feet in an instant.
"The saloon, mother" he inquired,
significantly. with strange look of sor-
rowful humiliation in his Young eyes as
he quickly drew on his warm jacket
yes Tom! And be sure you bring
him: and if there's any money left run
by the arothecary's and get the medicine
but its too late now. &c quick, now,
Tom! How very dark it is! I'll wake
Annie to 20 with you, if you're afraid. 1"
"No, mother, she shan't 90 out in this
storm-Tm not afraid" and away the
manly little fellow went, out into the
wild, stormy midnight.
The mother sat down and held the
dying babe close to her bosom. And
this was the night for which she had
worked, and boarded, and hoped for so
long
An hour passed, and little Tom re.
turned. drcnched and shivcring.
lies there, mother" he half sobbed,
"lut he won't come, and the moneys all
gone he says. ! came by the apothe-
caly's, but he wouldn't let me have the
medicine. Oh, mother, what shall we
do!'
"lIcaven knows, nv bov." said his
mother. as the BREATHING on her bosom
grew more convuliYe, put on more
wood and wake Annie. then you had
better run back. The child is DYING
tell your father So
Tom obcyed, Another hour went by,
and above the din OF the storm, above
the sobs OF little Annie, the waiting wife
caught the sound Of that heavy, I'M
steady io'tstcp. lie was coming, but 1t
"as too Late. The babe that she held so
closely to her poor aching heart, was
Il W past all earthly suffering. She
arose, and laid it in its crib. and crossed
the little, WaNen hands upon the pulse
less bosom. Then she rose to meet her
husband.
lie staggered in, pale and abashed,
and hall desperate. she pointed IN
silence to the little, marble face on the
cradle pillow.
~ our work, She SAID, hoarsely.
~ on nave Killed my Dany. The medl-
cine might have saved her! Where $
my money, that | worked so hard for
The shock half sobered him, and he
answered, detiantly:
Il went to the saloon and gambled ID
away. You might have known that l
would"
This roor wife had spirit and temper
enough beneath her meckness and pa
thence. and il biazei up fierccly now.
She turned to push Linn from her in bit
ter anger and disgust but the sight of
his face arrested her. A bloatcd, brutal,
drunlards face, but the face Of her own
husband; the face that had won her
wears before, in her happy girlhood; the
face that was so noble and manly, when
the will ge bel rang in honor of their
wedding day. \ sudden gush of ten
dcrncss melted her heart.
ooh. Charlie" she sobbed. chow can
you break my heart, and l love you
so:"
Ills face whitcncd to the hue of death
and his breast heaved convulslvely.
Don't he cried, hoarsely' as he tore
himself from her arms, and the next IN