The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1886-01-09

baby's little arms drawing me from the
earth" Then she went to the carpen
ter's.
"Good sir, she said, take stout wood
from the heart Of an oak, wood that
will not decay and that the worms car
not eat through, cut planks from It
andimake me Il coffin to this measure
The carpenter took his saw and
plane, made ready the boards. and then
hammered in the nails as gently as pos
sible. When it was done it looked like
il box for laces and jewels,
GOOD carpenter she said, "you
have made so fine Il casket for my lit
tie Ham, that l will give you for it my
house at the other end of the village
and the little garden behind and the
well. with the vine beside it. You will
not have long to wait"
With the sllrnud and the coffin, which
she carried under her arm, it was s.
small, she passed through the village
street, and the children. who knew not
the meaning of death, looked after her.
"See :" they cried ''iInnz's mother
is bringing him a box of toys-a toy
village, of courSe. Oh. if we might on
" have Il box like tina"
All <Io.. n,t1ars cyo noln onl
caught them in their arms aud hu>hed
them. When HAMS mother reached
her home she took once more III her
arms the little body, beautiful still, and
bathed and dressed it., lingering long
over its last toilet, which should, indeed
be made with care ; TO- it must last un
til eternity. She put on is Sunday
clothes. its si!ken robe, aud his little
saque lined with swans down. that it
might not suffer in the cold. damp place
where it wa, going, aud laid by its side
the blue.eyed doll that the child had
always by its side in the cradle, SO WEI
he. loved it. Bat at the moment when
she was about 70 draw up the shroud
over the face on which, for Il thousand
times. she had imprinted kisses, she
saw that she had forgotten to put on
tho child its pretty red shoes, bat dn-
ring her absence the rats had found
them underneath the bed, and had nib
bI-d and knawed, and torn them. 1t
grieved the poor mother sorely to think
that her Hanz must 60 bare feet into
the next world. She wept us she look
ed at the shoes. How could she ct
shoes for Hanz, now that she had given
her ring and her house !! At last
an idea came to her relief. There was
IA loaf of bread OIL the shelf, not yet c;t,
for the unhappy mother had eaten no'h
ing tor Il long tine. She cutths bread.
remembering how she had been used
to amuse Hauz by mOiding it into pig
cons, ducks, rabbits, boats, aud other |
childish f~ancies. She took the bread
crumb in her hand. Her tears mOiSten !
ed 1t, aud she kneaded and nodded it
till she had shaped the bread into ii
pair of little shoes, which she put ON
the cold feet of the dead child. ;and, !
with her sad heart, she drew up the |
shroud and closed the GOTTA. While
moldlns the bread abtgyar came to the
door, asking for something to eat, but. |
with Il gesture, she sent him away.
The gr"ve-digger took away the lit
tie box, and hid it fiom sight in Il cor
ner Of the cemetery, beneath i; clump |
of white rose bushes. When she came
back to her solitary home, she drew
HAMS cradle beside her bed, lay down
and fell asleep, and dreamed, or, ut
least, thought she was dreaming. Hanz
appeared to her. He looked sad. He
had not the auieola round his head thar |
doath should give to baby innocence. !
The ro.es of paradise were not bloom
ing on his pale death b auched cheeks : |
tears hung on his yellow lashes. aud his !
breast was bursting with signs. The
vision vanished, and the mother woke
shivering, The next night the vision
appeared again Hanz Was sadder aud
paler.
My darling" the mother mnrmur
ed stretching out her arms, "be com !