Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1888-05-12
"LITTLE ONE"

Il suited him somehow, the name
Little One.
In all his brief life he had not known or
answered to any other. II seemed 10 lie
part and parcel with himself, and IL had
tcnaciously clung To him from the hour he
had been thrown fricndlcss waif upon
our mercy until the present, when at 10
years of agc he was no larger than are
most children Of and ).
We were n childlcss couplc-my hus.
band and |. Our luxurious home had
never resountlcd 10 the paticring of baby
footsteps nor the music Of baby voices,
and SO when on that bitter winters night
/ we had found him lying in mute helpless
ness upon the threshold, we thanked God,
and at once adopted him into home and
heart. And In home and heart he had
rcigncd triumphant ever since!
Who he was-from whence cXtracte,l-
we had never thought to question. II
maticrcl little IL honor ar shame was his
heritage. lie had come To us in u time Of
sorcst need; hc was helpless and innocent
and fair TO look upon, and so we had
straishtway cnthronci the tiny strangcri
From the very iirst hc was possessed Of
u touching, appealing sort of beauty, and
Of most cuicarins baby ways; and rs day
by day discovered some new charm In
mind or body, we grew To- love him with
n love that was akin Ia idolairy Oh how
we loved our Little One. And now. when
| stand beside the mound that covers his
ashes, how the hot tears eusl to my eyes!
and how throbs my heart in kecncst an
guish. as recall the winsomeness that So
endearcd him!
Had we been gifted with prophets
vision we would have forcscen that the
Jewel had been lent us for season only,
and the blow had not then fallen so sud-
denly us to find us unprcparcd.
The many vcincd transparent temples
the large, melancholy blue eyes ever bent
upon the unseen, as IL wcrc--thc gentle
toncs-ihc spiritlike tread-toli n story
all their own; but love had blinded us and
we could not read between the linesr'
For him the future was to he one nm
ending dream of delight for him we built
castles In Spain, and planned and boarded,
so that when manhood should come TO
him he would take his place among the
proudcst In the land. Could we but have
known that this fraii life so dear to us,
was fast rccetling from our grnsp-that
the tender feet were even now approach
Ing the shores of the Mystic sea. think
sc we would have SO dreamed and
plannetli True. there were moments,
even In our blindness. when vague fear
would send pang sharper than sword
thrust 10 the heart, rs we caught his rapt,
far away gaze, or marked an unusual
languor In his movements. Iut all such
fears were dismissed as quickly rs they
came. and we would go ON planning and
dreaming, rs before.
Always quiet child, he grew more and
! "A linnsa gutaI until
ever saw him engage In romp and play
like others of his age, nor heard his voice
raised IN boyish laugh or shout. This
was unnatural and should have caused
us timely alarm so that we might have
tried the efficacy Of more vigorous meas
ures. But we were blind and could not
see what was best for the child. For
hours and hours he would amuse himself
In his own subdued fashion with his books
and toys while sat sewing near him.
And !, who loved him better than life,
was content TO have II thus.
But when the twilight shadows filed
the room II was his habit 10 throw his
playihings aside, climb my knee, and nest
ling his golden head In my bosom, beg me
10 tell him the dear old Bible stories, and
OF the angels with their harps and crowns
stories TO which he had listened from
infancy, hut Of which he never wearied
Then when bed time came and had
robed him In his snowy nightiress, he
would knecl at my feet, revercntly fold
his waxen hands aud pray with an earnest
ness that WIS almost uncanny in so young
"a child, after which he would coax to he
taken In my arms To he rocked aud sung
TO sleep. II was n baby trick of his which
he had never outgroxn, and one In which
I delighted to indulge him. IL all comes
back TO me-the tiny white robed form,
the grooming lullabirs, the saint like
prayer, the cOniiding, golden head, the
touch Of clingng arms around my neck
and great wave Of agony breaks over
my soul at the retrospect.
We had made for our Little One n
downy nest; we had sheltered and hetlgc,l
him about with tendercst care; hut alas
no earthly love, however tender, could
screen him from the Destroyer. Scarlet
fever Of n most Virnlcnt type broke ont IN
the village, and In spite Of all human pre-
caution our zone eve lamb" was an early
victim. How We battled with our fierce
despair ms we lowered In brcathless sus-
pense above his pillow. How alternately
elated we were by hope. or depressed by
forcbOsling, as we watched the crimson
cheek, or noted the iltful pulse, let those
tell only who have thus endured. Ono
by one loves tcndrils were being wrenched
from their hold ON the heart-One by one
our hopes were going out with the sands
Of a life, and We were forced To bow 20
the inserutablei
Il was glorious evening In early
June. The sun had gone down In more
than usual pomp, leaving an afterglow II
liquid radiance, which In turn had given
place 10 the solemn stars and n full orhcd
moon. "Little One" hal been lying for
hours In sort Of conscious stupor, from
which we had feared 10 arouse him, when
suddenly the plaintive voice piped:
"MRmma, are you therei"
eyes, my precious, mamma Is here, and
she does not intend 10 leave you either"
Sand Is my papa here, tooi"
"Yes, dear, your papa Is here, too"
"Then want you hath To come and sit
where ! can ieel you near me; for, oh
Einmmn, can't see you at all. I some
bow seem Ia be slipping-slipping-
from everybody, and your poor little boy
a NJ cold''
In fearful silence we oheyed his request,
when. elasldng a hand of each, I've again
aank into partial stupOr, the while there
erept through all his blessed lilile frame