The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-01-14
Wrtnen for The ArkansoV Tr0eeter.
 HIM COLLINS LOVE.
BY GEORGE ROBINSON.

"Morniu' Psrson, come in; sit down; it's kind Though don't thinR Nell needs prayin' for in
 the place where she has gone. But let that be, if you think best to offer up And if il goes straight up to Heaven it will
 find poor Nelly there. Dead7 Yes. sir. At four this mornin', just at
 the break O day, She said good bye and kissed me, then quietly Gods will you sayp We'll. p'raps so; I guess Hut. let me tell you, parson, twas hard to let
 her go. "You don't know how much I loved her and
 how much she was to me; And she was just as loving and faithful as a
 woman well could be. For nigh thirty years, through thick and thin,
 her love to me she'd given ..,
 ever be in Heaven. suffered, parson. through the nights while
 watching at her bed. She would not rest unless my arm was holdin'
 up her head. She would talk to me of Heaven and about our Who died~poor little baby-way back in fifty
 eight. No. we never had no more, sir; she was the And our heats wuz mighty lonely when the
 little one was gone It was just as if the clouds of night had GOV
 cred up the skies And shut the warm, bright sunshine forever
 from our eyes. We never forgot her. parson. See! Wrapped in
 this httle frock There's pair of battered little shoes and one
 little ragged sock. I'm worth but little, parson-made by toll on
 land and sea But all the gold in these here mines wouldn't
 buy these things from me. "Poor Nell last night-G cd bless her-though
 her strength was growing less. Drew my head to hers and whispered: Jim,
 bring katy's little dress My eyes grew dim with scalding tears, my
 heart was racked with pam As she took the little things from me and
 kissed them once again Then somehow other, parson, though my
 heart was sick and sore, I seemed to hear two little feet as they pat
 tered 'cross the floor. l don't know, parson, but I've heard that
 spirits sometimes roam, And believe the little one was there to take
 her mother home. "Twa'n't fancy, parson, and the thought
 peace to my sorrow brings; And when the little feet stopped pattering
 heard the rustlin' of wings. You need not believe it, parson-well, you're
 welcome if you choose Just then Nell died, one hand in mine-the
 other held the shoes! See, she's got them yet, parson, and in her
 hand they'll stay, While on her loving breast the little sock and
 dress I'll lay.
  would not have the little things left here all
 alone. Pray? Yes, parson, if you want to- may be 1t
 will ease my mind, And, as I said before, take your coming
 mighty kind. It may be some time be fore ever hear pray
 again; A"" stake axe poor oa Seiiv's Claim. ~ ''' I'm going to stake it, parson, nigh to that little tree, And when I'm far away from here it will some To think that in this barren place that wish That her grave at least was sheltered by some
 thing fresh and green. "well, good bye, parson. thank you for pray I'm going on; I can't stay where my heart
 would feel like lead. Icurse the place: know it's wrong, but you That if we had never seen this place Nell
 might be living yet; Take my claim and sell 1t, parson, and the You're more than welcome to them, and give don't think it will be very long before pass And wish that you would put me where we
 put my Nell to-day. "rhere's a pain here, parson, in my heart
 that's very strong and deep, And something tells me 'twon't be long before
 too will sleep Along side of my Nelly, who was all on earth
 to me, And believe I'd rest more easy if slept be-
 meath that tree!"
  One week later, and telegram from San
 Francisco came, And on the rough brown envelope was wrote
 the parsons name. The message said but little; there was not
 much to say; There was the date and under it "Jim Col.
 lins died to- o-dayi"