The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1888-06-14
Hiss M MAAnA.IoANrsLEEr-



The Pathetic Crl ora SWEET Child Who
Pleaded rie,lu~ly and rhcu Died.
Ladies' Home journal
The child was - sensitive, So Ike
that little shrinking plant that curls
ct a hrea'h and shut. its heart rom
the light
The ONLY beauties she possessed
we're au rxceedin1ls transparent skin
and The most mournful, large blue
ewes.
had been trained hy a very stern.
strict. conscientious mother but ! was
hardy plaut rehounding after every
.hock: misfortune could not damt
though discipline tanned me. ! fancied,
alas that / must 90 through the same
routine with this delicate creature: a.
one day when she had displcascd me
exceedingly by repeating am o0ense. /
was determined TO punish her severely.
/ was very serious all day. and upon
sending her 20 her little couch, said /:
Now, my daughter, TO punish you aud
show you how very, very naughty You
have been, shall not kiss YOU to-
night"
She stood looking at me, a-tonish-
mcnt personifed, with her great
mournful ewes wide open-l suppose
she had forgotten her misconduct till
then, and / left her with big tears
dropping down her cheeks and her
little lips quivering.
Presently was sentfor. "Oh mann
ma, you will kiss me; can't 90 "a
sleep If you don'tl' she sobbed, every
tone Of her voice trembling; and she
held out her little hands.
Now came the struggle between
love and what falsely termed duty
My heart said give her the kiss Of
peace; my stern nature urged me 10
persist in my correction that / might
impress the fault upon her mind
That was the way / had been trained
tin l was a most submissive child
and | remembered how ] had offer
thanked my mother since for hel
straightforward course.
| knelt by the bedside. "MotheI
can't kiss YOU. Ellen | whispered
though every word ehoked me. He
hand touched mine; it was very hot
but / attributed il TO her excitement
She turned her little grieving face {,
the wall blamed myself as the frag
lie form shook with self-suppresse,
sobs, and crying, mother hopes lit
lie Ellen will learn TO mind her afte
this," left the room for the night. Alas
in my desire to be severe / forgot &
be forgiving.
II must have been u o'clock whel
Twas awakened by my nurse. Appre
hensive, | ran eagerly to the child
chamber; l had fearful dream.
Ellen did not know me. She wa
sitting up. crimsoned from forehea,
10 throat; her eyes so bright that
almost drew back aghast at thci
glances.
From that night a raging feve
drank up her life; and what, thin
YOU, was the ircessant plant tia
poured into my anguished heart? "Ol
kiss me, mamma. do kiss me; | can
90 to sleen' You'll kiss your littl
Ellen, mamma, won't YOU? / can't q
10 sleep. l won't be naughty if you'll
only kiss me. Oh, kiss me, dea
mamma, l can't 90 TO slecp!'
Holy little angel she did 90 +
sleep one gray morning and she neve
woke again, never. Her hand wa
locked in mine aud all my veins grey
icy with its gradual chill. Faint
the light faded out of the beautiful
eyes; whittier and whittier grew I'll
tremulous lips. She never knew me-
but with her last breath she whisper
ed: Il win be good mamma, if onl
you'll kiss me"
Kiss her! God knows how passion
ate, but unavailing, were my kisse
upon her cheek and lips after that fats
night. God knows how wild were m
prayers that she might know, if bu
once, that / kissed her. God know
how would have yielded up my yer
life. could ] have asked forgiveness 9
that sweet child.
Well, grief is unavailing now! Sh
lies in her little tomb; there is a man
bic urn at her head aud a rose bus
at her feet; there grows sweet sum
mer flowers; there waves the geutl
grass; there birds sing their matin
and vespers; there the blue sky smile
down to-day and there lies buried I'll
freshness Of my heart.