Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1891-03-28

same time the illumined face of her
child's new mother, and, perhaps, be-
cause the eyes of the dying are so much
sharper than ours, which still look
earthward, she seemed to read, as If by
intuition, the thought and purpose
which illumined it.
"Ob, mother, mother, you cannot
leave me! cannot let you gor' walled
poor little Anthony, throwing himself
down beside her; but though the nerve
less arm instantly encircled him, it was
to this embodiment of new hope the
mothers failing voice first addressed
itself
"Will you care for him?" she said.
"Will you watch over him when l am
gone? He is good boy now-he has
brought nothing but gladness to my
heart. VIII you help him to become a
good man? 1 know who you are, but
death makes me bold, and do not be-
lieve you would come to me as you have
if you meant to refuse me-"
The doctor standing at the foot of the
bed shook his head fearfully. Her re-
quest seemed so wild, and he was afraid
of the issue; but down on her knees at
the poor bedside in the shabbiest room
of the shabby west end boarding-house,
fell Helen Scott-Payne, and without
either fear or faltering made reply:
81 did not come here of myself
think our dear Lord has been leading
me all through this day, and now He is
saying to me, as He said to His own
mother: Woman, behold thy sonr
"Do you think would even dare to
disobey Him? l will do for your boy
exactly what would do for my own,
! and oh, when you meet my boy in Par
adise, know he will be glad to hear
that his mother is no longer desolate. {"
II will surely tell him." the poor
weak voice whispered, and then, softly
pressing the little tear-stained cheek
beside her, the mother said: "And
Anthony, you will be to her all that you
,, would have been to me-more if possi-
ble. Death has lost it's terror since
leave you in her care"
All that day and throughout the next,
Mrs Scott-Payne watched that feeble
spark of life with unremitting tender
ness, and when, early on Easter morn
ing, it went finally out, with hands as
gentle and reverent as a sisters, she
| composed the tired body to
"Lie with feet toward the dawn
Till there breaks the last and brightest Easter
morn"
Then taking her boy-really hers now
into her loving, yearning arms, she
hushed his sobs with her kisses, and
whispered over and over the blessed
promises which were being said and
sung in the little church from which
| they were both that day absent. / fear
that just at first, in the terrible sharp.
| ness of child's overwhelming grief,
poor Anthony paid but small heed to
any of them, but by and by some of
their peace and comfort stole into the
sore young heart, and underlying the
greater truths, which he could grasp
| but dimly, was the assurance that
where Johnny had gone his mother had
followed, and lively hope that, wher-
| ever Johnny's mother might go in the
future, he would always be with her.
1t is generally child's way-often,
alas! the way of those who are no long
er children-to take comfort in the less,
rather than the greater, but to the
credit of this particular child's belief it
must be said that, in the years which
have gone by since that Easter morn
ing, his loving faith in his adopted
mother has never in the slightest de-
gree been violated. Those who were
the earliest friends of whom l have told
you are still devotedly his friends, and
are given to stoutly asserting that be-
fore many years Anthony Kramer will
literally reward all those who have be-
friended him; but when Mrs. Scott
Payne overhears any such predictions,
she only says: "Love has been its own
reward to mel want no other. Hes
ter V. Brown, in Boston Sunday Herald.