St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-04-27
A LULLABY.

Every one seemed to know that
the baby was i'll. Baby was win
. some little creature, and she had
made many friends as she had
toddled along the street at the side
NJ her mother or her nurse, and now
these friends came to the door to
INQUIRE about her.
There were all sorts of people,
from the stately old judge, who had
scraped an acquaintance with the
little maid over the front gate, to
the small newsboy, who liked al
WAYS to deliver the paper into her
plump little hand. They were
motley crowd-baby's devoted adj
nrers-who came on tiptoe around
4 to the back door, stepping softly up
on the straw-strewn sidewalk, and
going away with bowed heads
q When the servant told them that
tnechiId was worse. For she grew
81 steadily worse from day To- day. and
there was no hope, the doctors said,
q that She would ever be any better.
Az first She had noticed the flow
4 u> that old black Sam had sent, and
4 She would stretch out her hands for
4 them, or for the orange which little
q I,nnic had brought for her, but after
q ward She sank into a stupor, toss
s ing rcstlcssly at times and making a
& pltiiul little waling sound.
The great room was hushed and
z darkeued. The little white crib
stood in the centre, and beside It
Z dozed the nurse, worn from hours
of watching The only sounds
4 which broke the painful stiffness
were babys irregular breathing and
4 the quick, nervous ticking Of tiny
gold watch which lay beside the
medicines upon the table. Occasion
w clnker or a bit of coal would
drop through the bars of the CRATE
and fall with tinkle into the ash
pan below, then baby would start
up suddenly as if in fright.
The mother, pale and hollow
eyed, knelt beside the crib, watch
Ing each movement Of the little Suf-
'ercr Baby's dark eyes were opened
wiGe but there was no recognition
"a in Their gaze, only vacant stare.
She lay quite still for some time,
then the little head with its matted
mass Of tangled curls began 10 roll
from side to side upon the pillow,
and She uttered her queer little cry OF
pain. 1t was hardly a human cry at
all, 1t was like the moaning OF
some dumb animal, and each sound
cut the mothers heart like knife
stab.
The woman bowed her head in her
hands, and a CULVER ran through her
frame Then the strange cry rang
out louder than before, and, as with
udden inspiration, she began the
lullaby that baby loved so we'll
sleep, Baby, sleep,
Thy father watches his sheep"
She faltered in low, trembling
voice.
Thy mother is Shaking
The dreamland tree,
And down fall little dreams on thee
a Sleep, Baby, s-e-e-p!"
She managed to finish one verse
but she could not go on,
Sleep, Baby, s[e.e-p,' she be
NJ gan, but the words ended in sob
One can keep from weeping if one il
silent, but the voice opens the flood
gate of tears, and the woman haC
not wept before.
Was it her fancy that baby seemed
little quieter? She could no
trust her voice again, but she wen
to the open piano and with her i'm
gers she drew forth the melod.
which her aching throat refused tt
make, Softly over and again sh
played the sweet little air, lookin!
back over her shoulder at baby al
the while. The moaning grew
fainter and the curly head turne'
less uneasily. The mothers finger
grew tired and stiff, still she playe'
on and on while the nurse dozed Il
her chair.
At last the nurses head nodded S
abruptly that it seemed as thong
her neck must have been broker
and she awoke with start.
She bent over the crib. Baby wa
sleeping naturally, and there wer
little beads of perspiration on he
M white forehead. The nurse beck one
with her finger for the mother t
IN come nearer, but the mother trent
ing limbs refused to act, and ST
ctrouched with hands half raised 6
# ITO ward off a blow. Don't te
me-" she faltered, 81 cannot-bear
yet"
But see," whispered the nurs
1t is not as you fear. The fever
PT1roken, and your baby will live
INV llnter.Ocean.