The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-12-26
His Mither's Laddie.

great, round, yellow July moon rising
slowly above the horizon.
Two sod houses-one evidently I'M
occupied. Near the other stood a COW,
and close to the black opening, which
represented door, lay dog, his nose
in his paws.
Up out of the black opening came a
woman. She did not 10 k at the risin 2
moon, at the sill brilliant sky, nor at
the bree kissed expanse of grass and
flowers. She saw nothing but the
drawn ace of the baby she held in her
arms.
She laid the baby in the old shawl on
the ground, and sat on box staring at
il. Her elbo VS. were on her knees, her
face on her hands. She wore worn,
utterly hopeless face. Her eyes had
the hunted look of one beaten from
every refuge-of one who had lost and
lost and lost.
A year before, when wagons were
starting westward every day, she and
her husband, with a wagon and two
lean horses, and the few things they
owned, had started with the rest. They
had wandered around, and early in the
spring they had stopped at this place
with another wagon of movers. They
had built their sod huts, the baby had
been born, and a week ago the other
family had moved on. Three days be-
fore, the baby had sickened-the same
scorching fever that had burned out the
lives of her other two babies had seized
upon this one. Her husband had taken
their one horse, for he had traded the
other for COW, and had ridden away
Hftu r,,ilao IN ha
where rumor had it there was an herb
doctor; but it was the night of the sec
ond day and he had not returned. She
could not endure to hold this baby while
it died, as she had held the others.
The blacklist darkness was around
her-such darkness as the mind on the
verge of insanity can see, and feel,
and hear.
There was the sound of something
moving inside the dugout, and a boy
emerged from the blackness into the
clear, mellow moonlight-an emaciated,
ague- weakened boy of about twelve.
He was trembling with weakness, for it
was almost the first time he had
crawled out since the movers had gone.
He had been with them, and they had
left him behind in his illness. He knelt
down by the baby.
"S'all the bairnie leeve?'
"No," she said in dry tone.
"Hae you prayed to the guide God?"
"No."
"Why dinna you pray for the
bairnie's life?''
81 don't know how"
"Folks is fearful ignorant in this
lan'l Sail l pray the Lord to spare the
bairnie?'
"It's no use. It's dyin'."
"S',ll pray, say? The Lord has
power over death ITSELF" The voice
was insistent.
eyes," was the forced answer.
He knelt down beside the baby, the
moonlight full on him, the warm breeze
stirring his hair.
"Our Father in heaven" the trem.
bling voice prayed earnestly, eve ask
you to LUX at the bit bairnie here an
no taxi it AVA to yourself, for the
mither is grievin' sair-an' she doesna
ken aboot your mighty love, nor how
you can save a.. Dinna let her greet
mair. | Gamma thole it. For your ain
Sons sake. Amen"
81 ken the prayer o. twa is better
pray YOURSELF he urged.
And strongly moved she cried out:
so God, my baby--my babyl"
"That's no sac guide a prayer as
miue," hesitated the boy, shut ken the
Lord will hear you sooner sim its your
BARN.
g 1 maun say" the sweet voice went
on regretfully, 81 hanna sac m exile
faith as 1 should, an faith Pm tellt is
aye necessary; but we maun maxi up
for my lack o. faith by dom. | ken
what to do to maxi the bairnie leeve."
He spoke confidently, and the woman
started and knelt down passionately by
the baby. "You sail baud it, for it's
no deein' the moo, Pm sure-an' I'll
pray the guide God to gle me strength
till l maxi the fire and heat some
water"
He lighted the fire in the primitive
continuance beside the dugout and put
on some water, then brought tin dish
and rags out of the house.
81 ken a. there is ABBOTT fevers," he
said confidently. 81 was sick of a
fever in hospital an / ken hoo they
treat it. I'll sit down by the fire an
you lay the bairnie in my lap on the
plaidie, an then do you dip the ragges
in warm water and sponge AVA An
do you pit hot things till it's feet, an
sim you hanna powders Wen pit a bit
drappie hot water in its mou'-so-you
sponge brawly! | ken its whole skin is
parched. Losh, its head feels better
already 1 wis ye wad luik-its bit
eyes closin'-na, ma, dinna be coofl
its no deein'-it's shuttn' its eyes
natural-dinna / tell you it's NOUS msir
easy?"
The woman bathed the little scrawny
body with trembling eagerness, the boy
wrapped it well in the shawl, as she
proceeded.
"Quick noo-milk Sukey few draps,
an wen pit big drap hot water Until
it." And when the decoction was
gently insinuated into the baby's mouth
with a spoon, the little thing to- ok and
swallowed four spoonfuls, and then
restfully turned its little head and slept
quiet, natural sleep.
moo dinna you see the power o. the
guide God?" said the boy triumphantly.
''We haze asket for the bairnie' lite