The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-04
PLAYED a Double Role.
washington Star.

From the Washington Star.
Among the early autumn weddings was
that of a prominent young physician of
the city, and a bile of the West End.
The marriage was a particularly gay
one, the friends of the young couple
doing all in their power to felicltate the
wedding Journey with a shower of r,cs
and slippers. The carriage in which the
bride and groom made the trip to the
railway station had two enormous spoons
tied with ribbons, attached to the Iisar,
and ais parting complim mt one of the
ushers threw into the window of the car
riage miniature trunk, upon which was
fastened two tiny white doves
The groom tossed 1t out, only TO have 1t
returned with a "fifte@n-all' result. Back
and forth went the little trunk like a
tennis ball, uotil the small baggage was
likely TO receive a literal smashing"
Finally lit landed in thu crowd of curious
spectators that lined the street to wit
mes the going away party, and it was
seen no more.
Two monhs elapsed, and the incide-lt of
the little trunk was w=ll nigh forgotten
by the young couple, until one n ght last
Wieek 1T figured in a scene quite the re-
verse of a. wedding celebration, and
which the young husband will not soon
forget.
Though the physictaa's prac ice Is
large. he still ATTENDS many charity pa
tients, and from one of thssa the othee
night there came a pitiful summons. The
poor woman I'M question has a large FAM
lily, and ihe baby, a little fellow of four
years, was i'll. 1t was a nasty night; the
wind bi-w and the rain beat down so
fiercely thst all who could remained
indoors The distance WIS great, but
the young physician is tender of heat,
and he werC to tihs relief of the little
sufferer.
only a. cold at firs.," said the anxious
mother, and sore throat. But he has
grown rapidly worse. Oh, doctor, l be-
lieve my baby is dying!" She was wsa y,
discouraged; perhaps hardened in some
ways by her long battle with the world,
but the me- hers 1ova was there, and the
doctor recognized it in her trembling
voice. One glance at the child told him
that he had come too late. Diphthsrla
was There and The mcst that could be
done would be to ease the final struggle
of life and death. The child had inter
walls of consciousness, and during onei of
tho2e lhe looked up at the physician and
in hGarse little voice said:
Does 90 want to see my rrunlx?
has it right hire, and We little birds is
sound a'Ssep."
Ore little hand found it's way under
the pillow and drew forth the dragged
lemaira OF what had been two tiny
stuffed bids. At IN. same time the child
l,
and which he clasped 1ovr'- to i 's
breast b. was little trunk -. nl1,tn-
er. with "a sob. explained to the doctor
that ths little trunk ard the birds were
her baby's cherished playthings.
He got them, SIR" she said, zone day
on the street. The birds were tied to
the trunk; and 1t seems some wedding
folks had them for favor like. AT any
rate the bride and the groom threw
them from their carriage, and Willie,
there, got them, sir. If you could have
seen how pleased he was, and he came
rurriEg home to show me. Every night
he has gone ITO bed with the two BIRDS
under his Pillow, huggtng the little toy
trunk TO his poor little heart. Oh. sir,
he was that tender of them, you'd a
thought they was all alive
The mothers grief prevented further
words, and when she next raised her
head from a long, par-xyism of weeping,
the Fife spark of her baby boy had gone
ont forever. Alone the young physician
had watched the little traveller start on
his long journey. Very tenderly he
begged the mother to give him THE toy
trunk and the little birds, and the ply
sician and his wife have put them revar-
Gritty away. 1 say reverently. because
they played a part at two sacraments,
that of marriage ard that of death.