Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-04-01

Not packed for avelcr's comfort,
the trunk contained only the posses
sions OF babe a year old, who had
gone before" TO the heavenly home.
For six months the bereayed mother
had made n weekly visit to the trunk,
unfolding and relolding every baby
garment, packing carefully the baby
toys aud stroking tendcrly every tiny
object endeared by the touch Of the
little one she had lost. Yet, on the
day when the sixth month had rolled
by, her tears fell upon the dainty EN-.
broideries, the worn socks, the broken
toys as fast rs on the day when she
first put aside the clothes Baby Willie
would never wear again. Her dresa
of heavy black, loaded with Grape,
suited well her pale, tear.stained face,
heavy eyes aud grief. drawn mouth.
While she was yet busy Mt her
mournful task the door opened softly
and two beautiful boys of four years
old, her twin sons, Eddie and Charlie,
came into the room. Seeing their
mother busy, they soft y stepped To
her side and stood Guiet until Eddie
spied tin horse and wagon on the
floor. A moment later he had grasped
it and was pulling it down from the
summit OF pile Of little garments.
Down toppled the whole pile, the
cart rattliug noisily. The mother
looked around with quick frown.
"Nou naughty, hcartless boy!" she
cried, sobblug. Glow can you touch
your poor, dead brothers things? |
think you are old enough to know
poor Willie is gone, never 10 come
back, aud mamma is so sad--so ---'
Here the so5s chokod her, aud the
children, terrified, began TO cry. too.
Eddie sorry" one sobbed; "don't
Ky, mamma
as CLa'lic Lad boy, too?" asked
the other, with a piteous wall in his
voice, that should have gone straight
10 the mothers heart.
900 To the nursery" she said, AMI
the little ones tro;ted OF, hand in
hand, vaguely conscious that they
were in disgrace aud ready to be COM
fo:ted by rosy-cheeked Mamie, their
Muse.
"And, dear knows" said that warm
hearted individual to the cook, ut is
"a shame for the poor darlmgs. It's
not blaming Mrs. Aiken am for cry
ing her eyes out for the beautiful boy
she lost. Didn't | love every tuH OF
his hair, the pretty pet, hit look at
the two that's left. Wouldn't they b.
comfort To anybody, aud Mrs. Aiken
only speaks to them now to set them
crying. Sure she can't expect babies
like them ;oremcmhcr their brother
more than six months, and if they
were downright wicked she conduit
be harder than she is ii they laugh or
romp. She'll break their spirits en-
tirely."
And the mother, rocking to and fro
with the picture Of her dead boy
clasped To her heart, was thinking:
Everybody is forgetting Willie but
me. But | will never forget. / will
never, never cease TO mourn for my
darling, oh, Willie! WilIiew
Breaking in upon her sobS came a
whistle, n merry whistle of popular
tune, aud the door OF the darkened
room opened again noisily.
"Whcre are you, Susy? OH"
Voice and face fell, aud Mr.. Aiken
sto Il silently at the door, his eyes
slowly gathering the mournful express
sion suited to the funeral aspect of
the scene before him.
Il was hoping Won had gone ont
when did not find you in the sitting
room" he said, but Mamie told me
you were upstairs. | wish you would
not spend 80 much time in this room.
Susy. Ii is wearing away your
health
"Oh, Fred" the mother sobbed,
show can ven whistle! | don't expect
sorrow OF sympathy from the children.
bu. you-l thought you loved Willie
so dearly"
$50 / did, Susy, but I made most
fortunate Investment in business Il
few weeks ago, and today was able
to pay oil the mortgage ON the house
I did feel light.hearted when thought
had secured q home for my family"
'"Oh. Fred! how can you think of
money and houses when our beautiful
boy lies dead"
The young husband stood shame
faced and penitent. In the shadow
of the darkeued room, with Willie's
picture on the wall, Willie's clothes
revealed by the open lid of the trunk,
WiIlie's toys standing on the floor, il
> did seem cruel and heartless TO think
Of anything but the lost child. And
Fred had loved his baby boy with all
. fathers fondness aud grieved for
him deeply and truly. SO he stood
silently waiting while Susy dried her
eyes aud came to his side. Carefully