Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-05
THE THREAD OF LIFE.
Charles NJ. Graves)

Mother" said Annie, a fragile, bcau-
tiful child Of II. one morning, and she
knelt and laid her head in her mother
lap. Mother. / had the %strangest, most
beautiful dream last night"
what was it, my dear?' the mother
asked, while her hands lifted tenderly
the wild curls which played on the childs
delicate cheeks.
"Oh. mother. / dreamed that l had just
gone to my bed. and you had kissed me
good night when some one with the
kindest face 7 ever saW-a face like yours
I'm that picture of you taken before was
born-touched me. and l awoke. The
night was gone. The sky was as blue as
the mornings and as bright as midday;
only, l did not see the sun.
81 asked her who woke me where the
sun was. but she did not answer. she
only took ne by the hand, and seemed
70 lift me into the air. Then we went on
together. leaving the earth a lon way
behind rs. did not seem to make any
effort To go. but went ON just as easily
as could be beside my girl-mOther,' as
called her. who still held my hand.
presently we stopped on what appear
ed To be a high mountain. but 1 remem-
Der when ! tried to touch the stones
about me with my foot could not feel
them at all. Yet they held me up. Then
my girl-mother told me to look. Oh,
mother. just clapped my hands at the
wonderful and beautiful sight"
"A great golden cord vas stretched
across the sky. / looked 10 see what held
il up. but II went On to the right and
the left until il was lost in the depths
OF blue.
but, mother. that was not the strangest
part. From every part Of the beautiful
..vI I.rru fhgmEanIa of mile threads
which were not gold at all. some were
silver. come were brass. and some iron.
The wine tugged al them all. and they
danced like fringe. Some were very
long and others were not half so long,
and vet other SO short that l could hard
ly see them.
My girl-mother asked me what
saw. and | told her, as l have told you,
| and she babe me look again. Then.
| mother. | saw so many little angels, and
each one seemed TO be busy with a dang
ling thread. l saw, too, that all the
shortest fringe Was Of silver, but while
some remained silver. and became bright
er the longer it was. others were tar
uished. turning TO brass and iron, as they
grew out, for they seemed 10 grow all
the time. Some Of the little angels were
! rubbing the dark places on their threads
as busily as could be, and then some were
rubbing their long silver threads brighter
and brighter.
Some of the shorter threads were also
very bright. l saw, too, there were a
great many long, dark threads, and even
while / looked an angel came and cut one
! of the darkest close to the gold thread
I and threw IL away. The angel watched II
until IL disappeared, and then seemed SO
sad. that | asked her who was with me
what the angel did IL for. She told me
10 look yOnder. l did, and saw a very
beautiful angel. whose face was all glow
ing with joy, knitting the loose end Of q
long and bright silver thread back 10 the
q gold cord. When the angel was done
she stood on a little way and looked a
her work, as you do sometimes. Mother
l saw, too, that. as she looked, the silve.
thread had turned TO gold and became Z
part of the great, shining cord.
Il asked her what II meant, but shI
took M by the hand again, and We flew
a long way, close up 10 the gold cord
and though we went ever so far, | coul'
not see the end Of it. After awhile VI
stopped. and she, taking in her han on
little thread, Oh. so very brilliant, aske'
me: DO you see this?
Yes. l said
This tiny thread represents YOU" sh'
replied.
1T is very fine and beautiful" though
l. 'Will 1t grow out long like some o.
the rest2' 1 asked.
NO" she said; "it will not. 1t will
grow only a little longer; then IL vii
become a part OF the gold cord, which
you think is so beautiful"
1T will not be very long now" shI
said again.
1 asked her what It all meant, and sh'
told me 10 ask you. What does IL mean
mother"
The mother lifted up her precious httl'
daughter, and drew the fair head 70 he
shoulder. Tears came into her eyes al
she murmured softly: Perhaps II wa
the thread Of life.' The gold cord ma!
be the great life; may be It is God
eternal life, my child. and the fringe 20
saw represents our little lives"
She wondered, as che spoke, IL an ange
had visited her child. Then she though
Of the short silver thread that woul'
not grow much longer. She chung 10 I'll
child. and, pressing her tightly to he
bosom. sobbed, and would not let her so