The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-08-19
THE MOIhtk's LUNG REST.


Dust to dust" solemnly read the
preacher at the verge of the grave. The
woman beneath him, under the coffin lid
felt as II she had smiled. rat last" she
thought, "he is nearly through and l can
rest--at last She had waited so long
for that rest For so many, many years she
had baked and brewed stitched and nursed,
swept and busted, and was SO tired, tired.
1t seemed very sweet TO know that she had
earned Il long rest and that very soon every
body would so away and leave her in peaceful
silence in the gentle arms of her mother,
Earth Just then the preacher said: Ashes
to ashesl' and a minute after there were
strange sounds above her that struck terror
to the hearts oil the weeping ones around
the grave. but were no more TO her than
the gentle rattle of the door-latch after an
uuwelocme guest has gone.
1t had seemed so strange at first, after
the Great Change had come that others
should wait on her who had always waited
upon everybody else, and almost ludicrous
that tears should be shed for her--she who
had vert so many times in secret for others
But the queereGt Of all was the funeral ser-.
mon; she lad never before known what a
good woman she was-such model wife.
such patient mother, such a kind neighbor
and friend, in short, such an eptome of all
the womanly virtues.
~
All, we'll 1t was all over now. She had
only to lie still and hear the grass grow
and tie ram splash and-rest. For the first
time, size had attained the exalted condition
OF mind superior to matter. She could calm
ny let that old. worn-out shell OF a body
go its way through Natures changes wJ-hout
tlincLirg. What in life would have filled
her with horror and disgust in the simple
thought now seemed only a trifiing episode
in the work OF Natures laboratory not i'm
portant enough to shrink from.
And at last she was no longer needed; why
even By now the neighbors and friends were
talking about their hired girls, or new gowns,
or wondering how soon the widower would
be consoled. And newell it would not be
long until another woman would sit in her
chair and garner in the harvest OF comfort
that she had planted in self-denial for so
many years, and had watered with her tears,
those same tears In secret. AS to the chit
dren-the heart of youth soon rebounds; life
would be easier for them because of the toll
some years that had sent her SO gladly to
this blessed rest. Truly her work was all
over; the long scam was stitched and the
threads tied there was no loose ends. And
she tried TO enjoy her rest.
But she could not; something seemed tug
ging at her memory, and pulling at the ST.
lent shell OF what had once been her heart
rs there no rest even in the grave?" she
thought.
And then upon the ear of her soul there
smote tiny wall and another. and another
and she started In guilt-she had for the
drst time since she became woman for
her mind: the baby to whom size owed this
! blessed chance for rest. 1t was one loose
thread in the long seam. the one creature
to whom no one else could take her place.
Tho pain of her forgetfulness smote her as
the old pain used to S riko her physical body:
she felt as II she had cried aloud and then
shrunk from the sound
And so. when night came. she sighed q little
for the coveted rest that was not yet hers.
and softly foated back to the old familiar
home. He was asleep, SO were the children
it had been an exhausting day, and well
come relaxation had come TO all There was
faint scent OF tuberoses yet in the par!ors
and hall. AS she passed throuEn her bed
room she saw her well-worn thimole on the
floor and smiled to herself as she half stoorel
with the old orderly instinct to pick 1t up aud
put il in its place in the workbasket. Bul
the tiny wall hurried her on. and she entered
| the nursery. The nurse, too was asleep and
| the fire was low in the grate the bottle oil
food lay, carelessly. Just out of reach OF the
hungry little mouth, and the cambrio-clao
shoulders were uncovered and the reslesi
hands that beat the ar IN paby lmpolenc'
were as cold as the netherlands under the
coffin lid. Then n strange thing happened
There was not n sound yet the fire lespe(
IN and Elowed as though human hands nat
on her breast. and some said they saw th'
woman smile. know not hut think ]
were warm and quiet under the blhnAets
the shoulders tucked In and the wall wal
stilled. Even the baby slept row Then IN
woman looked down upon the form ID tn
crib and great temptation possessed her
But she fought 1t down. NET yet sh
thought; whom am tina I should not CIV
YOU a chance at fe? Perhaps Il NAV brini
you great wenriness. too. but before on
drinks of the lees there arc chances tina
1t holds the intoxication of the ansels-ho
II will let YOU be-" And she went back to he
narrow bed-and the baby cried no more ina
lpiQht
But the next the wall was In her ears an
the same tugg'ng and pulling were busy q
lher memory and dead heart, and the mex
day. ard the next and many other DAYS
was only at night that the cries ceased an
that was unnatural. the nelghbors said.
~
There was something uncanny about III
child the nurse declared and he grew NOR
land more in the likeness of the dead fac
tended il: in SONS wav the little lips an
the bottle met and soon the little hand
continually reaching out his hands for som.
body or something that nobody else eoul
see.
At last tho woman could stand i no longe
| given him his chance but he does not wa
1.-THE is tired, too. already and IL am sou
sick for him-and rest =.
So one night she and death STONED Z
lgether by thu little crib ana she held u
} futteriDg hands while the blessed anHeI
; stroyer softly kissed the pale lips and the
t turned and left together. The baby erie
never again x
In day or two they opened the mother
: .r,ve and even her easket and laid the bal
unter the cofin-lid. And he did not thri,
: might have been.--Francis Porcher In