News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1901-09-25
"A DAGUERREOTYPE

1 was happy, oh, so happy, and l
myself with my usual Saturday morn
ing task of darning the stockings for
the family. Now as a usual thing de.
test darning, but this morning l went
about it happily, for it was my eight
eenth birthday and was to be a never
forgotten one.
Why, do you ask? Because at dinner
/ was to receive my great-grandmoth
ers old daguerreotype. What is SO
wonderful about that? Just wait until
you have heard my story, and you viii
know.
My great-grandmother had been the
wife of a general in the Revolutionary
war, and because she desired to entey
into her husbands life she became a
nurse. Whea an operation was being
performed, she stood by and held the
sufferers hand, and because of her
bravery won for herself the title OF
"The Soldiers Friend" Her bright face
and sunny smile was always welcomed
at the bedside of every soldier, While
she worked swiftly, silently and skill
fully, saving many and many a life.
When the war was over, the soldiers
decided to give their friend some
token of their deep gratitude, as they
knew they could never thank her with
words. So they asked her for a late
picture of herself, and she gave them
this old daguerreotype. And on her
eighteenth birthday, as it CHANGED to
be, they presented her with this same
picture in a case Of gold and hung on a
heavy gold chain.
My grandmother wore this around
her neck until her death, and on her
deathbed she put it into the hands of
her eldest daughter, saying: "Put this
carefully away, Mary, and when your
sister Lucy is IS years of age put it
around her neck, with her mothers
blessing, and tell her to wear it until
her death, or should she have a daugh-
ter give it to her at the age of Is. I
want my youngest daughter and her
youngest daughter and so on through
the family to each receive it on her
eighteenth birthday"
So that is why 1 was so happy on
the locket.
At dinner my mother put the long,
handsome chain around my neck, and,
lifting the locket, l was about to gaze
upon the face of the girl when sudden
ly l gave a gasp of surprise. My moth
~ lo1 not told ~ 4ho+ 4hO 1oa1-o+ 1-oC
set round with diamonds. Truly it was
a handsome thing.
Then l let my eyes travel from the
diamond to the beautiful oval face of
my great-grandmother.
The hair curled softly above the low,
white forehead, and beneath it looked
forth a pair of clear blue eyes. Then
came the small, straight nose and the
rosebud mouth, around which played
n of her rare sunny smiles. What a
beauty she must have been!
CHANGING up into mothers face, I saw
that she was struggling hard to keep
back the tears.
Dear mother" I cried, "you wear it
awhile longer. Surely that is the best"
But she pushed me gently from her and
answered: mo, dear. Only take good
care Of it and remember that l was
very fond of it, more so because my
mother looked so much like it."
Twenty-Five years had passed since
the day l received the beautiful old
daguerreotype, and now the time had
come for me to part with it. But, oh,
how times can change in % years!
At noon Margaret came in, tired and
cross, though she should have been
happy On her birthday. She had not
been darning stockings, but had been
making calls.
Very few girls Of this age and day
have to darn stockings. l do not think
that Margaret's white fingers, loaded
with jewels, ever held a needle. When
I put the chain around her neck and
her eyes fastened upon the diamonds,
she gave a low laugh and cried, ooh,
won't Alice Daze envy me these!"
Then she looked up and saw the tears
in my eyes. "Pshaw, mamma" she
cried, "you surely are not so foolish
10 " SIg ONCl InlSs AL OIN NOIldu
like you are too" Then she added as
she carelessly dropped the locket: by
the way, l believe l promised to go to
grandmamma's with you today. Well,
promises are like pie c~rust-easily bro
ken. l shan't be able to 60"
Yes, times have greatly changed. For
instance, my great-grandmother was
called nanny, my grandmother ma,
my mother mother and myself mamma.
But, after all, I'm greatly blessed, for
I have my dear old mother to go to,
and l went to her that very day and
poured into her sympathizing ears my
sorrow over Margaret's coldness and
my sorrow over having to part with my
great-grandmother's daguerreotype.-
Sunny South.