River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-04-17
AN ANSWER TO PRAYER.
A Beravcd Young Mothers COmfort
from an Incident of PatersOn's
Great Fire.

The night of the great fire in PateI-
son, n. j., some one, frightened by the
approach of the devouring wave OF
fame, moved a grand piano from his
house and left it in nearby GENE
tery. reports the New York World.
The afternoon of that same day two
people had been in the place and left
q small white casket covered with
flowers and tears. There had been no
music in the brief burial service read
in the chapel of the cemetery, for the
couple were strangers - English
people seeking a new home in a new
country-and only stranger eyes we're
there to look upon their grief when
the little girl died.
eff only some one was here to sing
for Annie" the poor, young mother
murmured over and over again. II
believe I could bear it better to leave
her here if there was some one to
sing"
But there was no one to be secured
at o moments notice, and it had all
been so unexpected and sudden. SO
the strong-shouldered young English
man, with mist of tears yelling his
blue eyes, put his arm around her very
tenderly and tried to lead her away.
They were to take the train that after
noon, and he urged her to make haste.
But she would walk few steps and
then turn back and stretch her empty
arms toward that little grave, then
throw herself into her husbands arms
in an agony of weeping. Time after
time she tried to go away, and the
sexton. who had taken up his spade,
dropped it every time she looked
around, and seemed to have nothing
to do but gaze straight ahead of him
into the bare branched trees.
Sadly the husband and wife entered
the station and secured the tickets for
Chicago.
They took their train when it was
called, silently, and started out into
the darkness of the night.
But in the city they had left behind
them another tragedy was beginning
Flames, shot with sparks, leaped up
ward to the sky, and little tongues of
fire Tapped fortunes up as kittens lap
young and thought1ess were untrou-
bled, and late that night when a com
pany of young folks were returning
from party and saw the piano in the
church yard they thought only of the
novelty of the scene.
The huge triangle shone dark
against the ruddy reflections of the
fire, and stood with one leg over lit
tie grave as horses sometimes stand
above their fallen masters after a bat
tie morning. The boys and girls were
too gay to think of that, but some
thing, maybe it was a mothers prayer,
made one of the pretty lassies turn
suddenly into the yard and up to the
instrument. She motioned one of the
company to open it, for it was I'M
locked, and then, when some one
brought her box to sit on she be-
gan TO play soft prelude, and, in
moment, clear and sweet above the
rush and clamor of the street, rose a
sweet-tone voice singing: angels
Ever Bright and Fair"
The little group gathered about
stopped laughing, and the lights
showed that their faces had grown
solemn and still. She finished the
song. and then, with some strangencw
feeling at her heart, and all uncon-
scious of the little newly made grave
just at her feet, began TO sing:
"Asleep in Jesus, oh How Sweet"
Softly, reverently, she sang it
through, and then il was that on the
westbound train the mother looked up
suddenly into her husbands eyes and
smiled.
Il don't know why 1T is, DEAR" she
whispered, but it has just come to
me thai it is all right; some way, it is
all right
shoppers Without SatcheIs.