Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1906-09-19

| kind to me again. He is dying and
1 am all alone"
Ny mother-Heaven bless her for
it!-clasped the slender, girlish fig
ure in her arms, and kissed the White
face over and over again. Then we
knelt by the side of the bed.
Hour after hour passed, and no
sound was heard, ave the moaning
OF the poor dumb boy and the bitter
sobs of his sister.
The gray dawn of morning ap-
peared before the struggle ended,
and the beautiful face wore the pallor
and stiffness of death.
Then, while tears rained down
her face, Clarice Hottie told her
simple story. Her father had been
a wealthy London merchant, who had
made a large fortune entirely by his
own skill and exertions. He died
when Clarice was fourteen, and her
little brother a babe in his mothers
arms.
She told us of her mothers de-
spair, when the 10y, who had the
most beautiful face and soft golden
curls, was declared to be utterly and
hopelessly imbecile. From that time
she withdrew herself entirely from
the world. She went no more into
society; she shut herself up with her
children, and devoted every moment,
every thought, every care of her life
to her boy. Clarice willingly shared
her solitude. Wher she was eight
cen her mother died. Then the real
troubles Of this life commenced for
Clarice Holte. On the mothers
death-bed she exacted from the
young girl a promise that, while her
brother lived, she would devote her
life to him, even if it obliged her
to forego all love and all happiness.
Clarice promised, and she kept her
word nobly.
To her great alarm one OF two
friends wished her to send the boy
to a public asylum, saying he would
be better cared for.
Then she determined upon leaving
her old home and going to some Sc
Guided, quiet spot, where no one who
knew her could find her-wherc she
could devote herself. as her mother
had done, to the unfortunate boy.
Her faithful old nurse discovered
the house in Western Terrace. 1t
suited them exactly, and in the &
lence of the night the poor idiot was
brought home. 1t VA "a heavy bur-
den for young shoulders to carry.
The constant Watching, both night
and day, drove the bloom from the
fair face, and imprinted there a look
OF dreamy sadness. pitiful to see.
To add to her troubles, poor Her.
bert began to droop; he pinned after
his dead mother, and could not be
comtorted. Dr.. James still attended
him, as he had done during his
mothers life. Clarice lived in con-
tinual dread lest the kind but Off
cious friends. who Were SO anxious to
remove her brother from her care,
should discover her residence. Hence
her terror when l suddenly ap-
peared in the GarCcn. She believed
( SGiI ulSCOt GIpu. FOf lNe same
reason, she dreaded any one visiting
or entering the house. fearing that,
if her brothers existence became
known, she would be deprived of
him.
The mystery was solved al length.
We helped Clarice-we stood by her
when her brother was laid in the
pretty cemetery near Surbiton. We
soothed her sorrow, and helped her
to bear her grief. Gradually the
shadow passed from the fair face,
and the lips learned to smile.
She looked perfectly happy, one
morning, when the golden sunheams
fell upon her, and we stood side by
side at the altar. She looked per-
fectly happy, for on that morning
Clarice Holte became my wife,
Good Literature.