Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-22

<kTN the afternoon of his last day on
earth President Mckinley began to
h realize that his life was slipping
away and that the efforts of science couid
not save him. He asked Dr. Hxey TO
bring the surgeons in. One by one the
surgeons entered and approached the peo.
side. When they were gathered about
. him the president opened his eyes and
said:
"It is useless, gentlemen; I think we
ought to have prayer.
.dThe diving man crossed his hands on
his breast and half closed his eyes.
There was a beautiful smile on his coun-
tenance. The surgeons bowed their heaos'
Tears streamed from the eyes OF the
white-clad nurses on either side Of the
bed. The yellow radiance of the sun
shone softly in the room.
"rOur Father which art in heaven
said the president, in clear, steady
voice.
s"The lips of the surgeons moved.
'Hallowed be thy name. Thy king
dom come. Thy will be done
"The sobl,ing of a nurse disturbed the
still air. The president opened his eyes
and closed them again.
Thy will be done in earth as 1t Is In
heaven
4 long sigh. The sands of life were
running swiftly. The sunlight died out
and raindrops dashed against the win
dows.
...Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our debts as we forgive
our debtors and lead us not into tempta-
ton, but deliver us from evil.
Another silence. The surgeons looked
at the dying face and the friendly lips.
For thine is the kingdom, the power,
and the glory, forever, amen
Amen whispered the surgeons.
President Roosevelt selected the fol
lowing as his contribution to Heart
Throbs,". book recently published:
She took UP one of the magazines and
glanced through 1t casually, but some
how it did not appeal to the Ole lady,
and 50 she laid 1t down again. There was
a volume of poems richly bound in vel
lum on the table by her side, and Tor a
little while the story of its gallant
knights and lovely maidens bewitched
her But soon the weight OF the book
began to tire her feeble hands.
After that, quite as last resort, she
took UP the evening paper and glanced
through it just to while away the Tune
She had never taken much concern pol
itics. the latest Partisan fashions did not
interest her in the least, but presently
three little verses wedged in between q
lurid account of murder and patent
medicine advertisement caught her eye
The poem was Eugene Fields Little
Rov Blue." and at the very first lines of
1t the old lady became all attention;
The little toy dog is covered with dust
But sturdy and staunch 1t stands,
And the little tin soldier Is covered WIN
rust,
And his ,nusket rusts in his hands
Very slowly, as she read on, the tears
came into her eyes and dimmed the spec
tacles so that she could scarcely see tne
lines of the second verse:
Snow don't you go till come" he said,
..And don't you make any noise!
Then toddIing off to his trundle Sbed,
He dreamed of his pretty toys.
And as he was dreaming. an angel song
Awakened our little boy
oh, the years are many
Yes. they were many! 1t was more than
half a century ago now. The paper
dropped from the old lady's hand and
rustled to the floor. There was no use
in irving to read any more, for her
thoughts had flown away now to the
time when she had had such Little
Row Blue as that. Since then she had
had lots of other children. Even now, as
she sat there in the twilight, she could
hear the shouts of her grandchildren at
play not far away, but little Geordie hao
heen her first born and somehow the oth-
ers were different, and nobody knew Just
how but herself She had daughters to
console her in her wldowhood and when
her married daughter had died her chill
dren had been left But with little Geor-
die it was different. They only knew OF
him by the little headstone in the grave
ward, but to her-Yhy, after reading tha'
little poem it seemed as though IL were
only yesterday that he was toddling along
itrh Qn