The Washington herald., 1918-01-23

And she kept begging her father to
send for my friend. DR.. Knox. She
went to the Presbyterian church at
Sunday school. He had never allow
| cd a preacher to cross his threshold
and he wouldn't do il. She kept get
ting worse and finally he relented and
he sent for my friend. Mr.. Knox; and
he told me that as he walker up the
steps he met the physician. DR.. But
Ter, who has also since died. coming
down the steps, and he said TO DIR.
Butler. How is Mabel?" meaning the
little girl.
Her Death Near.
He said, ''Shs Is very sick. She will
never live till morning. She may live
till midnight, but she will never see
the sun rise again, never"
Ny friend went in and he said,
! We'll, Mabel, you have sent for me to
come. What shall we talk about?"
She asked him to talk about heaven,
and he told her about the place that
little girls would 90 to IL they loved
Jesus. She smiled and said she was
going. all right and her father stood
by and said,
Honey, you are not going to leave
me. l know l am a big swearing.
cursing man, but love you, and you
won't go, will you? I couldn't live
without you
She said. We'll, papa, am going.
I saw mama with Jesus and the ang-
els down by the river and they were
begging me to come and l am going"
And he said to her, Honey. don't
you go. l couldn't live without
you"
And my friend stood there and
he talked and he told her they
wouldn't need to cauterize her
throat and she so dreaded that.
That was in the days when they
used to do that before they gave
any anti-toxin.
And. oh, about half-past eleven
the little girl turned her face to
the wall and was seemingly asleep
and breathing at regular intervals,
and my friend sat there until the
clock struck twelve, and still she
had her face to the wall, breathing
regularly. and he said to her father.
Well, must go now. There are
other people that want our COM
fort. and you know the homes are
closed to everybody but the ply
sicians and the ministers. We have
to go to give comfort and to pray
and the doctors to give medicine,
and / will go now. and IL can help
you, send for me-"
He said, II beg OF you, don't go,
I think will die; the stiffness will
kill me-"
TIL After Midnight.
And my friend stayed until
tw thirty and Mabel still had
her face turned to the wall. breath
ing regularly '~
And my friend said he couldn't
have gone more than four blocks
from the house when the little girl
opened her eyes and almost jumped
out of bed. She threw her arms
around her papa and shivering, her
teeth chartered and she said. Papa,
don't you let me get into the river.
I'll freeze. Don't you see the big
cakes of fee going DOWN."
He said, Honey, you are not In
the river. You are in papa's arms.
Don't you hear my heart beat?" and
Fhe laid her head against his breast
and she smiled and said "Oh. 10 that
you, papa? Where have you been
and when did you come back?"
He looked into the pupils of her
eyes and they were dilating. He
looked at her lips and they were
purple and her fngernails were blue
and her hands were getting cold.
She still clung with her arms
about his neck and presently she
cried again. "Oh, don't let me fall
in the river, I will drown"
He said, Honey, you are not in
the river. You are In papa's arms"
and he hugsed her tight as he kiss
ed her. He said, Don't you feel
any hands?"
And presently she relased the
clasp about his heck, reaching out
her arms towards an imaginary be-
ing, she cried, Papa, you needn't
carry me over the river. Yonder
comes mother with Jesus and the
angels and they will take me over"
Didn't summon Brewer.
And they bore her away on their
snowy wings to their immortal
home.
He laid her on the bed and sent
for my friend, Mr.. Knox.
Why didn't he send for the brew
er? why didn't ne send for the
president Of the infidel .club7
on, will tell you. ewhen the
2urid lghts Of the farther shore