Year: 1865

US that we had never seen such moonlight
1t seemed to us that we had never seer
such mOOnlight--that we walked under new
heavens and upon new earth.


When we got home we told our landlady
good Mrs. Colesworthy, who had been sc
kind to me--of our betrothal. Robert said
} frankness was best in such matters, as in
all others. We could not be married Just
yet. His salary was small, and he must
} save enough to begin housekeeping in a
quiet way In the mean time he would
want of course, to be with me as much as
possible, and SO it was well our relation
should be understood, and then there would
be no room for gossip.


That New-Year, however, the firm he
worked for raised his salary, SO that he
saved the money weneeded sooner than we
had any hope, and we were married the
next summer, a year after our betrothal.--
Then Robert took me home. We had three
rooms--a chamber, kitchen, and little
parlor. We thought of a spare bedroom
at first, but had no friends who were like
ly to come and see us, neither had Robert
so we saved that expense. What bright,
CHEEKY home we had How much pride
and pleasure we took in every little con-
venience and adornment We thought we
were just as happy as we could be but
when another year went by, and with the
June roses came baby girl to look up at
US with her shy sweet eyes, full of strange
baby wisdom, we found that we could be
happier still l wanted to call the little
thing Rose, because she came when the
roses came, and Robert wanted to call her
Mary, because that was my name so we
compromised and called her Rosemary


| think you never saw Just such baby
never, surely, unless you have had a first
baby of your own. She was such a round,
rosy, fat, dimpled, loving, sunny, bird-like
! little creature, with wise, still ways too,
that kept you wondering how the world
looked to her, and what she was thinking
| about. She was a perpetual novelty and
entertainment to us. We never tired of
speculating about her future, watching her
growth, playing with her And so ten
months went by us most happily, until it
was the March after little Rosemary came.


Then Robert took a sudden violent cold.
1t came on to rain one day while he was at
the store. He had to go out to attend to
some business, and having no Overshoes or
umbrella, went carelessly without them, and
came home to ME at night so hOarse he
could scarcely speak 1t was his last days
work ..


Let me hurry over these few terriblel lweeks
of suffering and suspense through which
nursed him He died in the last of April
Before he went away from us little Rose
mary had learned to say papa" She said
it to him just before he died, and l never
can forget the way his face kindled with a
a. Il. ~ IL o1,
hold him back little longer from death
He reached out his arms, those thin, weak
arms, and laid the child in them.


"God bless you," he said, my darling,
my little darling! God bless you and keep
you from all evil !"


Then he began to cough, and | took her
away, and tied her into her tiny rocking
chair, where she had learned to set patient
ly hour after hour, never troubling any one.
When the coughing-spell was over he clos
ed his eyes, and | heard him say in a low
voice


Their angels do always behold the face
of the Father :" and | know he was think
ing of his little one, and what her lot would
be when he was gone.


Just at the last he turned his eyes to me,
and said in weak faint tones


" You have been my true wife, Mary
You have walked with me down to the very
brink of the river You must go back
alone"


With those words he made a sign for me
to kiss him, and bending down Ipressed my
lips to his. that even then quivered beneath
my touch, and family returned my pressure
When lifted up my head he was dead.


had been alone a month before | haC
courage to look about me, or think at al


what | was going to do. The firm had beer
very kind They continued Roberts pay
: through his sickness, and for two months
afterward, making up the half year. D
course that was all | could have expected


of them, or more-l must take care of my
self and my little girl Robert had left ;
: little money, but that | did not mean tt
/ touch. ! felt that it ought to remain as :


provision against any time of peculiar need
or for Rosemary if ! should die. So | wen
, round among my old customers and pro
t cured the promise OF as much work as
could do to take home, for it was of course
| out of the question to leave my child ant
e 90 out all day, as | used to do. When
2 saw how kind they all were to me, and how
sorry for me, I began to realize how man.
5 pUOu ncdTl Us lneTe are Ill lne WOIiu.


| For two years | got along nicely. L
, be sure it left an awful void in my life t.
: take Robert out of it, but | remembers
/ that | had promised to belong to him forev


er so felt that was only waiting. NJ.
d little one was great comfort. She looke'
at me with her fathers eyes, and there wa
) a curious likeness in her words and way
to his which some times gladdened ant
/ some times saddened my heart.


f Her constitution was very trall. Sh
n had been fat, dimpled baby enough bu
!, after she could run alone she grew slender
e and her skin was almost transparent Blu
: she was never really i'll until the summe
e two years after her father died Then sht


became so delicate that she required
e great deal of my time. | thought at frs
e it was because she was cutting a long-dt
: layed double tooth, but soon | began t
e fear there was graver cause for alarm.
t sent for doctor, a kind fatherly man
h DR. Grant his name was and he told m
d that her spine was affected, and the diseas
y was Of such nature that she would II
It require the closest care and attention t
n save her life And even then But h
e did not finish the sentence. Looking int