Year: 1866

convenience 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. wanted to call the little
thing Rose, because she came when the 70.
ses 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 first
baby Of your own. She was such 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 perpetual novelty and
entertainment to us. We never tired Of
specializing about 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 60 out to attend to
business, and having no ovessh0es or UNI
brela, went carelessly without them, and
came home to me at night, so hoarsc he
could hardly speak. It.was bis last days
work.


Let me hurry over these few terrible
weeks of suffering and suspense through
which nursed him. He died in the last
of April. Before he went away from us
| little Rosemary had learned to say papa
She said it to him just before he died, and
| can never forget the way his face kindled
| with Efa Ill, hr;n ,rh:o1. l.
almost hope to hold him back little Ion
ger from death He reached out his arms,
those thin, weak arms, and laid the child
| in them.


"God bless you" he said, ''ny darling.
my little 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 sit patient
lly hour after hour, never troubling anv
one. When the coughing spell was over
he closed his eyes, and heard him say in
low voice:


The angels DO always behold the face
of their Father;" and l knew he was
thinking of his little one, and what her lot
would be when he MAS gone.


just at the last he turned his eyes to me
and said III 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 sign for
me to kiss him, and bending down pressed
my lips to his, that even then 9uivcred be-
meath my touch, and family returned my
pressure. When | lifted up my head he
was dead


! had been alone a month before had
courage to look about me, or think at all
what was going to do. The firm had
been very kind. They continued Roberts
pay through his sickness, and for two
months aiterward, making up the half
year. OF course that was all could
have expected of them. and more-I must
take care of myself and my little girl
Robert had left little money. bot that
did not mean to touch. felt that it ought
to remain as a provision against any time
of peculiar need, or for Rosemary if
should die. So went round among my
old customers and procured 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 and go out all day, Gs used
to do. When saw how kind they all
were to me, began to realize how many
good hearts there are in the world.


For two years got along nicely. To
be sure it left an awful void in my life to
take Robcrt out of it, but | remembered
that had promised to belong to him for
ever SO felt that was waiting. My
little one was great comfort. She look
in1 OF ,rith har 70 thnrsc a,,l thnrn
was curious likeness in her words and
ways to his, which sometimes gladdencd
and sometimes saddcncd my heart.


Her constitution was very frail She
had been Il fat, dimpled baby enough :;
but after she could run alone she grew
slender, and her skin was alm6st trans
parant. But she was never really ill,until
| the summer two years after her father died
Then she became SO DELICATE that she re-
qured great deal Of my time. thought
at first that it was because she was cutting
long DELAYED double tooth. but soon be-
gan to fear there was grayer cause for
alarm. sent for a doctor, a kind fathcrly
man-Dr. Grant his name was--and he
told me that her spine was affected. and
| the disease WAS of such nature that she
would require the closest care and atten-
ti0p to save her life. And even then-But
he did not finish the sentence. Looking
into my face think he could not have the
nerve to do so.


used to hold her in my arms more than
half the time by night and by day. Oi
course could not sew much, and the mon.
ey had left dwindlcd away. began to
wonder how could keep want from the
door. One day DR.. Grant came and
seemed to have something in particular tc
say He had been very kind to my little
Rosemary. and she and had both grown
fond Of him in u certain way, and were
always glad to see him. But l never
could tell YOU the shock it was when h,
asked me to marry him. had kuowl
nothing Of his history hereto, but lie told
me now that he was wtlower, aud lone.
ly, ch;ldless man and that he had learned
to love me and mine better than anything
else in the warld. he wanted to marry
me at once, and take rs home with hini
where Rosemary could have every carr
and luxury, and where my lot should BE-
eascd of all such burdens as he could beal
IN my stead.


While he talked was terribly tempted
The home he offered seemed to pron,is.
such rest. such relief from care. and tn.
torturing anxiety how to do nv duty tt
child and get my daily bread at 'the same
time; ! thought of my little one most q
all. | knew that she needed so much thai
| could not give her. Perhaps it would
save her life. Had right. to refuse
Aud ,.ot Euoyr did not loro nr C,,,,.