Year: 1875

was spending some Gays, not many


years ago. in beautiful little country


village, and in family that had more


than common attractions to one who


loves domestic life as well as myself.


The little circle had in it more Of real


interest than I have often seen develop


ed in the same number Of persons.


The father of the family-almost too
young to feel that he was entitled to
that honorable appellation-was fine
frank-hearted young mechanic, with a


wide world of life bounding in his
veins; an energy that when fully
aroused, drove everything violently be-
fore him; and warmth Of disposition
that won him more friendship than it
had then given him of the goods of this
world.


His wife, to whom he had been mar
ried for four years, was singularly
beautiful. They had two children
the one a laughing. brown-eyed and
brown-haired little fairy Of three years
her romantic name was Blossom. The
second was growing, laughing, blue
eyed, plump little beauty Of lees than
year, promising to have all the charms
Of the elder at her age.


l was sitting one afternoon in quiet
little room. with my feet on two chairs,
reading pleasant little book, in : state
between sleep and awake --my sl
away at bis shop, a hundred yard aT
and my pretty little hostess engage in
her household labors-when l was
thrown cut Of my Incidence by scream
that brought me to my feet like an
electric shock. 1t was woman's voice,
and had in it an excess Of agony that
can not be indicated by words; so loud
that it rang over that quiet little viii
lags, and brought every one forth to
ascertain the cause.


I sprang to the door that separated
the sitting-room from the dining apart
ments, and saw the whole at glance.





The young mother stood at the door,
with her frst-born-our darling Bios
som, in her arms, dying! A brief and
hurried word from the servant told the
sad story. The little girl had accom-
panied a child-uncle upstairs, and
while the attention of the older child
was for a moment turned away. she
seized bottle Of corrosive sublimate 10
and had drank enough to have
taken away twenty such lives. The
little thing had tottered down stairs.
and the mother had met her at the land
ing with the empty bottle in her hand,
and the poison oozing from her mouth
the child all unconscious Of the fear
full thing she had done. Was it any
wonder that terrible shrek rang out
over the quiet village, and that already
the occupants of every house near were
rushing toward the spot where the
mother stood?


But few moments could possibly
have elapsed since the poison was taken,
and yet the effect was already fearful. |
After the first shrek of terror, the
mother had quieted to calm despair
for the moment, and stood with the
child in her arms, making no effert for
It's relief, and indeed, it seemed hope
less, for already the subtle poison SEEM
ID diffused through the frame; The
brown eyes had lost their lustre; the
ace was blackened as if after death;
md the teeth were tight set in . con-
'ulsive spasm that evidently would not
'ass away. 1 examined the little lost
arling for moment, saw that it was
opeless, and then turned away unable
0 bear . mothers agony The little
oer was already half filled with vii
lgers; and sobs and means. and lamen-
atoms over the fate Of the dying child,