Year: 1875

| was spending some days 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 | have often seen de-
veloped in the same number Of per-
sons.


The father of the family-almost too
young to feel that he was entitled to
that honorable appelation was fine
frank-hearted young mechanic, with a
wide world of life bounding in his veins |;
an energy that when fully aroused, drove
every thing violently before him and
a warmth of disposition that won him
more friendship than it had then given
him of the goods Of the world.


His wife to whom he had been married
for four years was singularly beautiful.
They had two children the one laugh
ing, brown-eyed and brown-haired little
fairey of three years; her romantic name
was Blossom. The second was crow
ing, laughing, blue-eyed, plump little
beauty of less than year promising
to have all the charms of the elder at
her age.


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 host away
at his shop hundred yards off, and my
pretty little hostess engaged in her
household labors when / was thrown
out Of my Incidence by scream that
brought me to my feet like an electric
shock. 1t was a 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 village and brought
every one forth to ascertain the cause.


sprang to the door that separated
the sittingroom from the dining apart
ments, and saw the whole at glance
The young mother stood at the door,
with her first born our darling Blossom
in her arms dying A brief and hur-
ried word from the servant told the sad
story. The little girl had accompanied
a child-uncle up airs, and while the
attention of the older child was for a
moment turned away, she seized bottle
of corrosive sublimate in alchohol, 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 landing with the
empty bottle in her hand, and the poison
| oozing from her mouth-the child all
unconscious of the fearful thing she had
done. Was it any wonder that a ter
rible shrek rang out over the quiet vii
lage, 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 moth
er had quieted to clam despair for the
moment and stood with the child in her
arms, making no effort for its relief, and
indeed, it seemed hopeless, for already
the subtle poison seemed diffused through
the frame; The brown eyes had lost their
luster; the face was blackened as if af-
ter death and the teeth were tight set
in convulsive spasm that evidently
would not pass away. | examined the
little lost darling for moment, saw that
it was hopeless, and then turned away
unable to bear mothers agony. The
little door was already half filled with
villagers and sobs and means, and lam
entations over the fate of the dying
child, were heard in every direction,
mingled with quick and hurried ques-
tions as to the manner of its occurrence,
and vain attempts at answering, which
added an expressing confusion to the
sadness of the scene.


The playfellow's uncle, who had been
upstairs with the child, had run instant
ly to call the father, and but few mo-
ments elapsed before he sprang into the
middle of the group. He had been told
all and asked no questions. had time
to remark that his eye was very stern,
and that his lips were firmly compressed.
Others too, remarked it; and / knew af-
terward, that murmur ran around the
circle of how strange it was that he be-
trayed no feeling


He reached out his hands and took
the child from its mother. Its eyes were
now closed, and a white ooze coming
from between blackened lips. Was
ever death more assured | saw him open
the eyelids, and give sigh of relief.
He told me afterward that the eye was
not sunken, and so death had not begun.
He then attempted to open the mouth,
but the teeth were tight set, and they re-
sisted his efforts. But with force that
seemed almost brutal, he wrenched the
teeth apart, and opened the mouth.


Shamel" cried one of the bystand-
ers. The father did not heed them, but