 | When life is young |  |
86
MOTHER
Early one summer morning,
I saw two children pass;
Their footsteps, as they loitered,
Wakened the dewy grass.
I saw two children pass;
Their footsteps, as they loitered,
Wakened the dewy grass.
One, lately out of babyhood,
Looked up with eager eyes;
The other watched her wistfully,
Oppressed with smothered sighs.
Looked up with eager eyes;
The other watched her wistfully,
Oppressed with smothered sighs.
“See, Mother!” cried the little one,
“I gathered them for you—
Clover and pretty buttercups!
And Mabel has some too.”
“I gathered them for you—
Clover and pretty buttercups!
And Mabel has some too.”
“Hush, Nelly!” whispered Mabel,
“We have not reached it, yet.
Wait till we get there, darling,
It is n't far, my pet.”
“We have not reached it, yet.
Wait till we get there, darling,
It is n't far, my pet.”
“Get where?” asked Nelly. “Tell me.”
“To the churchyard,” Mabel said.
“No! no!” cried little Nelly,
And shook her sunny head.
“To the churchyard,” Mabel said.
“No! no!” cried little Nelly,
And shook her sunny head.
Still Mabel whispered sadly,
“We must take them to the grave.
Come, darling!” and the childish voice
Tried to be clear and brave.
“We must take them to the grave.
88
Tried to be clear and brave.
But Nelly still kept calling
Far up into the blue;
“See, Mother, see, how pretty!
We gathered them for you.”
Far up into the blue;
“See, Mother, see, how pretty!
We gathered them for you.”
And when her sister pleaded,
She cried—and would not go:—
“Angels don't live in graveyards;
My mother don't, I know!”
She cried—and would not go:—
“Angels don't live in graveyards;
My mother don't, I know!”
Then Mabel bent and kissed her.
‘So be it, dear,” she said;
“We'll take them to the arbor
And lay them there instead.
‘So be it, dear,” she said;
“We'll take them to the arbor
And lay them there instead.
“For mother loved it dearly,
It was the sweetest place!”
And the joy that came to Nelly
Shone up in Mabel's face.
It was the sweetest place!”
And the joy that came to Nelly
Shone up in Mabel's face.
I saw them turn and follow
A path with blossoms bright,
Until the nodding branches
Concealed them from my sight;
A path with blossoms bright,
Until the nodding branches
Concealed them from my sight;
But still like sweetest music
The words came ringing through:
“See, Mother, see, how pretty!
We gathered them for you.”
The words came ringing through:
“See, Mother, see, how pretty!
We gathered them for you.”
| When life is young | |