Part 14 (2/2)

”Oh, mother, she is so dirty!”

”She used to be, she is not so now. She was so when she ran the streets, just like another little girl.”

”Oh, mother, I know who you mean, but I did not know that she had been improved.”

The next day, the father and mother and daughter were sitting side by side in the chapel, and it was the remark of more than one, ”Oh, what a change!” ”Is it possible that that is old drunken Reagan and his wife, that used to live in that Centre street cellar, and that that is 'Wild Maggie?' What a change! Why she is real pretty, and so bright, and so affectionate--see how she looks out the hymn for her mother; and now they all kneel together. Well well, that is better than all drunk together.”

After morning service, Mrs. Reagan went into the kitchen to a.s.sist about dinner.

”I cannot tell how it is,” said she, ”but I feel as though this was the last meal I shall ever eat with my husband and Maggie; perhaps I shall not eat this.”

She never did.

Half an hour after that, the house was in wild commotion. ”Where is Mr.

Reagan?--where is Maggie?--call the doctor!--oh, dear!--oh, dear! Mrs.

Reagan is in a fit.”

It was a fit which all must have sooner or later. Her forebodings, from whatever cause they came, had given her prescience of her death.

The husband and daughter were soon kneeling over her where she had fallen upon the floor, vainly trying to revive animation. The physician vainly essayed his skill.

”It is too late. My mother is in heaven.”

”It is certain she is in the hands of G.o.d, and she died with a blessing on her lips for her child,” said one of the women who were present when she fell.

”What did she say, Angeline?”

”Sally, how was it? you heard it best.”

This is drunken Sal and old Angeline, whom you have seen before. They, too, are inmates; sober, industrious ones, of the House of Industry.

”She said, 'Oh, G.o.d, forgive me all my sins! And my husband, forgive him, oh, Lord! as I do. Margaret, oh, G.o.d! I thank thee for sending her to see me once more--G.o.d bless as I do my dear Maggie. I die in peace, I die--dying--hap--Oh!' and she fell forward; I caught her in my arms, and laid her down gently, but she never breathed again.”

”Oh, mother, mother, are you dead, dead, dead! Will you never, never speak to your Maggie again? Oh! it is so hard to part with you now, just as we were going to be so happy, and all live together.”

”Yes,” said Angeline, ”and that reminds me to tell you that she said just before she died, but I thought she was talking wild like, that if she did not see you again, that I must tell you not to go back to Westchester, but you must be sure to stay with your father, he would be so lonesome when she was gone.”

The poor husband was lonesome; he already felt it. Then he felt what blessings he had left. He had good health and strength, and a most affectionate good child to comfort him in his old age. And then he poured out such a prayer, as all ought to hear who lack courage to go on in the glorious work of lifting up the fallen, and giving strength to the feeble, and forgiveness to the erring. The day closed in sadness, yet there were some who witnessed the sad scene who felt that ”it is good to be afflicted.”

The next day after these events I was in Greenwood Cemetery, that lovely resting-place for the dead. It is a landmark in this progressive age, that shows the good fruits of an improved state of society. If any of the readers of these Life Scenes, are curious to know what becomes of the falling leaves of this great forest of human beings, let them go over the Brooklyn South ferry, and follow some of the score of mourning trains that go every day to put away some dead trunk, or lopped limb, or twig, leaf, or flower, perhaps nothing but a bud, which they will plant in earth to blossom in heaven; and they will see where a portion of the fallen go to decay. It is a place for a day, not of gloom, but sweet meditations, such as does the soul good.

I was meditating over a late made grave. It was by the side of one almost old enough to be forgotten, and yet the number of years since it was made were very few, and very, very short. There was a rose bush growing at the head, but I saw through the green leaves the name of ”Morgan, aet. 62.” I was not curious to know what Morgan, for my thoughts were far away. I did wonder, it is natural to do so, if that was Mrs.

Morgan by his side, and if they had always lain so quiet, without words of contention, or ”Caudle Lectures.” My doubts were soon to be solved, for now came a cart and a couple of stone setters. How quick, and how carelessly they work; now the hole is dug, now they lift the little stone out of the cart, now they set it upright, now they fill in the dirt around it, now they give a few stamps with heavy boots just over the head of the sleeper--he hears them not--now the stone is planted, now they jump into the cart, slash the whip, and curse the poor old horse for his laziness, and rattle away with a whistle and merry glee.

Now we can read the name on the new stone. Ah, it is not his wife--it is ”Walter Morgan, aet. 27.” His son--perhaps, an only son--how soon he has come after his father. It is a common name, or I might moralize farther upon what I know of that name. I am interrupted, and walk off a little way and turn to look again. A fine, benevolent looking gentleman--faces do look benevolent--is getting out of a carriage. He is about the age of the elder Morgan. His brother, perhaps. Now, he lifts out a rose bush, in bloom, in its little world, all its own, in an earthen pot. Ah, ha!

that is to be planted at the new stone just put in its place. Now he lifts out a lovelier flower. It is a young widow. Fancy is at work now; it says, ”Is she pretty?” We are too far off to discern features, but we can think. We do think that a widow who comes to plant a flower at her husband's grave, is a flower of a woman, let her face be what it may.

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