The Apple Dumpling and Other Stories for Young Boys and Girls | Page 5

he must go to sleep without holding his
finger and hearing him sing.
When bed-time came, Charley wanted to beg his Mother to think of
some other punishment for him. He wanted his dear brother so much.
He looked at Henry, but Henry said, "Good-night, little fellow; we
deserve this. Come! one night will soon be over. Now, let us see how
well you can behave;" and he gave him a smile, and a kiss so full of
love, that the little fellow put his lips tight together, and marched off to
bed without a tear. It was hard to do it, but he had this kind brother to
set him a good example, and he was determined to be as good a boy as
Henry.
Not many weeks after this, poor little Charles was taken sick. He was
very sick indeed, and every day he grew worse. The doctor did all he
could for him, and Henry stayed with him night and day, and would
hardly take any rest. He gave him all his medicine, and sang to him
very often when he was in pain. But Charles did not get any better, and
at last the doctor said that he could not make him well--the little boy
must die.
When Henry heard this, the tears burst from his eyes, and he sobbed out,
"Oh, my brother! oh, my brother! I cannot part with you, my little
precious brother."
The poor little fellow had become so weak and thin that he could
scarcely lift his hands from the bed where he lay.
The last night came. He knew that he would not live many hours, for
his dear Mother had said so; and now she told him, that as he had
always tried to be a good boy, he would go to Heaven, and Jesus would
take him into His bosom, and love him, and keep him, until they came
to him.

His little pale face grew bright. "Dear Mother," said he, "will Jesus let
my brother come to me? I want my brother in Heaven. Come here close
to me," said he to Henry. His brother leaned his face down close to the
little boy's face, and helped him clasp his arms around his neck, and
then he whispered, in a soft, weak voice, "Do not cry, dear brother--do
not cry any more. I will pray to Jesus to let you come very soon and
sing me to sleep in Heaven."
These were the last words he spoke, for his breath grew shorter and
shorter, and soon after his little hand dropped away from his brother's,
and he was dead.
And his Father had him buried in Highgate Cemetery.
It was in the summer time that he died, and his brother Henry planted a
white rose-bush at the foot of the little grave, and a red rose-bush at the
head, and often in the pleasant summer afternoons he would go alone to
Highgate, and sit upon little Charley's grave, and think how he might at
that moment be praying for him in Heaven.
Henry is now a man. He was always a good boy. He is now a good man;
and although many years have passed since he lost his little brother, he
goes every summer to Highgate to visit his grave; and the tears always
come into his eyes when he speaks of him, and tells that little Charley's
last words were, that he would pray to Jesus to let his darling brother
come soon, and sing him to sleep in Heaven.

ANNIE BROWNE.
Little Annie Browne was an only child, that is, she had no little
brothers or sisters; so you may be sure her parents loved this little girl
very much indeed, and were always endeavouring to make her happy.
Now I wonder if the dear little boy or girl, who is reading this, can
guess the means that Annie's Father and Mother took to make her
happy.
Did they give her plenty of candy? No. Did they buy new play-things

for her every day? No. Did they take her very often to the Museum or
the Zoological Gardens? No; this was not the way. I will tell you what
they did; and I will tell you what Annie did for one whole day when
she was about five years old, and that will give you a very good idea of
the way they took to make her good, for then she was sure to be happy.
Well, one day Annie woke up very early in the morning, and, sitting up
in her little bed, which was close by the side of her Mamma's, she first
rubbed her eyes, and then she looked all round the room, and saw a
narrow streak of bright light on