Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 November 1891 — Rocking the Empty Cradle. [ARTICLE]

Rocking the Empty Cradle.

It was a woman’s voice crooning sweetly the old lullaby: “Hush-my-dear-He-still-snd-ihimbev,” And as she sung she rooked an empty cradle with her foot, keeping time with its melancholy refrain. From the nestling of the blankets it looked as if the baby had only just been lifted out. A man passing heard the singing and retraced his steps so that he could look through the open door into the little plainly furnished room. “Excuse me, ma’am,” he said respectfully, “but I noticed that you were rocking an empty oradle. I reok'on you have never heard of the superstition ” “I am not superstitious,” said the woman: • ‘Holy-angeU-guard-thy-bed. ” “Excuse me, ma’am, but folks told my wife that if she didn’t stop rooking the cradle when the h&by wasn’t in it something would happen—an’ it did. The baby died when he was a year old!” “My baby won’t die,” answered the mother; “he’s been an angel these three months, an’ when I feel bo bad that I can’t live another minute I come in here and make believe he’s asleep. It does me good au’ mebbe God lets him know, and it comforts him. Is that superstition?” “No, ma’am, I reckon not, an’ I hope you’ll excuse me.” The man walked on bearing his own burden of sorrow with him, and the desolate mother rocked the empty cradle and resumed her plaintive monody: ‘ 'Heavsnly-bleasings-wi thout-number Gently-fall-upon-thy-hea i. *