| Show I 1 US FE R tt 18 NOT N OT ALWAYS A GOOD THING FOR CHILDREN tad she saw shded her LU life abat kh might bhelt IWU amid the happy burrou of A 81 ca C jj p d from Ot Go orela ortia the suicide of little annie chr christian itjin rutledge occurred several lays jaya ago the wonderment and pity I 1 aich which the bare re R of the fact created have steadily increased as the circumstances leading up to the event ire become known it Is about three wars oars ride from columbus georgia ui tit to the little town ot of crawford here annie lived yet residents of ol umbus and visiting strangers as ell continue to go over the rough antry road nearly every day to learn first hand the touching ing facts of anies gentle little life and pathetic path cath and to visit the grave in the ak grove churchyard in which she 4 i having the childishly longed for sleep which led her to the dreadful et ct that has well nigh broken her arents hearts imagine a little light complexioned country girl barely turn d thirteen years of age with her light a air ir hanging in two braids down her ack and with a tam face from which the aby look had not yet departed the et of her father a well todo to t o do farmer nd ad justice of the peace and equally ally beloved by her mother happy in her ome bright and vivacious viva cious in her dis position imagine a little creature such a this looking a smiling good goodby by for ver into her mothers face and then and tying a thin cord around her week ceck and hanging herself to a bedpost f they had been together in the tarm farm ouse use sitting room the mother and the atle child for some hours before the raggedy mrs rutledge w was in her amorite rocking chair sewing while annie sat on a low stool at her feet bading a sunday school book asleep in jesus by B C crawford which the had read a and ad reread until she knew t almost by heart suddenly she ahe laid he book down and leaning her arms in a her mothers lap looked up at her with a strange et range smiling earnestness in her baby face and began to sing it was the hymn she loved best of all asleep in jesus the book and asleep As I 1 ep beep in jesus the hymn seemed to have completely overmastered over mastered her fervid re ivious nature she sang the hymn en arely through from verse he last with the queer half smiling ook 0 ok into her mothers face ft the while ind and her little childish voice ringing out with unwonted clearness mrs rutledge rose to go out of the room as the little girls voice e died t way with the last lines of the hymn mamma called annie as mrs rut edge reached the door yes dear she replied turning suddenly around at something she sanded sounded like a strange note in he little voice nothing mamma only wont you please flease shut the door tight there was a bright smile on the childs face ace as she made this her last bequest and the fond mother went her way with the echoes of the childish voice singing aal asleep p in jesus still ringing in her ears halt an hour later she returned and there was the horrible tragedy before her and the mystery anys tery of the queer earnestness in her rolce and eyes which had half troubled her so short a time lime ago was revealed sow abow when the eyes were closed close d and the olce oice hushed forever A year ago there was a meet ng in the oak grove church near the rutledge home it was conducted with til ill the southern camp meeting fervor ind little annie then only twelve years jf if age was much impressed and wrought up by what she heard and gaw baw there from that day until the fatal climax her religious zeal never a I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 ANNIE RUTLEDGE lagged her mind ran to nothing else books I 1 were her h er on only I 1 y reading ind the singing of hymns her only happiness her kindled imagination would not let her await the promised reward cL to her childish mind it was a tam tangible gIble reality within her ber reach and she would have it now I 1 |
