The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1863-04-24
Volume ID.

father.
"Darling," you speak strangely" he said
after long pause, during which concicncc
had been busy; father has great deal OF
hard work to do, and comes home tired and
a little iretful somo times, but then-he-
he-does-loye your mother" he said slowly,
and wondering what had become Of the
glowing delight he had once felt at the mere
mention Of her name.
"Do you. do you really love her then"
asked the child, sitting upright on his knee,
and fixing her full beautiful eyes upon him,
show strange; thought by what mamma
said you hated her almost"
"By what mamma said !" exclaimed her
father hastily, while feeling of anger shot
through his heart at the sudden surmise that
his wiic had been striving to ALLEVIATE the
childs affections from him, "what did nam.
ma say Ellen - he demanded stcrnly.
Don't look so hard at me iathcr,' she re-
piled, pressing her snowy hands over her eyes,
"mamma didn't tell me, but she told God
Moro and more astonished, Charles gazcd
upon the child without speaking, and after
u moments pause, she continued, "l went
into mammas room this afternoon, before |
knew she was sick, but heard her talking,
so went on tiptoe. She was knecling down
by the bed and praying to our Father in
Heaven and che cried and sobbed rs do
sometimes when an naughty, but | know
she was never naughty, good, dear mamma,
was she ever naughty, papa? she asked art
lessly, and waiting for reply.
"She never was to you or mo-" answered
tho father choking down his emotion.
"wcll, then heard her pray; l knew she
wouldn't care il did because she takes me
with her sometimes: and she asked the dear
God il he would make her husband love her
and she said that ho went away from his
home and liked other people better, and she
said her heart was breaking, too, and, oh
she cried SO bad, "--continucd the child, Civ
ing such q mournful emphasis to the last
two words that the fathers lip treInbled and
ttbo tsars came into his sYcs. And tbep che
tufnea round ana saw me; and sha called
rne to her and huggcd me tight, and said |
was precious child, and kept asking me il
was sure loved her-very, very sure, till
the wild light Of her eyes almost frightened
me. kept telling her sho was my blessed
mother, and loved her better than any body
in the world except my father and then she
told me that must love you dearly. for you
were kind father to me, and perhaps she
would not live long, and If they did put her
in the cold ground, | must make you forget
it by my goodness and affection, but never
could forget it, could you father, If they put
my own sweet mother into the cold ground?'
This was too much; Charles Crosby star
ted from his chair. and placing Ellen on a
low seat strode rapidly from the room. The
tears were raining down his face, but he kept
them hidden from the little one. who sat
timidly still on her cricket, almost afraid to
move for fear she had angered her father.
Not so. A flood of the old tenderness had
rushed back upon his heart; instead of the
dcmure and gentle Alice, his memory pictured
an angel of whom he had been all unworthy
a pure radiont spirit, who had sat by her
household hearth in loneliness and sadness,
with n slowly, surely, breaking heart-a
heart yearning and dying TOR love; unapprc-
ciated lightly esteemed. seldom addressed in
the language of affection, and returning
smiles for cold looks; never complaining.
| Oh! had such an one blessed his dwelling
and he had not dreamed how priceless a
treasure he possessed? Bitter was his SELF
accusation, hot and copious his .tears. Sud-
denly he paused before her portrait-thc
young wifc in the robes Of the bridal seemed
50 joyous, yet subdued; just us perfectly
happy as she had appeared on the day he
could first call her his own. Now, only one
thought echoed and rc-echoed through his
brain. "Should she die"
For sometime he stood transiixed, striving
to check the bursting sob that was almost
sitting him, when he felt a slight pull at
his coat by Ellen, with her pretty lips half
parted "Papa" she half whispered. "mayn't
| 20 up stairs and tell mamma you do love
her dearly?'
lie caught her to his breast and clasped her
with the warmth of his new love close in his
arms he kissed her again and, again blessing
his Maker that "out Of the mouths Of babes
and sucklings he has ordained praise :" then
releasing the delighted child he said "ycs,
darling you may il you wish to-"
The child flew up stairs, while her father
followed more slowly, "mamma," she scream.
cd bounding into tho room. "you won't cry
any more, nor have the headache now, father |
says he loves you dearly, now dear mamma.
The poor woman sprang to her feet, shc
could not comprehend the scene she was
oew'ldered; her pale cheek flushed and grew |
p'llid by turns. She looked first at her hus-
oand ana then at her little Ellen. who had
expected her mother to laugh outright, and
appear Us g'ee'nl as she; little innocent