Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1868-07-16

could not take them all with her
When the child did not come, b.
used to pack up the playthings
one after another, placing th'
sheep in their box, collecting th'
pieces of kitchen utensils, will
more care than for his books anl
manuscripts. Nothing was more
strange or moving than to see this
man with big moustache, with a
large brow, furrowed. by prema.
ture wrinkles, sorrowfully busy.
ing himself with these childish
toys. And when Vera was an.
nounced, there came endless plays.
The colonel gambolled with Vera
like a child of the same age as
herself, and the house from Gel
lar to roof, resounded with bursts
of laughter. Such life, still bear
able to Basil, lasted eighteen
months. Often, very often, he
said, that his daughter "made him
live" "Without her." he added,
"what should have to do in this
world2"
Alas, one Sunday, Vera did not
come. That had happened more
than once, and did net strike the
colonel very much. He waited
for Thursday; no Vera on Thurs
day. On Friday, an errand boy
came to the house, and brought a
verbal message, from which the
housekeeper, who had fortunately
intercepted it, guessed that the
child was seriously i'll from the
result of a fall. The housekeeper
gently broke the mournful news
to the colonel. On the evening
of the same day Vera expired.
Surely a terrible curse hangs
over the children of faithless
wives. That law of the moral
world is inexorable. A little at
tention suffices to demonstrate
it in this case. Madam Ostroff,
voluntarily separated from her
husband, and leading since an ir-
regular life, could not fail to be
punished through her daughter.
Her neglect of the child brought
about the catastrophe. A votary
of pleasure, and always absent from
home, she abandoned Vera to al
maid who let her die.
But the colonel does not know
yet the full extent of his misfor-
tune; he still cherishes a forlorn
hope that 10 one has the courage
to dispel. He scarcely goes out
now, though as full ofstoys as ev-
er; in fact, he spends his whole
time with them. Look at him in
the dining-room. His large fore
head is bent upon the table. One
would fancy Faust busy, in his
laboratory, with his loftiest mani
pulations. But the colonel,
though absorbed in deep thought,
is only trying to lay out, in accor-
dance with the rules Of skillful
computation, the pieces Of land
scape in aeliero. Small square
pieces1of wood, painted red and
white, represent the houses with
red tile roofs; he forms village
with them. Avenues of small
trees, with curled leaves, of a
light green, and of gracious conf
cal form, lead to the hamlet. I'm ,
der their shades the colonel has
scattered, in charming confus-
ion, herd of white sheep brows-
ing the thin grass; two dogs watch
the stagglers; and the shepherd,
crook in hand, surveys the scene.
Had the cottage been lost in end
less perspective, had the branches
of the trees scintillated with dew {
pearls, had the sheep gambolled on
an immense meadow, the enohan-
ted eyes of the colonel could not
have contemplated the landscape
with more satisfaction or enthusi- /
asm. I Isi - :
The placid insanity, the puerile
of Basil, ought to have
been described by the gifted au-
thor of the "Diary of a Physi-
cian." / can but echo the deep
sensation / felt at seeing that
fearless warrior amid his toys. forI
the table, the bureau, the mantel-l
piece were covered with baboons,
dancingjacks, and Lilliputian /,
instruments. Let me
add that in the best corner Of the
was a child's chair, close I,
to small dining-table sumptuous-