The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-03-10

together like bouquet OF flowers, came
floating i'm at her open windows, till it
seemed as though the very spirit Of the
fruitage had exhaled into the atmos-
phere merely to make Jacqueline cove
tous and the children's mouths water
with longing. But now, as she laid upon
her sick-bed, the beauty of this fan
neighborhood returned to her like a
picture; sometimes she dropped asleep
to find herself walking under those fra
grant boughs, with the dazzling blue
breaking through the Melted limbs, and
the sunshine like presence beside her.
On such occasions little Bert walked her
to ask:
"Wus you seeing angels, mamma,
like the baby used to did? You smiled
all over your face just now" And since
her eyes are open to the fact that Bert
has her guard about his neck, and her
dear old engraved seal in his apron
pocket, he finds grace to ask further:
f" Mamma, Bert will wear this putty seal
till you wakes up" But mamma is too
sleepy to do more than shake her head,
and Bert walks off in triumph, walks
down stairs and out into the street, and
stops to look between the pickets into
the fruit garden, where every blushing
peach of them, every clustering grape,
every nodding plum, seems to cry,
"Come, and let us drop into your
mouth" so temptingly that it is too
much for the little rogue, with mammals
seal in his calico pocket, and good
deal of hunger in his capacious stomach.
So, in an adventurous frame of mind.
he trots round the square and opens the
garden gate, which moves to the silver
chime of a bell, and causes gentleman,
who is giving some orders TO the gar
dener, to turn about and give Master
Bert the benefit of pair of deep, I'M
smiling eyes shining out of a handsome
face, which has the effect of disconcert-
ing the little intruder for the instant,
till the deep eyes melt somewhat as they
fall upon the rosy, perpleXed face, the
rings of snarly gold hair.
"Good morning, little one" says the
gentleman, with his clear, tuneful voice,
that reminds Bert of the wind blowing
through the trees. "What have you
got for me there in your pocket?' for
Bert is holding the seal with great care
in that nook, both plump hands en-
gagged in the service.
ats mine," says he, equivocally.
"Ah! And what will you take for
t?'' laughing. Cant we strike a bar
gain ?'
"Take peaches " returns Bert, sharp
at a bargain, as his father had been be-
fore him; "ripe peaches; sound too.
See y and he holds up the seal and lets
the sunlight winnowing down through
the leaves overhead, flash upon it and
light up the old engraving The words
the gentleman is about to speak, the
laugh that is upon his lips, all dissolve
into profound sigh. Bert is beginning
to fancy that he has done wrongly, that
the gentleman is going to tell mamma
low he was selling her pretty seal for
peaches, as he tries to read the grave
face before him growing graver every
moment, and wrinkled with strange ex
preston; he fancies, too, that there is
tear in the unsmiling eyes regarding the
precious seal; and then the gentleman
sits down in a garden chair, and holds
the seal in his white palm, and seems to
have forgotten Bert and the peaches and
the waiting gardener, and to have gone
long, long way off, quite out of the
sight and hearing of to-day. But by
and-by he comes back again, and calls
Bert to his side and asks gently, with
the sound of tears in his voice
Where did you find this, my child?"
Bert is sure now that he understands
all about it, and is ready to drop with
shame.
Mamma" he begins, "she went to
sleep with the headache, and let Bert
put it on, and didn't say nothing"
"Where did mamma get it ?'
Bert knows nothing about that.
Mamma has worn it forever" he de-
clares.
"Will you take me to see your NAM
ma ?"
Feeling as though he had been over
reached, Bert consents, and together
they pass out of the gate and walk
round the square, and pass in at the
open tenement-house door, and up the
worn staircase up to Jacquelines room,
where grandpa lies all day and counts
the flies on the ceiling, and scolds the
children for amusement and watches
the clouds fit across the sky, within
sight of his window. But it is grandpa
who is asleep now, and mamma has
staggered up to make the porridge for
supper, and to look after the children.
She opens the room door at the sound
of steps, and naughty Bert rushes into
her arms, crying, Dear mamma, Bert's
real sorry ~ and then she grows faint
and white, for perhaps Bert has broken
a window, and the funds are so very
low
The stranger, with his handsome, Sc
rious face and fine attire, pauses on the
threshold and looks about him. So
poor home just at the foot of his own
garden, within stones throw of his
princely estate why had he not thought
about it? Had his own sorrows blunted
him to those of his neighbors Had
he so pitied himself that there was no
pity left for others? Had prosperity
blinded him to adversely? Then his
eyes rested upon Jacqueline, in her
shabby gown, with her worn, tired face,
her faded eyes; what were those eyes
saying to him-what had they said, over
and over again, years ago?