The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-04-18

autamn leaves follow the fashions B
their neigh ghborhood, tinted through
and through by their surroundings.
Our household in the happy valley
like the hills about them-a1 children
9f the Alleghenies but thrust a littl
outside of the more generous famil.
sympathies- had also drifted aWal
from the weighty and digBified pro
prieties of central social position
<Imprudent'' was a word good dea
too often in the mouths of the GOSH p
and it was becoming pretty eviden
that there was great need of q firm
and wise hand at the helm. Tht
children were nine years old, and til.
mother as social, as light hearted q
ever, wishing and hoping for n,
change; and just as bewitching as sh,
had been for all these years to he
waiting crowd of admirers. Her ma
ture and her surroundings were ii
league together, bringing her a life o
midst of it all she was as simple
guile as her own little children.
But now there came q sad change
The dear old man slept peacefully
with his fathers and whether All
cried too much for her grandfather
whether she and her sister remainel
aitogefher too constantly in the house
afraid now to wander unprotected
Through the darling old woods on tbs
breezy hill-sidss and along winding
pleasant paths to the heights, where
theyscouId find wide lookout into
the world, or rlwhether some new man.
tie of care had descended upon hel
poor little shoulders, it is certain thai
in 10 few months the roses in heI
cheeks -were changed to lilies. A
heavy veil grew and thiclzehed over
her bro wn eyes, till at last Allie was
blind. But this was not alb; a vel
fellsdown sover her mind aisos9 Bright
thoughtful little Allielbecame like one
living alwaysiin hazy,s golden mist.
Sometimes the clouds lifted a little.
Nab or her mother caught glimpses
of the intelligent child they knew OF
old, but. the shadows always settled
back again heavier. thangbefore.
8lss Her gfanfhef has jest sperited
away the best half of her to go in
company with himself . That's my
belafe entirely said Irish Norah, IN
ready explanation! .!ei'6 .is .t'sA IA
g rSmitten iiof God because / have
been too happyxoh, too happy, and
thong hfless ? inoaned the poor moth
er. Daily and nightly the unhappy
Woman was shrouded in ever deepen
ingageny and hopelessness. @, holy
Father, she prayed, INCREASINGLY, (. If
it be possible, let this cup pass from
her! Let thy heavy hand fall on me |;
butspare my cllild.sd Far be it from
eiod to visit the SINS of the mother
upon her innocent head pd sfa Il :
All the cold criticism, the unsym-
pathetic remonstfance. at her fancied
lack of mefherly dignity that from
time to time had fallen upon Her ears,
smote her now as scoufges which she
had miserabIy deserved. Had she al
lowed this tender child to bear bur-
dens which she herself should have
carried ? Had her own thoughtlessness
perhaps, wrought some cruel spell of
suffering-all the more terrible that it,
was only fancied /? What weight of
censure had possibly been exaggerated
in the sensitive little heart always SO
loving and loyal to her, until it must
needs break for her? Looks and
tones of the child, little needed at the
time, but telling of reticent and
sympathy, came back to her
now with quickened self-reproach.
In her grief and desperation she
even tried to effect compromise with
Deity. Just Heaven, she pleaded
if it must be let her eyes
remain forever closed to all the beauty
and brightness. of the world but give
back again to- my cIild-oh, please
give her back the light of understand
ingl oh, do not shut away her inno-
cent soul in darkness and night, God
Of love and mercy l'i5o.g sF4 .i fas
So the mother prayed, but fearful
power wrought on relentlessly at this
bit of mysterious web of dependent
events. The plump face of little Nab
also had grown wan and hollow-eyed,
even more than her sisters. Every
word spoken in the household had a
pitiful yearning in it which would
have melted through and through the
tenderness of all human love.
Allie would sit for hours, speaking
to no one, cooing nursery rhymes and
slipping favorite set of plump, shin
ing beads backward and forward over
, string, kissing them, whispering to
hem in confidence thousand impos-
sible fancies. But at every sunset her
iazed powers seemed to ralIy. When
Nab came and sat down by her, as
hey had been accustomed to sit to-
yether in the twilight. sometimesss at
,he door step, or under the gnarled
.elate to her sister many occurrences
If. the dav which at the time had
,eemed to mass unnot;ced
~. ur;.so,.----oaIo ,,.,1
AIs. w ihoSiip was nere, hIaoDy,
iate hec one IS always .picking
a;.I .nlousn i.1o me inslue ol our Hear:s
\ 'tt IN eone sat. snalp' auu P!slnS ~
'DouI Juse ~ eeo uow hiuon IL Hurts
Is. sue saiu oii1 eYen5n snouio
il:nh Voo "ouio senu her 10 Otates-
"tOh a1 uu,.a.,;, aa,,4
j, On, Ars. Winasiip uol hieah any
ni1g wrong, Al1ie ne,
Ion sne wen, grandpapa salo
.iser oohC mean anytnlhg wrong
men ne TEARS u llttle Ma IN Two 1or