The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-12-10

look in. P 0oNi9lilleS and
We were sitting together in the Iibra.
iy.5ny darling and 1. She cuddled mr.
Oeside me, looking over some pietures
4I Dnds and flowers, when heard }
Ioo'soep on the gravel-walk beside the
TTInd0W turning, I saw woman's face.
! walked over toward it. and It vanished
IA the darkness. "Ahl sorna yoo,
traveller, perchance," j Thought. {" WHO
mas dared to steal looi, in on INV boraa.
happiness. I hope she has a little one
waning for her SOMEWHERE % and I
kissed my Rosemarie III the fuIIness al
my happy heart. The following morn.
ing, very early, was told a strange
iaoy wished to speak with me.
she would not give any name. and
haa no card, the servant said.
went down Immediately, expecting
as usual, IN those cases, a solicitation
Ior 9lms-tor aims, 1 said As I enter.
ca the Parlor, woman, very beautiful.
young, and elegantly attired, rose tC
Ine5t me. Her manner was graceful
ana impressive, and yet I saw directIy
she was not a lady-nay. even past nv
claiming her as pure woman and sister
You have a child ?" she began. in.
terroga lively.
have, answered, a little sur
prlsed at her strange, abrupt manner.
walking over to where still stood.
ing
You lie She is my child, and ]
have come for herr'
1 stepped backward, and should have
fallen, possibly, but my quick ear caught
the patter of my darling's little feei
upon the stairs, and as she came trip.
ping into the room-oh 80 pure. and
sweet, and lovely II summoned all the
strength and courage at my command
and said, in a low, firm tone to The
woman, who still glared at me:
Hush mot a word before her I"
She locked down at the child, and ur
at me, and then-oh then. I saw mT
darling's face in hers But with such
hideous lines of passion-such friehtful
marks of dissipation over all its beauty
and purity
What is your name ?'' she asked the
child, and her voice lost its harsh sound
and grew full and low as she spoke.
Coming to my side and putting her
little hand in mine, as though she felt
some hidden danger, my darling
answered
am mammals Rosemarie."
The woman made step toward her
then I clasped her closer to my arms.
and whispered quickly:
SEQ to your room, lock the door,
and open TO none but me, and 1 kissed
her, and she ran away"
Now, said I, closing the door and
seating myself beside it, "now I will
hear all you have to say to me-"
The woman looked down at me
looked all over the room and back to
me again-then, seeing something in my
face, she seemed to lose her bravado,
and began in a husky voice, which grew
shrill and sharp as she went on:
"Who are you, that calls my child
| yours q? What right have you to her 2
You stole her never gave her up. ]
have searched for her for years. have
found her at last, she is mine, and I'll
have her 70
I shuddered at her words, but an
swered calmly, and my heart seemed to
have grown still, so faint it throbbed
and bea
'You ask what right I have TO the
child? What right have you to the
little one you left 70 the mercies of 8
cold, wide world ? You threw her
away--I saved her She may be born
of your body, but her soul is mine r.
She paced the room now, and up and
down like some Gagged thing, then,
speaking with vehemence, she cried,
/ passionately:
50 swear I'll have my child and I'll
break every door and window in your
fine house to get her." and she struck
the door with her clenched haEt9 as she
spoke.
Silence /" I commanded, looking
into her angry eyes with mine. I" Lis
ten to me, and if when hive finished
what have to say you can still take
her from me, will yield her without q
word. Yes" I continued, as she looked
up from the iringes of the shawl she
was tearing, and seemed surprised,
eyes, will give her mp to you, though
it will break my heart r" and I felt I
looked the words uttered.
She grew calmer, and went on
earnestly: "For five happy years I
have been a mother to your little one.
I took her, poor and friendless and
sick, from a home of charity. She had
been rescued, they told me, from the
arms of a drunken, depraVed mother,
who threatened TO kill the child If left
to her mercy. have ninistered to her
comfort and welfare, physically and
mentally, all these years. She bears
my name, and as she grows to woman
hood, will be socially respected as my
daughter. At my death, all possess
becomes hers and I love her. You
Won are her mother DOu you ask me
to give her back to you 2"
She did not speak, but kept on tear
ing off the fringes of her shawl then,
at last, with a bitter, hard laugh, she
said, in sueering tone cit is plain
to be seen you never had a child To
ask a mother such a question!
I felt the sting she meant should,
but I answered her again True, /
have never had child. 1 have never
been a mother-but and / looked
her in the ewes as spoke, as woman to
woman-"oan You ask me for the child
aRainP Where viii you take her
What will you make of her 2" And l
utterly gave way, weeping as never
wept before. She rose from her seat
now. looked at me intently, for some
minutes, then coming close to where ]
sat. still weeping, she silently took my
hand with both hers, and kneeling,
kissed it. saving, in low, halt-smoth-
cred voice :: 80 wish had known You
wears ago. Keep her. give you my
little daughter, and Twill never trouble
Won nor her again. So help me God =
With these words. she went out OF my
house. and out OF town, and never
saw nor heard of her again.
When my darling was sixteen years
old. I told her the story of her mother
and her life as far as I knew, and
showed her the dover Of roses with
which she had come to me; and have
them still, all pressed and withered,
and fragrant and sweet. Oh, that 1 lay
degd with them She listened al
through nv tale without word, and
when I had finished, she threw hel
arms around my neck, and sobbed and
kissed me, but she never asked single
s0ain 10 me. I fancied, though, thai
ever after she seemed to love roses, tel
sbe wore them continually IN her hair
at her throat. and in her belt. An
those days Why could not life have
rTone on forever in that sweet compan
, ionship?
There came a change. 1t was IN tn.
YEAR OF the great religious revival.
sfrano,a. new minister then came TO ou
r-N.mH