The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-10-09

at little table beside me, with snowy cloth
upon which lay great white grapes, luscious
oranges, tamarinds In goble's OF water. THAI
II freby turned my head 10 see, standing be
side me with anxious tenderness in her sol
hluc eyes--my molher'inlaw.
YOU must not talk" she said, very gently
shcr SOFT little hand, falling upon my fore
head like snowflake, but try to keep quiet
| All is well ut home hear from Susie every
day. She Is getting well fast and your son Is
IN splendid health"
my son!' SEA E8l
Now have givea you pleasant ,hough.
to dream upon, try tGsleep agaia But mrs.
take a drink of beef tea. II should taste OF
fhomc, for / brought the condensed beet IN
cans from your Uncle Israel's store. He sen!
lihe prares and oranges and lot OF good
things YOU shall have BY and by
on YOU" said, wondering still, ARE you
d. II aiiuid of the ieyer'"
Il have taken all prudent precautions was
the reply, land my fear was not SO strong ~
my love for my son.
"Thank you, mother" whispered, and |
saw through my own misty eyes 1her lips
aver AS / called her by that name for the
| first time
Can I ever tel! how she nursed me back
to health. hum0rIng all my sick fnpcies, but
guarding against all hurtful indulgences
| All the CHEEKY letters Susie wrote she read to
me and answered Cor lie until my own weak
fingers could guide the pencil. In her thought
! full affection she had packed in the wonder
ml trunk light reading TO beguile the hours
of conyalescence. When could sit up, she
cxerted her ingenuity to keep me from feel.
Ing lonesome, and would talk unwearledly OF
that two days baby, with eyes blue rs patch
of summer skies and mouth like clear
rosebud Susies letters were great com.
fort, and answering them, giving humorous
accounts of our wretched accommodation
occupied many hours.
But the day came at last when the doctor
sand might start for home without fear OF
carry wing the contaglon with me. Carefully
we destroyed every article that could endan.
ger our dear ones and started for Memphis
with the pleasing certainty that, no accident
Detailing, we could travel by easy stages and
reach home before the boy completed the Sc.
cond month of his little life.
The unwearicd tenderness that had brought
me back from the jaws Of death removed all
needed rest.
1t was early morning when we reached the
city and drove across to our Countrywide
home. But the carriage, instead Of stopping
before the cottage gate, turned into the gate
way of the opposite house, driving up the
WIDE shaded avenue to where, upon the porch,
Susie was waiting with our boy in her arms,
could not ask questions then. II was enough
to fold my treasure IN my arms In utter thank
fulness. But VIXEN Susie led the way to the
wide drawing room, furnished exactly As we
had so often planed, cried out in amazemen'.
My mother .in-law, leading me 10 the sofa,
made me sit down, saying
You must let me explain. | wanted TO
prepare pleasant surprise for your home
coming, and Susie has arranged everything
for me. You will accept this house from
your loving .aother will you not? have
won my lawsuit. We never talked much
about II, Susie nor |, because scarcely hoped
to gain It, My husband left me 5000, 900, but
his relative disputed the will. After nearly
three years litigation the case has been de-
cided 10 my favor. But Susie is nay own
child and all have is hers, so you must let
me give you the house you like so much for
yosr home and hers"
III will On one condition"
"What is thaty"
That you come and share 1t with US.
There is no longer the width Of great city
you and your children, for you must
never say again, mother, that Susie is your
only child"
But you do not like motheril.law
III have had many foolish likes and dislikes
in my life" replied, but never one so ut
tcrly unfounded and idiotic as that one whose
basis existed only in my imagination. Do
not punish me by refusing to come to u.s."
Susie's blue eyes pleaded more eloquent
ly than my tongue, and the baby struck IN
with a most coaXing COO SO Mrs Gardiner
Whether she ever repented can
not say, but know that from that day to this
we have had Il united, happy home dol
know that my own mother, had she lived af
ter my babyhood, could never have given me
affections than my wife's mother be-
slows upon me. do know that there IS no
name more loved and rcverenced in my home
than that OF Mrs. Gardiner, in any capacity,
AS Susie's mother, the chldren's
grandma, or my mother.in. Ne'o
yOrker,