American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-06-12
VOL. XIV.


scopes. None came now. Will wa
muslng. Low could man work, wit
that sweet, imperious Willie, Willie,
ringing in his ears? 1t was a worse dis
traction than his mothers scolding, fo
he could not be sure that he really wante
TO forget this.
II am glad have never seen her," h
sad. with long breath that did nc
sound like content. Then he tried to sa
Willie" in her tones, and, as a look O
patient disgust marked his conscious
ness OF failure, he put on his cap an
went out.
The haunting voice became pres
ence all too soon. As Will came hom
she met him in the passage; little
swift gliding figure, with soft, dark eve
set in y pale fair face. "Not a bit lik,
mother" he thought, with a curious feel
ing of satisfaction; but as she passed h,
saw that her eyes were humid with fea
and grief.
UNFAIRLY
"Wiilie! choleral the doctor!" she
answered, rushing by into the street thai
was wet with a stormy rain.
Stay! can 60 faster" cried Will, fol
lowing her. You go back to your
brother" She obeyed at once with the
quick docility of a gentle intelligence
and he thought again: Mother would
have talked for an hour"
The doctor came soon, but not soon
enough. Willie was very Ill.
| Bravely the little fellow struggled, but
| the foe was too strong for him.
"Strange," the doctor muttered I'M
patiently; Z" the last cases are so often
| the worst. thought it was over for this
year"
A week before another lodger in the
same house, gluttonous man, had made
himself ill feasting on mussels and plums
and beer; he recovered, but the poison
thus brought into the house fastened on
the weakest there. The child died. There
was nothing more to be done for him.
ALI at once, for the first time in his little
life, Willie wanted-nothing; not even
his sister. She went about her necessary
work with an oppressive, bewildered
sense of leisure upon her. And WiN-if
the joyous voice alone had distracted
him SO, how could he work now?-now
that it recalled the meek, desolate face
of the mourner; now that the cry had
changed into such q pitiful, beseeching
+" WillieI Williep'
The day after Willie was buried it hap
pened that Will paid his rent, and took
fhat opportunity TO inquire after his fell
Iow-lodger.
Poor young thing" said the mother
1y. landlady, at makes my heart ache
to see her up there in the little room
where they were SO happy, those two.
She says the very walls seem written
with HIS name, and the things he used to
touch cry Alice, Alice just as he
called for her at the last; it is enough
to craze her; there isn't an empty room
in the house, or she should have it fer
bit
Ask her to change with me-" said
Will, eagerly; "tell her I should be SO
glad if she would not mind; the light
there would suit me better"
Alice consented doubtfully. at
seems like deserving WILL" she said;
!" and yet one has no right to let oneself
get i'll; tell Mr.. Blake ] accept his offer
gratefully"
solitary grief, and Win stamme-ed over
his premeditated speech. My name is
Willie, too; couldn't you take me for
your brother?"
"Oh, no." she answered with direct
"he was SO naughty, the dar
ling; never could have him out of my
thoughts for moment"
Alice herself had this kind of naughti-
ness for Will, and now, living in her
room, he seemed to be encompassed by
her presence; his tools and work felt
that marked q womanly
hand.
"If it hadn't been for knowing moth
err" he unused, one evening, 81 might
fall in love, 1 do believe; as it is, know
better"
So, knowing BETTER" he shrank from
an intercourse that might in some sharp
answer bring Alice down from her
pedestal on which he still chose to place
hap iucfifuiuU hic briu droo f,
self by saying, 1t is pleasant to make
believe IS the children say"
Alice, meanwhile, had found cheer
ing employment in putting Willis room
straight as she called it. "Such q pity,
poor man. for him to live in such mud
die, and him SO clever, too"
She had found some torn drawings in
the Uttered fireplace. and carefully
smoothed them out as treasures over
looked
Will, coming for book, found her thus
busy, and said, smiling:
They are of no use; l don't want
them"
"They seem wonderful to me-" she
said, looking up frankly.
"Ah! just as wOmen's work does to US.
I put button on my cuff this morning
and it is off already"
Let me sew it, have a needle here"
Willmuttcred something about "troub-
ling her," but she answered: II ought
to do anything l can; you don't know
what good the change of rooms has done
me. l suppose it is like rich ladies 60
ing out of town"
You have made a grand improve
ment here" said Will, looking around;
the same room, the same furniture; but
what had been q dreary confusion was
now fair peace.
81 wish you woull stay here always"
he added.
Alice was about to answer, l do not
mind, !" not understanding him; bat some
thing in Wills eyes made her own droop,
the little fingers trembled over their
work; suddenly Wills hand caught them.
!" Alice, will you stay here? will you let
me love you-be my wife?"
She shrank away from him, Il must
not-I must not"
why not? tell me, darling"
Mother said when she died, Child, |
never Father made her so wretshed"
We are kindred in trouble, then, that |
is all, said Will; mother somehow tor
mented my father so that 1 resolved to |
live and Gle alone; let us both give up |
our hard purposes-will you, Alice?" /
Wills tones pleaded better than his
words; they gained him the victory.
From the wreck of the past seemed to |
spring bright future like the flowers
from out of last years dead leaves.
By and by there was a wedding; the
landlady gave Alice away and
Will took her as the great gift of his
life.
As they came home from church he
said brightly: We have both resigned
IL 81, h..