The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-04-21
CHAPTER XIX.

awake. 'Its daylight, almost, and this
house must be put in order, and you
must take the baby away before ten
o'clock, so that when mother awakes
she will not see or hear it about the
house."
''I don't see any sense in that notion"
was the sleepy response.
81 do. You see, mother went to sleep
yesterday believing that baby was
Madge, and she may return to the fancy
when she wakes, if there is any sign of
its presence in her sight or hearing.
The cradle, nursing bottle, and every
thing else we have used about the baby,
must be slowed away in the kitchen.
When she wakes, pll come in and speak
to her naturally, and she'll forget her
vagaries. Keep the little children with
you till send for them" ..
The directions were implicitly obeyed.
The morning meal was dispatched in
the kitchen amidst painful silence,
and Madge moved about the house on
tiptoe.
Sam and Harry were assigned their
duties by the new hired man; the other
children, with dinner-pails in hand,
were sent to school; the hours leisurely
plodded on, and still the patient slum-
bered.
"Tm afraid gave her too much of
the opiate," thought Madge, as the min
ute hand pointed to ten and the patient
gave no sign of awakening.
But her fear was groundless. Exactly
at the appointed minute the invalid
awoke.
81 dreamed that Madge was here"
she said, as she listened to the striking
of the hour of ten.
"Don't you want your breakfast,
mother?" asked Madge, bending over
her and kissing her tenderly.
eyes, dear. But dreamed you were
gone, and 1 couldn't find you. Let me
have good square look at you"
Madge tried hard to look smilingly
into her mothers eyes, but failed.
"Don't look at me so eagerly" she
said, to hide her confusion. "You're
hungry, 1 know. Harry has killed you
pheasant, and I've broiled nice piece
of it for your breakfast, and made some
buttered toast. plI bring it right in.
You're weak and you need building up"
Again assuring her mother with a
kiss, she ran to the kitchen to fetch the
tempting repast, which she fed to heI
with gentle tact, not suffering her tc
more than break her fast, lest she should
lose her relish for the generous food.
"Now, mother, you're ready for nice
sponge bath. Your clean clothes arr
well aired, and the day is growing
warm, and rll help you up and max,
your bed nicely with clean pillow-case'
and sheets, and you'll forget you wer,
ever sick, won't you ?"
"rm too weak to help myself, ant
you can't move me alone" said he
mother, despondingly.
''Nonsensew retorted Madge, cheerily
"T'm as strong as Goliah, and your
not very weak, either. After you
bath, you'll go right over there to tn
other bed and lie there till get this on
ready. If. you can't walk, I'll carr.
you"
Madge's plans were faithfully carrie
out, and in one hour Mrs. Andrews wa
sleeping a natural sleep upon her well
aired bed, with every trace of fever an
delirium gone.
az must have the baby and the othe
children here by the time she waken;
She hasn't thought of the baby yet, an
that's lucky" thought Madge, as sh
fairly flew to the field to apprise be
brothers and the hired man of the SUI
cess Of her experiment.
Harry was at once dispatched to tn
neighbours for Mrs. Perkins and the Iii
tie ones, and Madge fingered for me
ment to relate the particulars of be
mornings experience. She returned
breathless haste to the house to find ht
mother still sleeping as she had left he
With that wonderful dexterity ft
which she had been remarkable frol
her earliest years, Madge put the disc
dered house to rights, causing the roug
little cabin, under the magic of b,
management, to look more homelike
her eyes than it had ever appeared
the palmy days that now seemed ev'
so long ago, when she had been Madl
Morrison and her own mistress. 1t W.
not till the last touches about the roo
had been given, curtains looped, chai
busted, hearth brushed, mantel rubbe
clock wound, and many nameless lit
articles. carefully adjusted upon shelly
and in cuddies, that the weary hous
keeper found time to consider her oN
toilet.
A look into the little, cheap, uncerta
mirror startled her.
"How old I've grown" she said, aud
bly,. at seems that have lived an a
within week. Then, how dowdy al
cheap and rough I appear What
fool I was to imagine that George Ha
SOB, with his fine broadcloth, viii