Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-02-15
one of the marble palaces that rose
green and dlseolored from the water,
q little English song came floating

/ siOver the ocean silver now,
Over the sea TO the ic and SNOW,
Fly, gentle bird fly and go.
And carry message for me.
Tell her my love was not for day.
Tell her it never will pass away;
That my old loves ever my love to ms,
| Though between US is rolling q wintry sea-"
o Kate, my darling = said, tend
erly, to myself, Il must go back to
thee and Eden
My gondolier, resting on his oars
was searching the palace windows
with those bright eyes of his, when
up above, whore the sunlight yet lin
gered, lattice swung slowly open,
and | had vision of dainty patri-
Dian fsoe, with eirIieh bloom on tho
dusky, dimpled cheek, a pair of flash
ing eyes, and neck that the low,
square cut bodice revealed, white rs
the leaves of daiay, Kate's face,
with richer setting. Then a tiny
jewelled hand, and pretty, rounded
arm were thrust out, and the lattice
swung TO again.
And just here the two ends of
mothers little romance tied them
selves together, and long years after
ward, under the colder skies of home
Julie Moutmoreuoy sang that same
little song to her sister Kathleen,
while | sat by and thought myself in
Venice again.
am not writing a sentimental ro~
nance If | were, l. should not have
told you that until the ending, and
then had Kate disappear in blaze of
dollars and diamonds TO her ancient,
ancestral home | am only telling
you bit of an old mans heart story.
There is letter for the signor,'
said my waist, when | went home
tina. night. i hope It brings good
news from home
Thanks | 1t does, I'm sure, said
/, laughing, as passed in. 1t was
queer how my spirits had risen since
| had decided to 60 home.
1t lay on nay table, dainty square
of white, directed 10 the delicate,
pointed characters, that | knew were
Kate's Inside was q little slip OF
paper.
Come home it ran, mamma is
very sick; we did not know how
sick till now. Oh, come I
"Eunshine and shade is life
Flower and thoTn"
All, how long the way seemed by
land and sea, until travelling by day
and night, | was home again.
Eden was very desoate in mid
winter, with the white, cold noun.
tains rising far behind it, and the
river lying frozen at its feet.
Kate bad seen me crossing on the
ice, and was waiting for me at the
door. Her face was sad and white,
and her dress was black, | saw
surely that was but chance it could
not be that--and here | met her.
"John," she said, very gently,
leaving her hand in mine, ole has
taken His beloved to Himself. Shall
not the Lord Of all the earth do right?"
1t is twice ten years since then, yet
still of that time | cannot write. Alb,
there is no love like a mothers love
in all this wide, wide eartbl
We left Eden to the snow, and
came back to the town house that |
never thought to occupy again, and
the years went on apace-quietly
and peacefully. Very quietly, for We
were but little household, only my
widowed aunt and Kate and l. And
Kato had lost the sprightly, airy
manner that made Eden the gayest
place about; though friends and
lovers came and went as then; but
she never seemed moro happy than
when sewing some pretty feminine
work, while | read aloud, and Aunt
Annie dozed in her easy chair beside
the fire.
We were sitting thus oAe evening,
and | was reading little extracts from
the Journal of my travels five years
before. Five years, and had been
patient all that whilo-outwardly at
least.
"Kate," | said at last, "oome here,
child; here is u sketch of one of those
little bridges that you like 80 much."
She came forward to the table
fair and sweet and brown clad, as
dainty home fairy as one would
wish to see. "And here below is
some poetry, may read that too,
Johp2"
EYES," said laughing; 81 think
that | cGn stand T."
She read it rapidly to herself, then
suddenly her cheek grew rosy, and |
saw that she understood its meaning
and | repeated SOFTLY
"'Ten her my loves not for day.
That my old lore IS ever my love to NJ
That is true yet, Kathie."
She stood very quietly, with her
brown eyes bent upon the drawing,
but could see that the little banda
were trembling so that abe could
scarcely hold the journal she was
reading, and [ laid it down and gath
cred them up in my own.
"You will be q com posing element
in Edeu," said /, teasingIy.
& couple of hours afterward Aunt
Annie awoke with start, and seeing
Kate on low stool at my feet. with
her head upon my knee, rubbed her
eyes smartly.
s'Bless mel / must have been
asleep" she said.
put out my hand, but Kate was
too quick for me, aud with the rust
ling of her silken dress, ! heard the
door close softly.
crossed over to the mantle. piece
where my night lamp was waiting.
and as / took it up and handed Aunt
Annie hers, / touched her cheek light
~ with my lips.
81 have just awakened, too, Aunt
Ann I said. sin Eden"