The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1878-09-05

her child makes me enviOus; want to
be with my own" IL
What could say9 1t was her holiday
10 do as she pleased with, if she pleased
to cut it short she must.
1--WE will he, off tonight, love-" said ;
but inwardly I was gricved, saddened,
not only by the disappointment, but be-
cause, seeing that We had excellent &C
counts from home. this strange freak had
morbid in it, unlike her. Yet
there was no appeal, and lbegan making
arrangements fol our departure.
"You will 60 up and say good bye to
the little chap, your friends" asked.
"Certainly," she answered, "you will
come with me, won't youf"
I'VE will go at once" I SAID. was
the slave. had nothing 10 do but to
obey.
It was wild and dusty day for August
and the landscape looked less inviting
than usual, as we assembled the z'gzag
pain leading to the sanctuary little
above which on the hill. side lay the home
of our new friends. At one Of the angles
near the top of this zigzag the path pass
ed perilously close to steep precipice,
which for some distance formed enc bank
of mountain stream as it came tearing
down over rocky bed. This spot was
a great height from the level of the lake,
and the precipice itself just there was
some forty feet above the river. A few
rough bushes made feeble para pet on
the broken ground at the actual edge,
but beyond these there was nothing but
a sheer Gown wall Of rock. AS we reach
ed this corner we saw futteriDg in the
wind what looked at first like a handker
chief hanging from one of the bushes, but
which proved on our coming closer to be
the garment Of child who was standing
at the very verge Of the chasm.
"How dangerous exclaimed my wife
''who cln have left child in such a
place."
1t was solitary walk unexpectedly al
mid day, and we had not met a creature
since We cleared the outskirts of the
town, except an old monk toddling down
upon some mundane Grand.
''Ahv' she cried as We got still nearer
"why it is-yes,I declare--why, it is dear
Paolo himself. Good gracious he has
strayed away down here alone to look fo1
blackberries, no doubt" and as sht
spoke she rushed forward, and Selling
the child bv the skirt drew it back from
the perilous ed ge over which it was Gran
ing. As l came up we both saw that the
little creature was crying bitterly, and ht
Immediately began pointing down tint
stream, and lisping out, Mia Made
mia mardreW
bent over and looked down in the di
rection the little ole was pointing and tt
my dismay among the rocks at the verge
Of the river behold, lying PROSTATE ttnrty
feet below, the motionless form of thu
mother.
Then ensued scere which will no
dwell upon. l few up to the sanctuar,
for assist nee. My wife, claspipg the lit
tie one in her arms, FASTENED down to a
place where it was just possible by I
very rough scramble to get round to th'
bed of the river. Here and those whom
I had brought with me presently joined
her. and we made our way to the luckles
woman. She was not dead, but quite in
sensible, and after infinite trouble ant
care We managed to carry her up to he
home, my wife with Paolo in her arms
preceding us, and breaking the sad new!
to the aged father.
The only sort of medical aid obtain
ALE in that primitive place came from
the sanctuary, and soon an old monk, t.
whom the natives seemed 10 defer. was ir
attendance, and after careful examina
tion of the patient pronounced that by
agrcat mercy no bones were broken, bu
that the poor woman was suffering
from conclusion of the brain, AID tina
some weeks might elapse before sh'
would be about again.
"Do you still hold to your determine
ton of returning home?' l said to m,
wife, when the excitement and the sorrow
which this catastrophe had caused wer
little abated; for own I was selts|
enough to hope that out Of this evil goo<
might come in the shape Of making he
prolong acr holiday. The hope was real
lied
NO." she answered: perhaps can b,
Of some use here; will not 60 back yet
This little one will want mothers car.
now; will be that mother, for low
him more than ever, and I wish NOR,
than ever, that he belonged to me-
| l need hardly say that under other cir
cumstances should have entirely object
ed to her assuming such maternal re
sponsibilities; tina. I should hav
pointed out that it was no duty of hers,
well-Dorn LADY, in this fashion to lool
after the offspring of an unknown peasan
woman, and that there were plenty o
neighbors willing and ready to undertake
the task, and who were really the prope
people, etc.
But what could do2 Was it not The
holiday?'' had not promised hundred
times to conform to her every wish, whin,
or caprice9-hecause I thought she la,
none, and never expected to be put t.
this kind of test, for had not married
sensible woman9 ! was puzzled, but
could only conform, saying to myself
"They ole strange creatures, women: on
never knows them-nO, not after tel
years OF the closest intimacy
| So we staid on; she devoting the great
er part of her time to attendance upo
the sick woman (who still lay uncon
scious) and her child, whose lisping an,
imperfect words had told us too plainl
that it was while stretching over the edg
OF the precipice to gather biackberrie
for him that his mother had lost her foot
ing and fallen headlong down. My wifi
would spend hours by the bedside.
ven'ured to demonstrate, and got sever
snubbing for my pains.
One evening, abouta week after tn
catastrophe, while l was waiting for he
at spot hard by the sanctuary where W
often sat, she came up to me in the mos
excited frame Of mind. I was reall
alarmed;1 had never seen her equabl
temperament so disturbed.
20, Walter" she exclaimed, II hav
just come from the poor woman. aud
have had such shock! She has regain
ed consciousness, but not her senses
which til good frate, who watches her al
ways, tells me frequently happen
In such cases."
"But what of that? why should it OK
cite you so?'' I asked, quite mystifie
by nay wife's words.