The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-09-04
ssWe have not been away three weeks

&
mildly protested.
"No," she said; shut have got q
strange longing to see the children;
can't bear to be away from them any
longer. never have been away from
them two days, much less two weeks, be-
fore, and can't bear it; I must go back
sand leave thus suddenly your pretty
little protege on the hill up thereF"
ventured to say.
''Yes,"she answered; ''that is the rea-
son, that IS what has made me wish to go.
I mean the sight of that mothers love Tor
her child makes me envious; | want TO
be with my own"
What could I says 1t was her holiday
to do as she pleased with, if she pleased
to cut it short she must.
I'VE will be off tonight, love-, said ;
but inwardly l was grieyed, saddened,
not only by the disappointment, but be-
cause, seeing that We had excellent &C
counts from home. this strange freak had
something morbid in it. unlike her. Yet
there was no appeal, and l began making
arrangements for our departure. -.
"You will go up and say good bye to
the little chap, your friends" asked.
"Certainly," she answered, you will
come with me, won't you9''
We will go at once," I SAID. l was
the slave, had nothing 10 do but to
obey.
1t was wild and dusty day for August
and the landscape looked less inviting
than usual, as we assembled the zigzag
path leading to the sanctuary little
above which on the hills lay the home
of our new friends. At one of the angles
near the top of this zigzag the path pass
ed perisously close to a steep precipice,
which for some distance formed enc bank
of q 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 parapet on
the broken ground at the actual edge,
but beyond these there was nothing but
q sheer down wall of rock. As we reach
ed this corner we saw futtering in the
wind what looked at first like handker
chief hanging from one of the bushes, but
which proved on our coming closer to be
the garment of a child who was standing
at the very verge of the chasm.
allow dangerously exclaimed my wife
"who can have left a child in such a
placer"
It was solitary walk unexpectedly at
midday, and we had not met creature
since we cleared the outskirts of the
town, except an old monk toddling down
upon some mundane Grand.
"Ah!' 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 fol
klaekberries, no doubt;" and as she
spoke she rushed forward, and Selling
the child by the skirt drew it back from
the perilous edge over Which it was cram
ing. As came up we both saw that the
little creature was crying bitterly, and he
Immediately began pointing down the
stream, and lisping out, Mia mad-e,
mia Glardre!'
/ bent over and locked down in the di-
rection the little ole was pointing and to
my dismay among the rocks at the verge
Of the river behold, lying PROSTATE thirty
feet below, the motioaless form of the
mother.
Then ensued scene which I will not
dwell upon. I flew up to the sanctuary
fer assistance My wife, clespiDg the lit
tie one in her arms, fastened down to a
psacevwhere it was just possible by a
very rough scramble to get rewnd to the
bed of the river. Here l and those whom
lshad brought with nae presently joined
her. and we made our way TO the luc}1less
woman. She was nos dead, but quite in
sensible, and after ixsinite trouble and
care we managed to carry her up to hel
home, my wife with Paolo in her arms
preceding us, and breaking the sad news
to'theaged father.
nhe. only sort of medical .Id obtain
able in that primitive place cane from
the-s sanctuary, and soon an Old monk, tic
whom the natives seemed TO defer, Yves in
atteHdance, and after acareful e2amina-
tion Of the patient pronounced that by
great mercy no bones were broken, but
that the poor women was suffering
FROM conclusion of the brain, and thai
some weeks night e2apse eefore che
would be about again.
'iBo you still hold to your. determina
ton dsreturning home2" Isasd to NIX
! wife, swhen the excitement andethe sorrow
| which: this catastrophe had caused were
a httle"abated; for I oWn I was selfst
enough to hope that out Of this evil goe6
nalghtGome in the shape of making hel
prolong Ter holiday. The hope was reaa-
| ICED.
SsNo,,'' she answered.; perhaps / can be
Of some'use here; L will not 20 back vet
TEis litRe one will wanta snother:s care
now; I will be thst mother, for love
him more, than ever, and I wish more
thsa ever, that he belonged to me-
I need hardly say that under other cir
cunestances I should have eatirely object
ed to her assuming such maternal re
sponsibilmies; that 1 should hav,
poinsed out that it was no duty others,
well-oorn lady, in this fashion to look
after the Offspring of an unknown peasan
womaG, and that there were plenty O.
neighbors willing and ready to undertake
the task, and who were really the proper
people, etc.
But what could dog Was it not 1.he
holidayT had / not promised hundred
times to conform to her every wish, within
or caprice2-because daought she hac
| none, and I never expected to be put t
this kind Of test, for had not married ,