River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-08-29

When her mother lived the tea-tablt
had been bright and merry-no matte
how poor the fare Now Thad and Joe
were squabbling in whispers over the dry
bread and stewed apples, while Alice
grumbled outright.
You got your pay to-day, Nell. VIZ
might have something better than starya
| tion diet.n
Nelly WINGED as if she had been struck
| How hopelessly rough and vulgar Alice
and the boys were Rrowingi Surely i
was not her fault. She worked hard fol-
them all day, and when she came HON,
in the evening with her nervous headache
they betook themselves to the street foi
companions.
"Where are you going tomorrow
boys?" she said, gently. "Its holiday
you know"
s'You bet we knowr' They nudgeC
each other and giggled big goings OF
tomorrow Never you mind.n
"What will you do, Aiice2"
"Follow the prades, reckon" tossing
her head.
Her mothers daughter tramping abou
the streets in crowd of half drunken
men Nelly looked at the boys with ,
| searching gaze, They had honest, manly
faces, but hard and defiant lines were al
ready coming into them.
She sat silent a long Zine. The drive
on the Wissahiekon and the dancel i
was not easy to shut the oo0r on tina
dream of delight. At last she looked NJ
cheeIfrllly.
"What do you say, children, to pic
nic9 Early start, big basket, boat &c
Rockland, fishing all kinds of fun"
"Nellyr
'Do you mean ita'
The children started up ave never
did such thing !" cried A ice. 81 never
works in my liiel"
"Oh, Ally, that cannot be true"
Eyes. it is true. You don't take any
care of me, or you would know. Nobody
does since mamma died. The child's
lips tremble.
II will take care of you, now, little
sister," said Nelly, putting her arm
around her. "Well, what do you say,
boys9"
Thad and Joe looked at each other.
ave made sort of engagement" said
Thad ''but we'd rather go with you, and
we will 60" he added, resolutely.
Mr.. Bigelow had left the table and
wandered aimlessly to the window. Mel
ly ran after him and caught his hand. 1t
was like caressing wooden statue.
"Papa,-you will go with us2"
81, Nelly, on party of pleasure"
He stared down at her. The color &C
tually rose into his withered cheek. "Ys gu
don't think | could, my chi,dl You do
not want a poor old man like mel'
Something in his look revealed to Mel
ly the truth,-the utter loneliness of the
old mans life, the hungry craving for
love and companionship, she had new
er given him. She held his hand in hers
a moment, stroking it, and then kissed
is. She could not speak.
Il will go, my child"
Her fathers voice was strangely alter
ed He went into his own room, and
did not come out again.
Nellie was busy until late in the night.
There was a tongue to boil, and certain
kind of cookies to bake. The boys how
cred over her, happy, meddling at every
turn, but singularly gentle and atfec-
tionate.
Mother used to make these kind of
cakes Amt they nice2"
Alice had her sleeves rolled up and her
apron on. Never was anybody more
busy or more important. Nellie joked
and Laughed, and made more fun out of
the packing of basket than was ever
made since time began. But her heart
was sore within her. What d trifie was
needed to make these children happy,
and to bind them to homes How solitary
and cherries her fathers life had been
these many yearsi A little out spoken
love, a little cheertulness, was all that
was needed, and she had been blind to
it all these years
The picnic was very simple matter.
People who can afford pleasure every day
would have laughed at it. They went
out to the park in the horse cars. Then
they sailed up the broad, bright river to
hockland Then Mr.. Bigelow found a
dark pool, and rugged his old rods, and
taught the boys how to fish. They found
out he had been famous fisherman in
his dav. He told wonderful stories of
old exploits, brought up old jokes, and
was not little vain of the boys shouts
of applause.
The children actually never heard theil
father talk before. They felt they knew
him for the first time. Thad was moved
to confide his scrapes with the Latin
teacher to him, and little Joe fell asleep
with his head on his knee.
Don't take him away, Nellie" said
the old man, when she would have re-
moved him. IF only my children
would come closer to me in this way
Perhaps they will "
Nellie left Alice to preside over the
dinner. She spread it on big rock
Her father and the boys kindled fire
and Mr.. Bigelow cooked the three fish
they had caught.
You never heard such jokes and laugh.
| ing-you never saw people with such
ravenous appetitsl After dinner Thad,
who had very sweet little pipe of a
Voice, sang some songs; and then Mr.
Bigelow asked them if they knew '"The
Bay OF Biscay, oh and sang it.
Il was moonlight when they came
home, floating down the river between
the dark, wooded banks Nelly sat with
| Alice cinging to her. "You are the best
sister in the world p said the child.
Her father took her hand in his. 81
has been one of the happiest days of my
life, Nelly. l thought my children cared
nothing for me, but shall never ne alone
again
/ Years have passed since that day. Thao
and Joe are now sturdy young fellows
and engaged in business. Alice is gen
tie, bright-faced CIR. Nelly Is happ!
| wife ana mother. Her old father sits by
her fireside, and her children are his pet
aud darlings. There has not been al
hour in which she has not striven in littl'
ways to make others happy. But sh
never forgets that first day when sh
| learned the lesson of Sc t-sacrifice, nor tn
tone of her fathers voice as he said, :
shall never be alone again.
The Chinese Wall.
Mr.. Unthank, an American engineer