Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-09-19
A Sad Story.
BY MRS. ANABBL G. ANDREWS.

BY MRS. ANABBL G. ANDREWS.
THAT dog? yes, he is a noble old
fellow, and he thinks considerable Of
me, don you, 81 Kiss me if you're
glad to see me-down, sir, down thatll
do. See here. Bruno, where's little
Will? little Will. Bruno?'
The dog looked up in his Questioners
face and began low mournful whine
almost human in its sadness.
"There T. said Mr. Snow to me, "you
hear that? That old boy remembers the
childs name and he knows little Will is
dead"
"Was he the dogs little master?"
eyes ; do you see that little brown
house down there between those ma
pies? The Melvilles lived there
father, mother, and three year old boy.
A year ago there wasn't happier fam
lily in this State, and tidy, made OH
this Java canvas, l believe they call it,
ruined it; made the father old before
invalid"
"a Java canvas tidy how on earth
could lt?"
swell, Mrs. Melville got what I call
the fancy -work-craze.' She made tides
and lamp-mats and all those things I'M
til the house vas full of them. By.and-
by she didn't have time to go to the
grange with her husband, or to lectures.
or walks, or rides, because she had
hired, or borrowed, a pattern OF some
body and must get it worked as soon as
she could. noticed, too-she's my
favorite niece, sir, and I Was there o
good deal afternoons--that she didn't
have time to play or talk much with
little Will, because you see they have
to count the stitches on this kind of
work, and it bothers 'em to look off the
pattern. till at last Bruno got to be
about all the playmate or company lit
tie Will had through the day, while his
father was away.
don't want you to think, sir, that
l don't like pretty things, because 1 do;
1 love to see EN-, and the good God
who made the flowers meant we should:
but there's some women who never
ought to touch fancy-work because it
fascinates EN- 80 that it spoils EN- for
anything else, and Laura Melville was
one OF them. Well, along in the spring
Laura went to Boston to visit her aunt
my sister-and when she came home
she had learned two or three new
stitches, and a pattern for Java canvas
tidy that was something new around
here. She hardly waited to get settled
down at home before going to work on
that tidy ; how she did work Every
moment that she could spare from
household duties she devoted to that
tidy. 1t was designed to cover O sofa,
and OF course there was no end of work
in it. One afternoon she tied on little
that and sent him out to play with
Bruno while she sat down to work on
her beloved tidy. The doors and win.
dows were wide open and for q while
she heard the baby voice commanding
Bruno to Dit up whoa /! then there
was mad barking and Bruno rushed
in and caught her dress, trying to pull
her toward the door she was so alb.
sorbed in her work that she never no.
nced the little sunny head was not be.
hind him, and giving him an impatient
push and command to go away ! she
went on with her work, but the dog did
not obey he made q snatch at her
work, dragging it from her hands; she
rescued 1t, and striking him, pushed
him out and shut the door after him.
He barked and whined at the door a
few seconds, then all was still again.
l never knew him 30 rough + she ex-
claimed, impatiently, as she gathered
up her work once more. The time sped
by unheeded until her husband opened
the door. One, two, three, four" she
counted, without looking up. He strobe
In and laid little Will in her lap, his
golden Lair all matted with mud, his
blue eyes set and CLASSY! For moment
she Looked, and then put him on the
floor saying:
There, 60 and play, Willie, mamma
must work nowH
You see, sir, the shock had crazed
her, but the boys father was SO full of
bitter feelings toward her for her neg.
!ect that he never stopped to think of
the mighty volume of mother.love be.
hind its barrier of fancy-work. They
got her to bed and gave her strong
opiate, and then kind neighbors came
and did all that earthly hands yould
ever need to do for little Will. Poor
little Will You staid with him till the
last. didn't you, Bruno? and when they
walked to the grave to lay him to rest
you followed close behind the tiny
casket. aud no one disputed your right.
1t happened in this way: In the gar
den there was shallow tub containing
pond lilies we suppose that in running
little Will struck his foot against the
tub and it threw him right across the
edge, his face in the water his strug-
giles drew him over farther, and though |