Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-01-02


lions, but the only words that Norman
heard was the piteous my child, my
child!" that broke in q Wild shrek
from his mothers lips.
Was Elsie dead?
They lifted her up softly from the
. floor. The blue eyes were shut, and
the little face was white except for the
stains of blood upon it,; but Norman
heard her give one moan. and that
sound of pain was the first thing that
seemed to bring his own life back to
him.
Ee had never uttered a word 4s they
came hurrying into the room. Some
of the servants began 10 question, Him
one took him by the arm and shook
him roughly: but he neither moved nor
answered.
He only stood by his mothers side
! (his mother, who IN her anguish never
spoke to him., clinging to her gown.
and grasping it tight in both his
hands. -
aoh, IM.h Iva. nlead ! 4 v,oiasaer
| if 1 shall be able to diei" I-
The poor young heart in its misery.
WAS passionately crying to itself.
1t Was ALMOST half TN 4our bsfoye a
doctor could he got, and when lie came
they carried Elsie ont of Norman's
sight. ,3a
! An hour later, the little, bluaeged ]
yellow. haired child lay hquiet Oh her
bed, asleep, with her mothers hand in
I hers. 80. r.. s.-, ...3
And her mother, sitting at the bed
siJs j Was looking OF lier with . l1E as.
if her heart would break. " Oh my
Elsie, whose little feet will never make
music on the floor again. she was
murmnring over her through 7lYn4it-
! ter tears. - ~ -
For Elsie was not dead, and did not
debut she was famed for life. The
shot had gone into her right leg little
beiog the thigh, silatteria 6 ut I'd pid9 es,,
and the surgeon had had to cut it OIL.
SIT might have killed her; 6 let us
think how much more unhappy We
might have been,"t, iNIr. Fosten rail, ).
as he held his wife in his arms, and
tried to comfort her. b" If she lives,
we can bear all the rest. Thank God |!
Thank God!', NAL o.~asSs@
The father and mother 5wefe a ne
together in Elsie's room; they had
neither of them yet spoken to or even
seen Norman. 60
"Where is heg' Mr.sFosker asked,
after long while, and the poor mother
almost shuddered as she answered.
II don't know! + know nothing
aboat him." she hurriedly said. ~
"Can you tell me where Norman is?"
he went outpresently, and asked one Of
the servants. .,o. .
- think he is in the garden, sir"
the woman answered.; and then Mr..
Foster went into the garden and called
him. He knew that it was his duty to
see the lad and talk to him. norman"
hecalled loudly, but it was oily after
he had repeated his name twice thatthe
unhappy boy came.
He came, not daring to look into his
fathers face, and the father in silence
put his hand upon his shoulder, and
led him back into the house. II .4,
He took him into his study and
closed the door. 81 must punish
him, but how can I punish him ?" he
was thinking to himself. 81 must
speak to him. but what can I say?" It
seemed SO useless, almost like mockery,
to use words Of ordinary rebuke to him
to treat him as if the feeling towards
him in his heart was one of common
anger, !u
For few moments he stood silent,
with his hand still on Norman's shout
der; then he tried to begin to speak,
but knot came into his throat, and
the words would not come. There only
came instead of them the sound of q
great rising sob.
The boy locked suddenly up in a
great terror and anguish; he had
never in his life before seen his father
weep. ...,
He looked up almost wildly into the
white and quivering face, his own all
quivering too; and then something all
at once swept away from each of them
all anger aud fear, and in their common
anguish they clasped each other in
their arms, and on his fathers lreast
the lad wept bis heart away.
We learn by experience indeed; but
how much the happiest are they who
gather wisdom without her sharp and
bitter teaching .IH
From the day on which he shot his
little sister, Norman Foster was never
an entirely light-hearted boy again,
How could he be wholly happy any
more when his reckless play had taken
the light and gladness out. of that other
little joyous life? /
The look Of Elsie's shrunken face in
her little bed seemed half to break his
heart when he saw it first; the sight Of
the two little crutches she was to use,
well, that took them all down, ]
think. All of them, at least, except
Elsie herself.
She looked at them with big, round
eyes, and laughed. and said it would
be SO funny to walk about OH those two
sticks. You walk with them now,
; Norman, aud let me see," she called,
eagerly, from her bed. where she was
propped up with pillows. But Nor
man did not do what she asked him. He
could not. but ran out of the room with
! a great sob.
She had become, even By that time,
tho dearest thing in all the world s,tt
him, and she remained dearer to hin
than all other people as long as he con
tiuued to live. This great sweetness