Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-10

care of mother who had no other thought
or interest, is not the school for hardy man
hood. Louis was not manly, but he was
very pretty. and very dear to his mothers
heart. In fact, he was her heart, her re-
Iigion, her life. There was nothing be.
sides hin, that she craved, or asked, or
hoped.
s'one evening the father came home
from business rather early, but with a
frown little darker, and manner little
colder, than was his dreary wont. There
had been bitter hostility for several days
past, and forced peace had succeeded an
outbreak more than usually severe. When
the father opened the door Louis was sit
ting peacefully at his mothers feet cutting
paper dolls. Paper dolls had been the rock
on which they had split before, so Louis
crept to the shelter of his mother, and hid
his treasure in his apron.
What are you doing there . said the
father, laying down his coat and hat, and
keeping cruel eye upon the child.
"Louis hung his head and did not
answer.
"'Speak, said the father. 1 like to
have an answer when put a question
Ellis mother telegraphed him to give an
answer
SIS Playing, said Louis family, not meet
ing his fathers eye, but keeping his face
turned toward his mother, to gather assur-
ance and direction. It is not pleasant to
be in the room with two people who tele-
graph what answers they shall make you,
even if they are only woman and child.
"' Playing with what said the father,
in wrath, and he plunged his hand into the
boys apron and brought out handful of
the prescribed dolls. With sniff of con-
tempt he crushed them together and threw
them on the floor. At this Louis began to
whimper not good honest bawl. His
father thought he could have stood that,
but boy of six years old who whimpered,
and who hadn't the pluck to cry even, was
below contempt. So he boxed his ears
a good tingling box from strong hand
and sat down by the light to read his even
ing paper. Even the box did not bring on
the bawl, but an agonized increase Of the
whimper, smothered in his mothers arms.
"' A boy six years old playing with
paper dolls, said the father, from over his
newspaper, swelling with wrath at the
sound of the continued wall. when I
was six years old my mother used to send
me mile away across the ice to take her
eggs to market. She did not keep me all
day toasting by hot register, cutting
paper dolls
Sat this the mother gave Louis tighter
| squeeze, and whispered something seditious
in his ear She had heard his comparison
so often, am afraid she wished that there
| had been thin place in the ice the last
day that he carried his mothers eggs to
| market. She did not say this to Louis, of
course, but Louis understood her squeeze
TO be seditious, and was comforted. Not
SO the father, who was as much lrritated
by the quiet as by the noise; but for some
reason he contained himself.
"'You have played with your last paper
| doll, he muttered, between his teeth, as
he subsidized behind his paper, and no more
| was said.
"That night, after Louis was in bed, the
father said, not looking at his wife as he
spoke, which was his way when not COM
municating anything welcome to her l
am going to take Louis to the store with
me tomorrow morning. Have him ready. ;
"' If it's pleasant day. she said, anx-
iously, for it was bitter March weather,
and the child was liable to Group.
"'If it's pleasant day, or if it's an nm
pleasant day. be said, harshly; we've
had enough of coddling.
"Then the mother knew there was
no use in any further speaking, and
Louis must go, Group or no Group.
Her husband was an importer of wines
and groceries-the store was large and
cold. There were hatchways down which
he might fall there were hundred dam
gers in the dim and dismal place, but she
knew it was useless to demonstrate. She
hoped Louis would be SO in his way that
he would never want to take him down
again.
"The morning proved cold and windy,
but as there was no rain there was no ex-
cuse for speaking of her fears. The child
was quite happy in the idea of going; it
had long been promised to him. Once in
the summer he had spent the day there,
and he liked the recollection. He was
afraid of his father, but it was great
thing to be going to the store He had on
his best suit, and his mother buttoned on
his leggings and his gloves and his over
coat, with many charges.
'''Be sure you don't forget your tippet
when you're coming home, she said. And
then she reiterated counsels to the father
about his leggings and his tippet and his
many articles of dress. To all this the
father may have paid attention or not. at
any rate, he did not answer her, but that
was not anything unusual,
'sAfter she had kissed Louis good by,
and watched him down the stairs, che ran
to the window and watched him down the
steps, going down one step at a time, and
holding to the rail as she had taught him.
As he reached the pavement keen, biting,
bleak wind swept down the street. It
made him put down his head and clutch
his hat, and look pitifully at his father,
who was striding ahead.
"'He will forget him! o Gustav! Louis
can never walk as fast az that : And she
opened the window to call, but fortunately
the noise of the street kept her foolish
appeal from being heard. She watched the
boy till he caught up with his father, and
till they sharply turned corner and left
her nothing to look at any longer.
<'Then she drew in her head with
sigh, and much chilled shut the window
down. What should she do all day
This was the second time in his life that
she had had to face a day without him. She
arranged the room in nicer order than
usual. She put his toys neatly in the
drawer assigned them. She prepared a
little surprise for him among them. Then
she finished little embroidered shirt that
ahe was making. And she watched the
weather as the day wore on, and grew hot
and cold with apprehension as the wind
ragged past the window and sifted the fine
March dust under the sill and over her
work. 1t was a dreadful day, and was
growing hourly worse. People looked blue
aud chilled and put their heads down as
they hurried past. Women had their hats
tied up in walls, blue and gray and brown
Men wore the collars Of their costs turned
up, and plunged their hands deep in their
pockets. The outer hall-doors across the
street were shut. People came and stood
by the windows, but shivered and went
away, and did not sit down by them. The
morning had been dark, but the afternoon
grew darker. 1t was winter and March to-
gether. 1t was too cold to snow, and the
wind was gusty and fitful, and full of the
raw evaporation that March alone is mis-.
tress Of. The mother grew restless, and
hurried on the last button of the shirt,
that she might give herself free scope tor
apprehension, and might watch the weather
without let or hindrance.
"She put on her bonnet and cloak and
went out to neighboring toy.shop in the
avenue, and bought little stable that
Louis had been longing for. That took I'D
some time, and gave her sense Of occupa.
ton and anticipation. She also wanted to
know lust how bad the dav was and