River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-12-29
A DEAD YEAR.


took q year out Of my life and story,
dead year--and 1 said, g ] will build thee d
tomb
HOneysuckle WIS wreathed about the
win dow, but It's straying branches
gemmed with "arabesques Of balm,
only made a lovely frame for the two
young heads that were always to be
found at this hour bent over their books
used to stroll half unconsciously to q
coigne Of vantage in the garden and
watch them-my little sister Nest, with
her tumbled bronze curls, and her Ger
man teachers small graceful head, with
its crown Of gold. had spoken to her
but seldom, still | knew by heart the
uplifting calm-lidded forget-me-not
eyes, the face with Its pure coloring, the
slender and 1.-THE young form in its
dull blue dress with the tiny lace rufile
on tie round, white throat, and the
sweet mouth with Its wistful smile now
and then at my sisters odd blunders.
found a strange pleasure in meeting
her as if by accident as she left, and
noting the faint rose leaf flush stealing
up into her pale cheek. | would have
been at a loss to account for the sad
ness of such n young face, but Nest had
told me that she was al1ne in this new
land, where her father had brought
her, and my heart was touched at the
thought
"She has told me about her father so
much" chartered Nest, che was such a
wonderful nan-hke a wizard, | should
think-but he was only a doctor, Hilda
says. She thinks the doctors in Ger
many know more than ours-at least
she is sure her father did"
Poor child?' l said.
''Do you know" whispered Ernes-
tire, with an air of mystery, "that
there is something very curious about
Hilda-she forgets thingsn'
laughed outright Scarcely pc
culiarity in" | began.
ooh, now wait. | mean very i'm
portant things. Now she was in Ger
many when the war broke out with
France, and | wanted to know all about
it. Well, do you believe, she couldn't
tell me anything, not the least factp
and Nest looked very serious and very
wise.
"What did she say about it,"
"Oh, that she forgot Now, Malcolm,
you know when our native land is in
peril we don't forget"
My little sister was quite patriotic
and it seemed to her a phenomenon
that one should not have a thorough
knowledge of all that regarded ones
country.
"Oh, well, she might have been at a
convent school, Or"
Chats the strange thing about it."
"What?"
''She don't know where she wasp
Il own | was somewhat startled by
this announcement.
"DOes she say SOP"
''She says she don't recollect."
perhaps she has had brain fever and
forgotten the past"
''No, she remembers all the past very
we'll"
Except how long,"
Zone year-the year of the war. She
seems troubled about it, too"
Then you must not dwell upon it,
said. You don't want to annoy
herr
"No, l love her-I love her dearly
said Nest, flying off after very tempt
ing black velvet butterfly with golden
trimming on its pOlonaise.
| felt like echoing my little sisters
sentiments, and then | smiled in sco"T
of myself. How could love a woman
of whose mind and heart 1 knew moth
ing-I who had always rayed about
sympathy of soul.
l could not explain it as | paced the
garden walks. 1t was fate-fore-ordina
ton. perhaps; but one thing [ knew
it was a fact loved my sisters
teacher, Hilda Blumenthal, with a feel
ing | never experienced before, and
suddenly discovered that the German
language would be exceedingly neces
sary to me in my profession.
| used to sit and study the girls face
ald l found it very puzzling. limo
cent, angelic as it was, there were
strange experiences of pain written
lpon it. 1t did not seem like the face
Ct one who had only turned over few
of youths white pages IN the book o.
life, but rather as if she had looked
into many blotted and blurred one
blotted with tears. blurred by the souls
agony into q mist | can scarcely ex
plain how frc m the eyes, SO blue and
chidlike, something seemed at times
10 look out with unutterable expert
enccs from their depths, lurking there
like some wild spirit that could moi
quite be laid. Ii is in vain to try and
explain it, but 1t would come over me
with sudden agony ut times that once
some one had held the fair white hand:
c'asped SO listlessly in her lap that the
kiss of love had some time been laic
that gwnaf Tatb AtlC month
| think that feeling came over me
the most painfully Just after the full
ness of Joy when it was my hand tina
clasped hers, my lips that had touched
hers as reverently as if she had been ;
saint
Darling" l said, "did you ever carr
for any one before?'
Never" she answered, promptly, IL
a tone Of sweet content; a. nd | an
glad, Malcolm. I'm sure | could no
love twice
so no one ever held you to hi
heart - 1 am doing?' l questioned"
NO, no. Why do you ask?'
Because am a jealous monster"
said. with a laugh; because l woult
not have il thought or a memory dwell
on any one else"
"Ah, well, you shall be satisfied
Only you viii not mind if | think o
my father and remember him.
''Oh, no, my pet. | am not s. un
reasonable"
Gle would be so glad that his chic
had found So good. so true MAJ tC
protect her." she said, tears dimnlins
her sweet eyes. "Ah, if he could have
lived to have seen this day. You woulC
have revered him, Malcolm. He wa.
full of wisdom He had wonderful
learning and wonderful power. He wa
doctor, you know, and ne could do a
much for the mind as the body.
will show you his papers sometime
his diary then you viii know MIA
better. can't bear to look at then
myself, bu, long for you to know
something of hin. And he died-oh
so suddeDly-in moment !"
! could not feel such an intense in
terest in the dead doctor as my dea
girl seemed to expect, but l feigned
for her sake, and a few DAYS afterwarI
took the package of papers as rever
emily as she gave them, promising my
self that l really would look through
them some time. But | know
thought more at that moment of the
knot of Internationally at my darl
ing's throat-and how virginia. and
pure she loOked--and | wondered if evel
on Gods earth a saintler soul haC