The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-08-02

before she had held the Gazette uuder
the iightof my student-Iamp, and point
ing with her finger to an advertisement,
said to me: ~Please read that" It was
the well'known appeal, the cry Of de-
spair from bleeding heart, addressed
to good people," A child was offered
FOR adoption to persons we'll of. "What
would you think OF our taking its" my
wife had said, and / had returned the
paper to her with . shrng Of my shoul-
ders.
But, Martha, what have you done2"
cried !, in tone vibrating with anger.
"You have really"
"Oertainly, as you see. And then it
belongs to me; myself have settled
everything with the poor mother, who is
in reality 20 be pitied. 1 have sworn
to take good care of it; and 90 will In
deed"
She took the little head, with it's
blonde silk curls, between her white
hands and fondIed and caressed it.
''Is il not so, little one 2--you will be
loved ?n
But the somewhat sickly and delicate
lietle face showed no sign Of understand
ing, except that out OF the heart-shaped
little mouth came one of those sighs that
sound 80 strangely from children.
at once gave up all serious objec.
tion. Had we not been accustomed for
years to act independently OF each
other 2 Our marriage was not happy
one, although we had not married for
love. During the noise and hustle Of
the crowded exchange, our fathers had
contracted this union. She had to tear
her heart from q beloved one, and in
mine glowed a passion not yet outspoken.
But parental wishes conquered. We
chose to be obedient children; and 30
it happened.
At the commencement we were to
each other q silent reproach; after
which followed declared war, until
finally We came to polite but gloomy
peace.
To be sure she was beautiful, she was
good and bright and sparkling. Others
called her an ngel. And /? Well,
believe that ] was no monster either.
The analysis showed the brightest ccl-
ors, still the sun was missing. We were
six years married and had no children.
Perhaps had heaven sent us them-well,
khis child belonged entirely to her !
heard later that she had given the
mother q thousand dollars, the price Of
q set of jewels which she sold secretly.
"Why did you not tell me of it p
said /, half angrily.
because it would have been loo
late If / had waited for your return to
the city and besides / wanted to have
it entirely for myself I want to call it
my own" said she, poutingly.
My horses, my dogs (; her canaries,
her gold fishes-that could endure ;
but that she wanted to have her child
for herself alone, that was too much for
me. The thought of it tortured me
one, two days long. On the third day,
my wife having gone out in her carriage,
there came q veiled woman and de-
panded entrance. It was the mother.
Like shadow she glided into the room,
and, with. . half-suppressed sob. begged
to see her child once more. She couldn
part from him forever without imprint
ing one more kiss upon his cheeks. 1
opened my safe quickly: "Here, my
good woman" said I, stake that, they
have not given you enough" Hot tears
fell down her wan cheeks; che begged
me not to judge her too harshly; she
had another child, cripple and help
less; she herself was sick and would not
live much longer, and what was to be-
come OF the children? Then she
thought myself had to finish the
sentence, which violent fit of cough
ing had interrupted. eyes," she had
thought, :" I will sell the healthy one,
in order that the money may help the
cripple when / am dead and gone"
No, she must not be judged harshly;
we rich ones know but little of the trials
and temptations of the poor.
| When my wife returned I gave hel
an account of the call had had, adding
that had given to the unfortunate one
exactly the same amount as she had
"And now" said I, "you see the child
belongs to both of u.s." She bit her liz
with her little white teeth.
at is all the same to me-" said shi
after q moments reflection, and will
that she pressed a tender kiss on the
little boys mouth. 1t sounded almos
like challenge.
"Our childl" I scarcely ever saw it
And the changes that we're made in oul
household for his sake we're made entire
" withoct me. Sometimes, after tn,
most important things We're decided
my consent was then asked. "We ar,
obliged to have a nurse, I hired one
Anselm"-I nodded silently" w,
must fit up nursery that room is tot
warm for the child" nodded silently
but / heard the Eound of the workmen
who were already busy in the hall
Whatco do better? Wasit not al
done for our child? 4?
My wife and I did not talk mucl
about the child and when we did men
tion it we used only the name "It.
But this I" It" could be heard through
the house at almost any time of tn