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

also be q quite pretty name" "One
cannot change the name now on ac-
count Of the domestics," answered she,
shortly; and then called out loudly:
"Is Max up already" Never mind,
was it not our child
Once, though, played my justihable
part toward our child. At dinner it was
always served at little table in an ad-
joining room. At such times we could
hear, between the scantily-dropping
phrases of our conversation its merry
prattling, accompanied by the clatter-
ing Of its spoon. My wife had no rest;
there was a continual going and coming
Fbetween us and him; the soup might be
too hot and he might eat too much I
"Wife," said 1, very quietly but very
decidedly, from tomorrow it shall eat
with us at our table. It is old enough
now with its two years"
From that time on at" ateKwithfus.
he sat there in his high chair like q
prince, close to my wife; both opposite
to me like declared enemies, as It were.
The yellowish paleaess OF poverty had
yielded to fine aristocratic pink in his
little cheeks, which, now becoming
quite chubby, sat comfortable ION the
stiff folds Of the napkin. It worked
powerfully at its soup; and now that it
had finished, set up the spoon like a scep.
ter in its little round fist on the table. Ny
wife and had exchanged few words,
and now again We sat silent. Apparently
on account of this silence, it's large eyes
began to open wider and wider. They
stared on me, stared at my wife. with q
surprised, almost frightened expression,
as If they had q presentiment that all
was not right between us. I confess
chat these eyes embarrassed me, and
that had q feeling OF relief when
Frederick entered with dish. And
think that my wife felt the same.
And the following days there were
the same large, wondering eyes, like an
appealing question, staring into the
pauses of our conversation. It sounds
ridiculous, but it is nevertheless true;
we were culprits before the child, we
two grown persons And by degrees
our conversation became more ami
mated. The occasional prattlings of the
little one were noticed and spoken
about; indeed sometimes there was
mutual laughter at his attempts TO
speak.
All how light, how bell-like pure
sounded her laughteri Had never then
heard that beforep And what was the
matter with me, that / sometimes bent
over my writing desk, listening, as
though heard from a distance these
same silvery tones
With the first sunny spring days 'It'
began to play in the garden, which l
could overlook from my seat in my
Office. She was generally with him. !
could hear the sound of his little feet
on the pebbles, and then her footsteps.
Now she would playfully chase him,
and q chorus Of twittering sparrows
would join their notes with the merry
laughter. Now she would catch him
and kiss his cheeks over and over. Once
l opened my window; q warm, balsamiC
air streamed around me and a butterfly
futtered in and lit on my inkstand
Just then she came out Of q green, vine
grown bower; she was dressed in 9
dazzling white negligee, trimmed Will
costly lace; all over her streamed the
golden sunshine, except that her face
was overshadowed by the pink Of hel
parasol.
How slim she appeared how gracefu
in her movements Had been blind
Truly the aunts and cousins we've right
she was in reality beautiful A swee
smile transformed her features; she wa
happy-certainly in this moment sh,
was-and her happiness came from he
child. Then voice made itself heart
in my breast, which said very plainly
"You are a monster ?" / got mp an,
walked to the window. "It is beauti
iul day." ",called 1. 1 know how cold an,
prosaie it must have sounded to her. /
came like heavy cloud-shadow over
sunny landscape. She answered some
thing that I did not understand; bu
the brightness was gone from her ittl
face. Then she took up the child, VIII
was stretching out his arms to her, an,
kissed and caressed him before m,
eyes.
There it was when the first feeling o
jealousy was aroused in me; q jealous,
truly, but what strange jealousy
which could not make clear to itsel
who was its objecti If at" sait
"mamma" to her, there came pain il
: the heart; and the caresses with which
: she overwhelmed him almost drove M,
, wild. I was jealous of bothl I
panied me that l had no part in thi
, weaving of love; that was not the
third in the union. / exerted mysel
, to gain part of their love. I did i
, very clumsily. The child perseverei
in 3 certain shyness, and she-had
not kept myself forcibly away from
her during these long, long years
| One day at the dinner-table, after I
skirmish of words, came q great still
/ ness between us, q stiffness more pain
> full than it had ever been. 1 glanced
down at the flowers on my plate OF Saxor