The National tribune., 1882-09-23

me; 1t gave me all sorts of foolish thoughts
L wanted to rebel against the little autocrat
but that would be ridiculous. / wanted Il
give her the choice between him and me.
audaclous one, knew very well which sid,
her heart would choose. At another tirae
was ready to take steps in order to find The
mother, and, with the power of gold, force
her to take back her child--behind my wiles
back. That would be cowardly
could 10 longer fix my mind on business
l mistrusted even myself People asked
what was the matter with me. l feigned
! illness.
The sunshine would not let itself be ban
! ished, and the spirit of love was stronger
than !. With his flaming sword he drove NE
out " must take long journey, Martha
My voice tremhled as ! said this. NV wife
must have noticed it; for something like
moist: shining pity trembled in her beautiful
eyes. At my taking leave, she held the lit
tie one towards me and asked, in soft, caress-
ing tones: VIII you not say adieu to our
! child?" l took up the little one, perhaps
too roughly; at all events, he began to cry
and resist my caresses. Then L put him
down and hastened away
l Travelled in uncertainty through the
world, and behold after the first few days
IN addition to an ordinary travelling com
panon, bad humoT, there came another fel-
low who told me plainly that was fool.
FIRST 1t sounded like whisper, then louder
and louder: You are q downright fool .
Finally, | read it in the newspaper before
me; 1t was traced on the blue mountains
the locomotive sbrieked it TO me. Yes, 1
believe it; why did | not then and there
turn my face hOmeward? Well, the fool
must first travel it all before everything
would be right again.
At last, one day, with q violent beating
of the heart, l again entered my dwell
ing. What a solemn stiffness reigned
there! | could not hear the sound of whis-
pering voices; my wife came toward mo; at
is very sick, very sick" moaned she. at
will surely die!" 1 tried to comfort her.
Only a short time, however, proved that her
fears were but tco well grounded. During
the night we both sat by the little bed she
there and l here. Each Of US holding one of
his little hands. All! those feverish pulse
beats every stroke sounding like an ap-
peal: Love each other, love each other; be
good!" We felt eventually these throb-
bings, and we understood the appeal. Our
eyes met full and earnest through the gilt
tering tears, as in first holy VOW. Words
would have seemed a sacrilege then.
Not long after we laid our darling in the
warm spring earth.
When we again sat down at our table.
there was a stiffness between us; but it was
not the same stiffness as that which the lit
tie stranger had broken in upon 1.a.a..
" Papa" Even by the wall still e a-
high-arm chair and on the little .a4E BE-
fore it lay his spoon-scepter. vi.
reached her fine white hand over - 1..
and asked: " Did you also love it
a little?" Her voice trembled.
my wife! my sweet, my o, wa
called I. Then I fell at her fee ny
her hand fast in mine 81 love the av
o, my wife,"
After the first emotion had soas-
pointed to the armchair: "The
came to teach us love-" whispered
when il had finished its teachil
again to the angels" added she ii aet 5
tears.
One day the physician stepped a, osuv
wife's room, with a smiling face. I touches
the little arm chair as he passed
Let it stand there; you will neet -..
Really? Was it possible? Had desc,
such happiness?
AS l held my wife close to myl aa-. taGg
JOY, could not forb 45 :
down to her hlushing little fact - soy. +,
. We viii love it dearly, very dearly. Is it |
not so?"