Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-06-14

trance. 1t was the mother. Like q
shadow she glided into the room, and,
with half-suppressed sob, begged to
see her child once more. She could not
part from him forever, without imprint
ing one more kiss upon his cheeks. /
opened my safe quickly: "Here, my
good woman, said L. stake that, they
have not given you enough" Hot tears
fell down her wan cheeks; she begged
me not to Judge her too harshly; she had
another child, cripple and helpless;
she herself was sick and would not live
much longer, and what was to become
of the children? Then she thought
myself had to finish the sentence, which
violent fit of coughing had interrupt
ed. eyes," she had thought, 81 will
sell the healthy one, in order that the
money may help the cripple when L an,
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, gave her
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 [, ''you see the child
belongs to both of us" She bit her lip
with her little white teeth.
&c It is all the same to me-" said she
after a moments reflection, and with
that she pressed tender kiss on the lit
| tie boys mouth. It sounded almost like
a challenge.
"Our childP' [ scarcely ever saw it.
And the changes that were made in our
household for his sake were made entire
ly without me. Sometimes, after the
most important things were decided, my
| consent was then asked. "We are
obliged to have a nurse, [ hired one,
Anselm, i nodded silently "We
must fit up nursery; that room is too
warm for the child" I nodded silently.
but [ heard the soune of the workmen,
who were already busy in the hall.
| What could do better? Was it not all
done for our child?
My wife and did not talk much about
the child, and when we did mention it,
we used only the name cit" But this
"It could be heard through the house
at almost any time of the day.
" Hush! not so much noisei 1t sleeps!
1t must have its dinner. It should be
taken out for drive. It has hurt it
|
turn round our SIT. :" This nameless
neuter vexed me.
1" 1t must have its own name," said
one day.
Sc l entirely forgot to ask the mother
I mean the woman-what its name is, :"
answered my wife. "She intended to
come again. But she does not come, she
is certainly sick. Now, call it Max.
Max is pretty, short name: is it not ?"
=" Him. returned / between two
draughts of my cigar, Fritz would also
be a quite pretty name" Gone cannot
change the name now, on account of the
domestics," answered she, shortly; and
then called out loudly, els Max up al
readyp' Never mind, was it not our
child?
Once, though, L played my justifable
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, it's merry
prattling, accompanied by the gathering
| of its spoon. My wife had no rest;
there was continual going and coming
| between us and him; the soup might be
too hot, and he might eat too much |!
"Wife, said I 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 1T ate with us.
He sat there in his high chair like a
prince, close to my wife; both opposite
to me like declared enemies, as it were.
The yellowish paleness of poverty had
yielded to fine aristocratic pink in his
little cheeks, which, now becoming quite
chubby, sat comfortable on the stiff
folds of the napkin. It worked power
fully at its soup; and now that it had
finished, set up the spoon like scepter
IN its little round fist on the table. NY
wife and | had exchanged few words,
and new again we sat silent. Apparent
ly on account of this silence, its large
eyes began to open wider and wider.
They stared on me, stared at my wife,
with surprised, almost frightened ex-
preston, as If they had presentiment
that all was not right between Us.
confess that these eyes embarrassed me.
and that / had feeling of relief when
Frederick entered with a dish, And l
think that my wife felt the same.
| ~AAN% OAAO AOAAO"AAS O0J ., UAcAO WOLS GuS
same large, wondering eyes, like an ap-
pealing question, staring into the pauges
of our conversation. It sounds ridicu-
lous, but it is nevertheless true; we were
culprits before the child, we two grown
persons And by degrees our CONVEX
sation became more animated. The oc-
casional prattlings of the little one were
noticed and spoken about: irdeed soroe-
times there was mutual laughter at his
attempts to speak.
All! how light, how bell-like pure
sounded her laughter! Had I never
then heard that before? And what was
the matter with me, that I sometimes
bent over my writing-desk, listening, as
though 1 heard from distance these
same silvery tones?
With the first sunny spring days "It "
began to play in the garden, which
could overlook from my seat in my of,
fee. She was generally with him. I
could hear the sound of bis little feet on
the pebbles, and then her footsteps.