The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1883-11-24
PEARL.

'L1Steu, cttl, anu iuiuu "ii soy.
Eyes, papa
.'Can you take care of mother all
dayg"
'.Of course l can, papa. Are you
going away"
ssYes; Sam and l have to 60 after
those yearlings. And like as not auntie
won't be home till tomorrow.
'.What coy time mamma and l
will havep'
..And. Pearl, if should not be home
till late, can you call old Snow into the
stable, and push down little fodder
for her?"
.Yes, papa, and I'll get the chickens
in, too.
.sBut let everything else go for
mother, dear. Always remember
that"
..You know / will, papa
Her words were as earnest as his own
as she ran after him for another kiss;
and he added, as he laid a braid of her
pretty hair against his lips:'
III she's the least bit nervous toward
night, don't leave her moment, my
bird, but let the animals take care Of
themselves
Pearl lived on the shore of the great
Mississippi, far down, where Jack
Frost never gets very tight grip on
things, and lets go very early, as Madam
Spring comes smilingabout. Her father
was getting poorer and poorer year
by year, as his worn out land grew less
productive with every season of slack
tillage, until he found it hard to wiring
from it living for his small family.
The stock dwindled down to a few
poor ill-kept creatures, which looked as
If forlornly wondering within them
selves whether it were really worth
: while to live or not. Pearls father
had something of the same look him
self, which increased as his wife grew
weakly and gradually sank into the
condition of a gentle invalid, content
to be waited upon, without, perhaps
ever parsing to ask whether she really
stood in need of it.
You may think Pearl must have had
very sad childhood. But she had
never known any other place nor any
other children, and was so happy in
her own bright, unselfish little nature
as never to have suspected anything de
pressing in her surroundings. Pear
throve as nothing else on the place
throve, even under the burden of car,
which came to her too young--showe
ing back upon her mother SO man,
carresses and such loving care that /
would be hard to say which looket
most upon the other as child.
s.I'll get your breakfast pet. Wal
till you see what I've got for YOU"
Pearl skipped about in great glee a
being left in charge for all day, and
after the usual amount of small fussing
anticipation of her mothers delight.
1.-The first branch of Grape myrtle.
found it peeping out in the sunshin
corner of the old pasture. You poo
dear little mamma''-a dozen kisses O.
her thin hands-ssif You only could 9
with me to see all the beautiful things
But I'll bring you every one. Pap
thought he had found the first mag
nolia bud the other day, but had see
it the day before, and never said
word. No, won't take a single tast
of egg. There isn't enough for YOU
'sJust q taste, little onen
Not one bit. See what a gres
strong thing am! You must have tn
good things to make you well.n
The lassie set her foot down, an
mamma never dreamed that there wa
something almost heroic in the refus;
of the tempting morsel, the little gi
having just turned away from her ow
uninyiting breakfast of bacon an
corn-bread.
1.-The river looks curiously, MANN
dear she said, chatting over the vii
flowers she was arranging on the tab
as she spread their feast. II went I'M
the boat to play, aud when j wanted
get out the water was between it an
the shore, so had 70 jump.
''Why, Pearl, are You sure?"
"Yes, mamma; and / was afraid
couldn't get in it again;
] united il and held the rope till
iloated TO the little bayou, and then
pulled it in and tied it. 1T was hal
work, too
'.Can the river be rising? / wi,
they were net all away, daughter
The helpless woman looked out
the window with troubled face. III
floods of the year before had done b.
little injury in their neighborhood, Il
land lying much above the river lew
But she knew that this was due to d
strength of the leyees many mil
above, and remembered having hea
people say that they never would stat
another pressure of high water. ~
river WAS not yet as high as she hi
seen II, but she observed with some U
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