Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-03-24
A FAIRY GoDMordER.

almost the entire front of her tiny cottage.
Her large black eyes, their brightness
somewhat dimmed by her long sickness,
dwelt with dreamy pleasure on the land
scape spread before her.
1t was very commonplace landscape,
such as can be seen in any country place on
any summer day-oAly a broad field, white
with daisies, among which two or three
brown COWS patiently sought for tender
blades or grass, with one tall, stout tree
standing midway, solitary and alone, and a
background of dense tangled brushwood.
To careless eyes, scarce worth careless
glance but to hers, SO long shut out from
sight Of earth and sky, scene most beau
tiful. The slender white wrinkled hands
folded upon her breast were yet too weak
to hold even one OF her beloved books, and
the small feet still lacked sufficient strength
to sustain the frail body. But, thank heav.
en- ! the cruel pain had gone, and in its stead
had come blissful rest
All through the tickle months of spring,
taking no heed whether they smiled or
wept, she had never raised her weary head
from the pillow.
And the snow drops and crocuses and
scilla and hyacintks and tulips had grown
and budded and bloomed in her little gar.
den, and she, who had hoped TO watch them
grow from the first green leaf to the perfect
blossom, had only seen the few Viola had
plncked and brought to her bedside, where,
seen through cloud of suffering, shadow
had fallen upon their beauty
And now it was the heart OF June and
the roses, gay in every shade of pink, climb
ing about the window. looked in, and en-
treated her to come out. But no /; she
could not hope to walk among the flowers
until the ROSES had faded and the lilies had
begun to reign. And perhaps even this
hope would not have been hers had it not
been for the love and care and cheering
words of Viola, the eldest daughter of the
big farmhouse. Kate, the strong, rough
Irish servant maid, was kind and faithful
in her way but hers was money service,
and left to it alone, she might have died /;
but Viola served for love (she had loved
the pretty old madame since first they
met, and love brings faith and hope
and patience and many other beautiful
things.
For weeks the young girl came morn,
noon and eve, to stay an hour each time,
and her visits were the only CLEAN OF
brightness that hghtened that darkened
room. And many the wee loaf of whitest
bread, and golden pat of butter, and drink
of rich sweet milk, and fresh laid, pink
tinted egg, she brought to tempt the Ian
guild appetite and many the song she sang,
soft and low, to WOO for the sick woman the
angel Of sleep.
And yet not only were they neither kith
L., 1,E h. Nf Madame
Dupont save that she had built the four
room cottage the preceding spring and had
lived there since the last July in the hum
blest way.
There was large family at the farm
house and much work to be done-hard,
unlovely work, the very thought of which
often made the young girl, waking in the
gray morning from pleasant dreams, clasp
her hands and cry out, Z" Is this to be my
life forever ?" And had it not been for the
glimpse of beauty she caught about her
home-the far-of river cleaning in the sun
light or moonlight, the orchard trees white
with blossoms in spring, and laden with
fruit in summer and autumn, the shady
woods where countless shy wild flowers hid
from the glare of world, the songs Of the
happy birds, and the grand sunsets behind
the distant hills-she would have been
heart weary indeed. For she had loved
everything beautiful. And especially did
she love music with all the tenderness OF q
creator, as madame discovered one day
the day they first saw each other; in fact,
when Viola, coming on some errand to the
cottage, stopped, entranced on the thresh-
old of the door to listen to the plaintive
melody in minor key, feebly but beauti-
fully played on the old-fashioned upright
piano.
You love music % said madame, turn
ing slowly and confronting her.
g With all my heart" answered the
girl, the vivid blush that was ever ready
to appear, flushing her sweet young face.
"You play?'
"a little-a very little but have had
no piano for three years-since my own
mother died.
Let me hear you.
sob, madame, dare not try after you. .
But the old lady rose and gently led her
to the instrument. There were two or
three keys entirely dumb, and the rest
were not in perfect tune, but the spirit of
music so guided the long slender fingers
that they reproduced the minor melody
madame had played so daintily enwrapped
in bird.like thrills and ripping runs, that
she, in turn, stood entranced.
AFTER me, indeed !" she said, as the
girl struck the last chord. ~ had to
learn, but you-it is part of you. And
you have no piano? All, that is sad.
Could l give you mine, it should be yours.
But it belonged to my dear husband, who
II 10 a,d a0r,iA not hao y
to part with it. He was Frenchman,
lean girl, and one of his pupils. When
married him helped to teach others, and
30 came to be called madame We loved
each other very much. But l shall be
glad, my dear-very glad-to have you
come here and play as often as you will.
"Could come as often as / would,
said the girl, with bright smile, 81 an
afraid should soon tire you. But l vii
come as often as can. And oh, madame
suddenly kissing the soft, wrinkled cheek
IS l cannot tell you how much think o
you !"
But the often proved very seldom, fol-
some of the summer boarders staid unit
the end of October, and the butter had t.
be churned and the fruit canned, and thu
young sisters to be prepared each day TO
school, and the twin boys-nothing to sDeal
of in point of years, but perfect Methuse
labs in mischief to be looked after from
morning until night, and winter wardrobe
to be made, and thousand and one othel
things to be done.
And then madame fell sick, and all tn,
time Viola could spare she spent at he
bedside. Time that had much better b
spent at home" scolded her stepmother
for there's servant there and one serv
ant Is enough to take care of two sucl
houses as that and their mistress, too sicl
or well. | have no servant p
"You have me-" Viola could have re
piled, and no servant ever worked harder
or for less wages, but she set her lip
firmly together and said nothing. But sh'
rose earlier than ever thereafter. that sh'
might not leave undone the slightest OF he
tasks, and thus merit no reproach for th'
few hours each day she gave her dear ole
friend.
And now madame was getting we'll aud
with the strength of her strong servant