Morning journal and courier., 1883-02-02

said very quietly, but very decidedly,
 t'from tomorrow it shall eat with us at our
 table. It is old enough now, with its two
 years"
 From that time on 'It" ate with us. He
 sal there in his high chair like a prince, close
 to my wife-both opposite to me like de-
 elared enemies, as it were. The yellowish
 paleness of poverty had yielded to an aristo-
 cratic pink in his little cheeks. which now
 becoming quite chubby, sat comfortably on
 the stiff folds of the napkin It worked
 powerfully at its soup; and, now that it had
 finished, set up the spoon like sceptre in
 it's little round fist on the table. My wife
 and had exchanged 8 flow words, and now,
 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 a surprised, almost frightened ex-
 precision as if they had presentiment that
 all was not right between us. i confess that those eyes embarrassed me, and That
 had a feeling of relief when Frederick en
 tered with a dish. And think that my wife
 felt the same.
 | And the following days there were the
 same large, wondering eyes, like an appeal ing question, staring into the pauses of our conversation. It sounds ridiculous, but 1t is
 nevertheless true, we were culprits before
 the child, we two grown. persons And by
 degrees our conversation became more ami
 mated. The occasional prattlines of the lit
 tie one were noticed and spoken about; in
 deed, sometimes there was mutual laughter
 ct his attempts to speak
 An! how light, how bell like pure sounded
 her laughter Had I never, then, heard
 that before? And what was the matter with
 me, that sometimes bent over my writing. desk listening, as though I heard from dis
 tance these same silvery tones2
 With the first sunny spring, '1t" began to play in the garden, which could overlook from my seat in my office. She was general ly with him. I could hear the sound of his little feet on the pebbles, and then her foot steps, Now she would playfully chase him, and chorus of twittering sparrows would join in their notes with the merry laughter. Now she would catch him and kiss his cheeks over and over. Once opened my window @ warm balsamic air streamed around me- and butterfly 1uttered in and lit on my inkstand. Just then she came out of a green, vine grown bower she was dressed in a dazzling white neglige, trimmed with costly lace all over her streamed the golden sunshine, except that her face was over. shadowed by the pink of her psrasol.
 How slim she appeared how graceful in her movements! Had been blind |? Truly the aunts and cousins were right she was in her features, she was happy-and her hsppi- ness came from her child. Then 8 voice made itself heard in my breast, which said very plainly, You are @ monster !" got up and walked to the window. ''It is beautiful day." called I. I know how cold and prosaic it must have sounded to her. It came like heavy cloud shadow over @ sunny landscape. She answered something that did not understand but the brightness was gone from her little face. Then she took up the child who was stretching out his arms to her, and kissed and caressed him before my eyes.
 There it was when the first feeling of jeal-
 
 but what a strange jealousy, which could not make clear to itself who was it's object If s'It'' said 'tmamma," there came pain to my heart and the caresses with which she over whelmed him almost drove me wild. I was jealous of both It pained me that had no part in this weaving of love, that I was not the third in the union. I exerted myself to gain part of their love. did it very clum- silly. The child persevered in certain shy ness, and she-had not kept myself foroi ply away from her during these long, long years :?
 One day at the dinner-table, after skir- mish of words, came 6 great stiffness be- tween us, stiffness more painful than had ever been. I glanced down at the flowers on my plate of Saxon porcelain, my displeasure showing in my face, but felt plainly that 1t" had it's eyes on me, and also her eyes. It was as if those four eyes burned on my forehead. Then sounded suddenly in the stiffness; "Papa"" and again louder and more courageous: "Papal" I shuddered. ''It' sat there snd stared, now very much frightened. over at me, wondering, perhaps, whether 8 storm would be raised by it's papa" But her face was suffused with redness, and her half open lips trembled slightly.
 There came flood of gladness over my heart. Certainly no one but her had taught ! him this "papa." Why did not spring up, bound toward her, and with one word, one l strike out the loneliness of these | last six years? One light word in this mo- ment and all would have been well. It re- | mained unspoken; seemed to have lost all | power to act but en certain page of my edger are still traces of the tears shed in | anger at my own stupidity.
 There was no doubt about it : another | spirit had stepped in with it's little curly | 1ead-the spirit of love and that made me | , stranger in my own house. A precious | sunshine frightened the rooms, even when | he one in the heavens was hidden by clouds. | The facss of the servants, and even inanimate | objects, streamed back this radiance But ne, only, the sunshine did not touch.
 l felt myself always more and more unhap- oy in my loneliness. Jealousy grew in me; t gave me all sorts of foolish thoughts. I wanted to rebel against the little autocrat- hat would be ridiculous. wanted to give Ter the choice between him and me. I, au lacious one, knew very well which side her leart would choose. At another time was eady to take steps in order to find the moth IT, and with the power of gold force her to ake back her child-behind my wife's back? That would be cowardly.
 could no longer fix my mind on business
 mistrusted even myself. People asked me vhat was the matter with me. I feigned ill., less.
 The sunshine would not let itself be ban shed and the spirit of love was stronger than :. With his flaming sword he drove me out. T must take long journey, Martha" My oiee trembled as said this. My wife must ave noticed it, for something like pity trem- Jed in her beautiful eyes. At my taking save, she held the little one toward me and sked in soft, oaressing tones, twill you not ay adieu to our child ?" took up the lit le one, perhaps too roughly; at all events e began to cry and to resist my caresses. hen put him down and hastened away.
 travelled in uncertainty through the 7orld, and behold after the first few days . addition to my ordinary travelling con- nnion, bad humor, there came another fel- ow that told me plainly that was fool. first it sounded like whisper, then louder nd louder, 'sYou are a downright fool.' ,e, it was traced on the blue mountains, the shrieked it to me. Yes, be- eyed it why did not then and there turn ly face homeward3 Well, the fool must rst travel it all of before everything would e right again.
 At last, one day, with violent beating of 1e heart, I again entered my dwelling. Vhat a solemn stiffness reigned there. ould now hear the sound of whispering oices my wife came toward me. "It is ok, very sick, y moaned she Sit will surely ie." I tried to comfort her. Only short | me, however, proved that her fears were ut teo well grounded, During the last ight we both sat by the little bed she there nd I here, each one of us holding one [. his little hands An those feverish ulse beatsl every stroke sounding like a appeal: :Love each other, love each Lher; be good.'' We felt eventually lese throbbings, snd we understood the opeal Our eyes met, full and earnest ! trough che glittering tears, ss in first, holy Dw.a Words would have seemed a sacrilege I ien.vt rHt--e5-. sr 5scz' 'i'- C1H-7 fdsatff
 Not long after we laid our darling i'm the ' arm spring earth. tY4 gl tf.il uaL Whom we again sat do@n as our table there as a stiffness between uss but is was not le aano stiffness as that which the little ranger had broken in upon with his parting papa Even by the wall stood his high ! ,m chair, and on the little board before it