The Cecil Whig., 1883-01-20

lone caunOt change the name How ON
account of d"mrstics," answered she,
shortly, and ,neu called out loudly, lis
| Max up already -
Never mind. was it not our child?
Once though, | played nv justiliable
part toward our child. At dinner it was
| always served at little table in an adj
joining room AT such times we could
hear betwee" the scantily dropping
phrases of conversation. it's merry pratt
Ting, accompanied by the gathering of
! It's spoon. My wife had no rest: there
was continual coming and going be-
tween us and him: the soup might be
t''o hot. sud he might eat too rnuch!-
Wife," said | very quietly. but very
with us at our table. 1t is old enough
! now. with its two years"
From that time on 1T" ate with us.
He sat there in his high chair lik.
prince, close to my wife-both opposite
to me like declared enemies. as it were
/ The yellowish paleness of poverty had
Yielded to an aristocratic pink in his lit
tie cheeks. which now becoming quite
chubby, sat comfortably on the stiff
! folds of the napkin. 1t worked wonder
fully at its soup: and, now that it had
finished, set mp the spoon like a sceptre
in its little round fist on the table Ny
wife and | had exchanged a few words,
and now we sat silent. Apparently on
account of this silence its large eyes be-
gan to open wider and wider. They
stared oD me. stared on my wife. with
surprised, almost frightened expression,
as if they had a presentiment that all
was not right between us. | confess
that those eyes embarrassed me. and
that had a feeling of relief when Fred
erick entered with dish. And think
! that my wife felt the same
And the following days there were the
same large, wondering eyes. like an ap-
peailr9 question. starting into the pauses
of our conversation. 1t sounds ridden
| Ions. but it is nevertheless true, we were
| cnlprits before the child. we two grown
persons. And by degrees our conversation
became more animated. The occasional
prattlin%S ef the little one were noticed
! and spoken about; indeed. sometimes.
to speak.
All. how light. how bell-like pure.
sounded her laughter, Had | never, then
heard tnat before? And what was the
matter with me that | sometimes bent
over my writing desk listening as though
| heard from distance these same sill
very tones?
With the first sunny Sprin" 1t - be-
an to play in the garden which | cnulA
overlook from nv seat in nv office Sh.
was generally with him. I could hea,
the s"nnn Of his little feet on the pebbles
aud then her footsteps. Now she would
niavfullv chase him. and a chorus of
fwittering 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 win
low: a warm balsamic air steamed
and lit on nv inkstand just then she
came out Of a green. vine-g grove bower:
she was dressed in a dazzling white nerli-
ge, trimmed with costly lace; all over
her streamed the golden sunshine. except
that her face was uvershadowed by the
pink Of her parasol.
How slim she appeared. how graceful
in her movements. Had l been blind.
Truly the aunts and cousins were right;
she was in reality beautiful A sweet
smile transformed her features, she was
happy her happiness came from her
child. Then voice made itself heard in
my breast, which said very plainly: "You
are monster I got up and walked to
the window. 1t is a beautiful day."
called |. | know how cold and prosaic
it must have sounded to her 1t came
like heavy cloud shadow over a sum;
landscape. She answered something that
did not understands; but the brightness
was gone from her little face. Then she
took up the child, who was stretching
'ut his arms to her. and kissed and ca
fessed him before my eyes.
There it was when the first feeling of
jealousy was aroused in me-a jealousy.
truly; but what a strange jealousy which
could not make clear to itself who was
its object! If "It" said mamma.
here came pain to my heart; and the
'areSses with which she overwhelmed
him almost drove me wild. l was jeal
'us OF both. 1t pained ne that had no
Dart in this weaving of love, that | was
not the third i'll the union. | exerted
myself To gain part of their love.
lid it very cumsly. The child perse
0ered in a certain shyness, and she-had
| not kept myself t"rcibly away from her
turing these long. long years?
One day at the dinner table. after a
,kirmish of words. came great stiffness
"tween us. stiffness more painful than
,ad ever been. | glanc-d down at the
t'w-rs on my plate of Saxon porcelain,
nv displrasure showing in my face: hut
cit plainly that 1t had its face on
ne, and ais" her eyes. 1t was as if those
our eyes burued on nv forehead Then
,''nnded suddenly in the stiffness: PA
st.! and again louder and more cnurace-
ms: = Papa | shuddered. 1T" sat
rtre and stared. now very much fright
'"ed, over AT ue. wondering, perhaps.
whether 4 storm would be r.i,.rd h, It's
'lHpd. But her tact. was sutllI>ed VII
gi,wing redursS, anu her half-"pen lils
6remhle,I slightly.
There came tirod of giadnpss over
ny heart. Certainly no one but she had
Taught him this papa" Why did not
spring up. hndmd toward her ard with
one word. one embrace. strike out the
loneliness OF these last six years? One
light word in this moment and all would
have been well. 1t remained unspoken:
| seemed To have lost all power to act;
but on certain page OF my ledger 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 its little curly