The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-10-20
PEARL.

eyes, papa
Can you take care of mother all
day."
.'Of course 1 can, papa. Are you
going away?"
Yes; Sam and | have to 90 after
those ycarlings. And like as not auntie
won't be home till tomorrow.
''What a cozy time mamma and l
will have!"
''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 III get the chickens
in. too"
But let everything else 90 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 braid of her
pretty hair against his lips:
IF she the least bit nervous toward
night, don't leave her a 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 a very tight grip on
things, and lets 90 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
II 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 q gentle invalid, content
to be waited upon, without, perhaps,
ever pausing to ask whether she really
stood in need of it.
You may think Pearl must have had
a 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 Pearl
throve as nothing else on the place
throve, even under the burden of care
which came to her too young shower
ing back upon her mother 50 many
~carresses and such loving care that it
would be hard to say which looked
most upon the other as a child
III get your breakfast pet. Wait
till you see what I've got for YOU
paol.l skinned a Ont IN, or,.oa+ o.loo -
being left in charge for all day, and,
after the usual amount of small fussing,
carried in the tray with face full of
anticipation of her mothers delight
"The first branch of erape myrtle. |
found it peeping out in the sunshiny
corner of the old pasture. You poor
dear little mamma "a dozen kisses on
her thin hands-''if you only could 90
with me to see all the beautiful things {.
But I'll bring you every one. Papa
thought he had found the first mag
nolia bud the other day. but had seen
it the day before, and never said
word. No, | won't take single taste
of egg. There isn't enough for you.
''Just taste, little one
mot one bit. See what great
strong thing am! You must have the
good things to make you WELL
The lassie set her foot down, and
mamma never dreamed that there was
something almost heroic in the refusal
of the tempting morsel, the little Girl
having just turned away from her own
uninviting breakfast of bacon and
corn-bread.
"The river looks curiously, mamma
dear" she said, chatting over the wild
flowers she was arranging on the table
as she spread their feast Il went into
the boat to play, and when l wanted to
get out the water was between it and
the shore, so had 70 Jump.
"Why, Pearl, are you sure?"
Eyes, mamma; and | was afraid
couldn't get in it again; so
l united it and held the rope till it
tloated to the little bayou, and then
pulled it in and tied it. 1t was hard
work, too"
"Can the river be rising? l wish
they were not all away, daughter"
The helpless woman looked out of
the window with troubled face. The
floods of the year before had done but
little injury in their neighborhood, the
land lying much above the river level.
But she knew that this was due to the
strength of the levees many miles
above, and remembered having heard
people say that they never would stand
another pressure of high water. The
river was not yet as high as she had
seen it, but she observed with some I'M
easiness that it had advanced upon
them perceptibly during the last few
hours.