The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-04-04

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sounded suddenly in the stiffness:
"Papar' and again louder and more
courageous; "papaw / shuddered. at
sat there and stared, now very much
frightened, over at me, wondering per
haps, whether.a storm would be raised
by Its Papa" But her face was sutfused
with glowing 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 embrace, strike out the
loneliness of these last six years? One
right word in this moment and all would
have been well. 1t remained unspoken;
| seemed to have lost all power. to act;
but on a certain page of my ledger are
still traces of the tears | shed i'll anger
at my own stupidity.
There was no doubt about it; another
spirit had stepped in with its little curly
head-the spirit of love; and that made
me stranger in my own house. A
precious sunshine frightened the rooms,
even when the one in the heavens was
hidden by clouds. The faces of the SER
wants, and even inanimate objects,
streamed back this radiance. But me,
only, the sunshine did not touch.
felt myself always more and more
unhappy in my loneliness. Jealousy
grew in me; it gave me all sorts of fool
ish thoughts. | wanted to rebel against
the little autocrat-that would be ride
Nous. / wanted to give her the choice
| between him and me- /, audaciOus one,
knew very well which side her heart
would choose. At another time, | was
ready to take steps in order to find the
mother, and with the power of gold
force her to take back her child-behind
my wife's back? That would be cow
ardly.
could no longer fix my mind on bus
mess. | mistrusted even myself. Peo-
pie asked me what was the matter with
me. feigned illness
The sunshine would not let itself be
banished, and the spirit of love was
stronger than |. With its flaming sword
he drove me out. ~ must take long
journey Martha" My voice trembled
as said this. My wife must have no
tced it for something like moist, shin
ing pity trembled in her beautiful eyes,
At my taking leave, she held the little
one toward me and asked, in soft, caress-
ing tones. "Will you not say adieu to
our child" | took up the little one,
perhaps too roughly; at all events he
began to cry and to resist my caresses.
Then | put him down and fastened
away.
| travelled in uncertainty through the
world, and behold! after the first few
days, in addition to my ordinary travel
ing companion, bad humor, there came
another fellow who told me plainly that
| was 4 fool First it sounded like Il
whisper, then louder and louder; "You
are downright fool" Finally, Tread it
in the newspaper before me; it was
traced on the blue mountains; the loco
motive shrieked it to me. Yes, | be-
\ lieved it; why did l not then and there
kturn my face homeward? WE'LL the fool
must first travel it all off before every
thing would be right again.
AT last, one day, with violent beat
ing of the heart, I again entered my
dwelling. What a solemn stiffness
rei&ned there? ! could now hear the
sound of whispering voices; my wife
cameS toward me. sit is sick, very sick, !"
moanfd she; sit will surely die!" tried
to comfort her. Only short time,
however, proved that her fears were but
too WELL grounded. During the last
night we both sat by the little bed; she
there and here, each of us holding one
of his lfttle hands. Ali those feYerish
pulse beats every stroke sounding like
an appeal: Love each other, love each
other; be, good!" We felt eventually
these thropbings, and we understood the
appeal. Our eyes met, full and earnest
through the glittering tears, as in first.
holy VOW. Words would have seemed
a sacrilege Then.
Not long after we laid our darling in
the warm, spring earth.
4 When we again sat down at our table.
theie was Stiffness between us: but It
was not the same stiffness as that which
the little stranger had broken in upon
with his parting "Papa.n Even bv the
wall stood hiss high armchair, and on
the little board before it lay his spoon
scepter. My wife reached her fine. white
hand over the table, and asked. EDid
you also love it?-at least little!" Her
voice trembledt MY wifel my sweet.
my own wifeP'l cried /. Then i fell az
her feet and held her hands fast in m;na
! love thee, my wife, oh, my wife!'
After the first emotion had subsidized
pointed to the arm chair. "The littlS
one came to teach us love-" whispered I
And when it Had finished its teaching
It went again to the angels" added She e'
through her tears,
One day the physician stepped out Of
my wife's room, with smiling face
He touched the little armchair a. he 4,
passed it, saying: "Let it stand there:
you will need it again"
Really? Was lit possibleP had 7 IL
served such hapRinessY -
As l held NM wife close 70 M beort
IA my lrrepIressible JOY / could not for
pear 10 bend down to her blushing little
very dearly. Is it not sop - I
A'N1hasa FEMALE BITTERs is an iron and
Vese'aoie tonic, prepared specially for the