The state journal. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1883-1885, 1884-09-27
CHAPTER II.

| came back to the child. A faint color
| tinged his cheeks, his eyes danced and
sparkled as they looked on the wonderful
| new world he had entered, and the soft
west wind, as it played round him and
| tossed his brown cdrls, made him laugh
aloud with delight. They had descended
at a little station some distance from
| Paris. and then walked on as tar as they
could 90, Estelle sometimes carrying the
child, sometimes letting him run by her
side.
They came at last to the green fields, with
shady groups of trees, where not a soul
save they two was to be seen. Then be-
gan the real delight OF the day. She gave
the boy the milk and food she had brought
for him, and ate piece OF dry bread her
solf, too glad to see the new looks OF the
child to care what she had.
Then they began to play together He
ran about among the tall grasses, laugh
ing with delight at the great ox-eyed
daisies, as they seemed TO nod their heads
at him, chasing yellow butterfly onlyto
leave it to scamper after red one, filling
his baby hands with the field flowers, to
bring them all back to his mother. Then,
when he was tired, she took him in her
arms, and there, as she softly sang to him,
he fell asleep.
She sat perfectly still on the grassy
mound beneath the shade of the trees,
which tenderly sheltered her and her
sleeping child with their branches. The
golden sunshine lay upon everying be-
yond, and the soft west wind stirred
grasses and flowers, gathering up their
scents, to bring them to the two weary
H. 80 81, Vuhr ha1
out to them to be healed, while the birds
overhead gave every now and then a lazy,
contented twitter, as if satisfied that it
should be so.
The child slept long, but still she never
stirred, so perfect was the spell cast over
her by the beauty of sight, and scent, and
sound After the life she had been lead
ing lately, with its almost intolerable
burden OF pain, and bitterness, and shame,
of broken faiths and dead hopes, of toll,
and want, and fear. it seemed as ifto day
sheand her child had wandered, for aspace,
into Paradise.
Afterwards she wondered how she
could have given herself up to rest and
peace. Knowing what had come upon
her in her past life, she wondered. on
looking back to this day, why she had not
distrusted the sunshine, and the sweet
scents, and pleasant sounds.
Once before, her life had been as fair,
and into it had come the blackness Ofdes-
pair that Swallowed it now. But to day
she forgot. She was so tired and wearied
that she could do nothing else this after
noon bus rest.
BY and by, when the child awoke, they
played and laughed again; then, as it was
growing late, she took him back toward
the station. On their way from it they
had passed a small inn, standing little
back from the road. AS they arrived at
it again now, Estelle was suddenly con-
scious that she felt faint and hungry. She
had eaten nothing but that piece of bread
since early that morning She opened
her purse and looked at its contents. She
did not want to spend more than she could
help, for she knew how hard it would
be to repay the good Frenchwoman's
loan.
The child decided for her. He had
caught sight of the great clusters ofwhite
lilies that filled the little garden by the
side of the inn, and wanted to go and look
at them. AS they stood in the paved
courtyard, looking over the low wall into
the garden, the landladY ofthe inn came to
the door.
The child's rare beauty, so pathetic
in its delicacy, attracted her as it did all
women.
She made them enter, promising the
boy as many lilies as he could carry. She
herself brought some coffee and rolls, with
large cuptul Of milk. for which she
would charge nothing for the child. Then
1a inf n n vii
ooh, mother" cried the chile, as he stood
gazing in delighted wonder at the tall, fra
grant flowers, "what are they2"
She laughed and kissed him, and
showed how all the gold came off their
petals
"They are Mary lilies, she said.
'Mary lilies - he repeated in puzzled
wonder.
''They are the angel flowers, all in their
white robes and golden crowns"
CANCEL, towers - he repeated again to
himself my Angel flowers, 1 like you
best"
Something in the awe and wonder of
the beautiful eyes as they gazed solemnly
at the white flowers brought back some of
the strange chill that had seized his mother
that morning.
She caught him passionately into her
arms, pressing him close to her heart.
"Angel-fowers p Something seemed
to close up in her throat and prevent
her breath coming Why should he like
them best?
Armand p clear, high bred voice
| fell upon the sudden silence, as Estelle,
unable to laugh and talk any more, still
held the child in her arms, loath to part
with him again, while the landlady, in
her quest for flowers, had moved further
| off down the path; Armand. come here
| and see. Did you ever see such beauti-
| full child? And the mOther-her face
would DO for that OF the Holy Mother
herself. 1t is so terribly sad, and yet so
full of love"
A low balcony ran along this side of the
house. A lady had stepped out upon it
from one of the windows, and, partly
screened by the creepers, had been silently
watching the child and its mother, who
had been too occupied to notice her.
A young man in the room, who had
oeen llstlessly gazing at a paper, trying
TO While away the time while they waited
Tor the carriage--one of their horses hav-
ing cast shoe just in front of the little
inn-rose from his seat and came with 6
slow, languid grace over to the window
where his mother stood.
There was curious likeness between
this mother and son, in spite of the diff
ference in their naughty, almost disdain-
full lines, the same high bred repose and
quite grace of movement. The greatest
difference lay in the expression of the
faces. While sho looked out with keen
bright eyes upon the world, he, so much
younger, seemed to have already lost
most of his interest in its wants. He
came over now, more to please her than
anything else.
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