The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-05-16
BOOK III.
REAPED.
CHAPTER 7.
Forlornly brave,
And otIivarinU with fba n

AHu QulNeIlIB Win tne uHrJ he ufuVe.
Madcap sat with her back to the
wistaria wall, that was just then hung
with pale translucent clusters of sweet
ness and color, and as she drew one of
OF those azure trails across her lips,
realized, as she had never done before,
the lessen of happiness that the flowers
teach us year by year.
They say to us land it is message
from God they speak, if only we could
understand it). I'VE withered and died
last year, but we have come back again
to you; and so will Joy, but you must
wait for it, as zoe have waited long, but
struggled into the light at last" And
to the heart that can feel this outward
influence, there is no death possible; it
will rejoice where religion would bid it
mourn, and in worshiping its Creators
works, will forget itself.
AS one who has died ignorant, and
Weakened to the value of what it form
erly held cheap $50 Lazarus may have
found elements of grandeur in Martha's
much serving when he again joined the
home circle, as he must have seen with
clearer eyes Martha's beauty and help
lessness), Madcap, in the vigorous re-
bound from crushing blow, had sprung
to keeness of content in her everyday
existence that made precious the COM
monest incident Of everyday home life,
where all was her own, not stolen from
another woman's store of happiness, or
snatched at with sense that hunger
impended over the next moment, yet
so wildly new that her husbands step
thrilled her as when he had been first
her lover, and her children's voice
sounded sweet in her ears as when they
first faltered her name.
She heard herself softly called by one
of them at that very moment, and look
ing round, saw Dody peeping at her
from behind tree, coaxing her with a
small forefnger to approach.
us is going a-maying, mummy" he
ITO maying, my sweetheart?" she
said, 'It's too late for maying."
20! no, mother" said Doune, who
had come up; ''it's real one, only
they've got lilac and things instead of
may, and it's just as pretty. l heard
Josephine tell the black lady so yester-
day."
Madcap started up, and forgetting
that she had promised not to leave that
corner Of the garden on which Mr..
Eyre's study gave flor he could not
write, he said, If on looking up now and
then she were not within sight), slipped
behind the bush that had screened the
little brothers from their father, and
putting an arm round each, asked them,
between the kisses that even in her
hurry she could not forget
What black lady, and where did you
see herp"
"S'pose she thought it was grandpa's
funeral every day." said Doune, practi-
cally. I'VE met her in the copse, moth
er, and she is as fond of kissing Dody
as you are"
"And her ky--and KY" said Dody,
shaking his head sadly. "Sink OATS
the poor 'ooman daddy's been punish
ing-eh, mummy"
mo, mol" cried Madcap, passionate
ly. And were you kind to her, Dody?"
she added, taking the child's lovely
flushed face between her hands.
20! yes" he said, nodding; "me told
her not TO ky, and kissed her; but me
couldn't call her mummy, 700 know; you
Is mummy" and he patted her face
fOndly.
"Josephine's waiting for us at the
gate, and daddy's gone to Sleep" said
Doune, taking his mothers hand to lead
her away; and seized by sudden i'm
pulse, for which her youth perhaps was
accountable, Madcap went away with
them across the garden to where the
nurse waited.
Mr.. Eyre had laid no commands on
her going out, or coming in, nor had he
enforced her promise with regard to
Hester; he had simply rendered any
meeting between the two women inn
possible by never letting his wife out of
his sight. But to-day the strange oc-
currence had befallen him of falling in
TO sudden dead sleep as he sat at his
table, the result, probably of those
waking nights that had lately fallen to
his lot.
Josephine started and colored rs her
mistress approached-a close observer
would have said guiltily, IL the facile
French face were permitted by its own
er to express deceit--but she answered
composedly enough that the mavinR