St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1884-04-12
MY Kinglins.
"Round whom the enshadowing purple liee
OF babyhood's royal dignities.
Law on my neck thy tiny hand!
am thine-Esther-to command.
in,r

"Round whom the enshadowing purple hee
OF babyhooi's royal dignlties.
Law on my neck thy tiny hand!
am thine-Esther-to command.
Philip, my King.
We never called him Philip, although
that was his name. We Just called
him ..Pet'' and Rose bud and 'Prec-
ious'' and Baby" or any other sweet
diminutive that our fond and foolish
love for him prompted, and he answered
to them with a sweet trembling OF
his baby lips, and a questioning look on
his beautiful serious face.
He was still baby, with heavens
blue in his limpid eyes, and heaven
sunshine on his golden hair. when one
dav a rap came to my door, and there
stood a woman without who was
swarthy with the sun of Egyptian GEN.
turies, tall, strong, sinewy. with coarse
black hair and tawny skin, a woman
Stunned and feared as a sorceress-a
gypsy fortune teller and vagrant
was about to shut the door IN
haste. and exclude her unwelcome face
and form. when the baby gave little
crv as of recognition and held out his
tiny, dimplcd hands with a caressing
motion to the strange, wierd woman.
And she her whole face was trans
figured with that look of mother-loye,
which comes from a heart bereft OF It's
Young Tears were in the fierce black
eyes. She devoured my child with her
burning glance. and I-wel l pitied
her and bade her come in.
Then the baby laughed and cooed and
patted her with his precious hands,
and laid his golden head on her hard
| breast, and while l watched her mar
| rowlv, iealously, as I trot the hosPi-
table round of kitchen and sitting
room, he fell asleep in her lean, dark
arms. with a sweet smile on his con-
tented face.
o. strange democracy of child's
nature, As she laid him down his
arms sought her neck: he would have
nestled again on her alien breast. She
held one little hand in hers, and he
smiled in his sleep.
| fed the woman and clothed her for
baby's sake. but then bade her begone.
She wanted to stay, to work for me
assured me she was wise in woman
WAYS: could minister to the sick, read
the stars, knew the secret values of the
|
could not breathe the same air with
that Egyptian sorceress, and sent hel
away.
But before she went she leaned Owe
the baby, took his little hand, soft ant
relaxed in sleep, and spread it open il
her dark withered palm, where it la.
like a white rose leaf. Then the weirt
woman looked at me.
.You leetel bebe. 1 tai you leetl
bebe fahchune, propah good?"
No no - cried, hastily. II vii
not have my baby's fortune told a
least not by-you.' :.
The woman was smiling to herself
the baby smiled, too, and nestled hi;
hand in hers. hated her and longe'
to thrust her away.
$50 leetel." she murmured, vague
". $50 leetel lines in leetel bebels han
leetel short line, but SO good. Missee
tai YOU leetel bcbe's pasta'
You tell his past?" answere
scornfully: ..his past is in Heaven
..Ya. va; eet is true. Missee-Heaye
my bebe there too"'
wanted to cry ''It is not. an
snatch my baby away from her; bu
there was something in her weird fac
that checked me.
Il tai this leetel bebe's fuchah?'
she asked.
l looked at him, my beautiful boy
his future! had trodden that path fo
, him over and over again.
"A wreath not of gold but of palm one da
, Philip, my King"
said briefly: ..Yes, yes; tell me-"
! 1T ess not mooch,a she answered
| low and solemn tones-tricks of ne
; trade, | believed then. "He ess
, leetel kingling; here ess lifeline
, pity han, an on both ends lifeline
! eet ess-Heaven. He leetel kinglins
an have crown in fuchah.o
I She went away reluctantly. and keel
, ing her eyes upon him until the doc
closed, and when he awakened
looked around with a little grieved or.
and frctted and was impatient Il
i. something that was gone.
have only few words more to sa,
and that is to mothers. Never let ar
weird woman tell your child's forum
n There is such thing as the evil ey
r and it envies all happiness and prospe
a ity, and casts its baleful glance {
y those whom it would iniure, and the
= fade, wither unto death. My bal
pined from the hour that woman lie
. him. and when the wood violets we
ab!oom in spring-time and the robi
n plucked their breasts, we laid hi
away from our sight forever. Dor
: tell me it was malaria, or teething,
4 some natural thing. 1t was tn
!. woman's longing for him that drew hi
away And she came with crocodi
tears and tried to see me, but they ke
i me from her. l should have strangl
her, weak as | am.
0, my little lost kingling!-Detr'