The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-07-19

THE ARKANSA stirred, so perfect was the spell cast over her by the beauty of sight and scent and sound. After the life she had he1n luo1 ing lately, with its almosk infe3ernb1e burden of pain, and bitterness, md shame, of br01en faiths and dead hopes, of toil, and want, and fear, it seemed a ifto day she and her child had wandered, for space, into Paradise.
 Afterward she wondered how she could have given herself up to the rest and peace. Knowing what had come upon her in her past life, she wondered, on looking back 10 this day, why she had not distrusted the sunshine, and tho fsweet scents, and pleasant sounds.
 Once before, her life had been as fair, and into it had come the blackness ol despair that shadowed it now. But to- day she forgot. She was so tired and vearied that she could do nothing else this afternoon but req.
 By-and-hy, when the child awoke, they played and laughed again then, as 1t was growing late, she took him back to- ward the station. On the way from it they had passed small inn, standing a littie back from the road. As they ar rived at it again now, Esteile was sud- denly conscious 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 French woman's loan.
 The child decided for her. He had caught sight of the great clusters of white lilies shat flled 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 of the inn came to the door.
 The child's rare beauty, so pathetic in its delicaey, 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 cupful Of milk, for which she would charge nothing, for the child. Then she took them out into the garden.
 "Oh, mother .'' cried the child, as he stood gazing in delighted wonder at the tall, fragrant flowers, what are they ?"
 She laughed and kissed him, and showed how all the gold came of their petals.
 They are Mary lilies" she said.
 Mary lilies ..' he repeated in puzzled wonder.
 "They are the angel-howers, all in their white robes and golden crowns"
 "Angelf overs .n he repeated again to himself My angel flowers, hke you best"
 Something in the awe and wonder of the beautiful eyes as they gazed solemnly at the white flowers brought back some thing 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-aowers. Something seemed to close up in her throat and prevent her breath coming. Why should he like them best?
 Armand clear, high-bred voice fell upon the sudden silence, as Esteile, unable to laugh and talk any more, still held the child in her arms, 10th to part with him again, while the landlady, in her quest for flowers, had moved further oil down the path Armand, come here and sec. Did you ever see such a beauti- ful child? And the mother-her face would do for that of the Holy Mother herself It is so terribly sad, and yet 90 full of love"
 A low balcony ran along the 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 been hstlessly ga1ing at a paper, trying to while away the time while they waited for the carriage-one of their horses hav- ing cast shoe just in front of the little inr-rose from his seat and came with a slow, languid grace over to the window where his mother stood.
 There was a curious likeness between this mother and son, in spite of the differ ence in their years, both in features and manner. The same clear-cut features, with their naughty, almost disdainful lines, the same high-bred repose and quiet grace of movement. The greatest difference lay in the expression Of the faces. Whi,s she looked out with keen bright eyes upon the world, he, 90 much younger, seemed to have already lost most Of bis interest in its wants. He came over nov, more to please her than anything else.
 He stepped out on the balcony by her side, resting his arms on the iron railing as he careAessly bent over to look. Al the same moment the child's eyes caught sight of him, and a little half-shy !" mother from his lips, in her ear, made the girl tnrn and look up too.
 The vesanda was raised about tous feet from the ground, and the young mother, holding the boy in her arms, stood in the middle of the triml1 kept garden, about eight or nine yards from 1t.
 As she raised her eyes, they met those of the yo~Ag man gazing full at her.
 The1e Was one moment of intnuSe xfiu.