Smyrna times., 1884-03-05
My Kingling.
Round whom the enshadowing purple lies
OF babyhood's royal dignities,
Lay on my neck thy tiny hand.
am thine-Esther-to command
Philip, my King

Philip, my King"
Wenever called him Phillip. altbouob
that was his name. We lust called
hlm Pet" and Rosebud" and "Pre-
clous and Baby" or any other sweet
dlminutive that our fond and foolish
love for him prompted, and he answer
ed to them with a sweet trembling of
his baby lips, and a questioning look
on his beautiful serious face.
He was still baby, with heaven, q
blue in his limpid eyes, and heavens
sunshine on his golden hair when ono
day rap came to my door, and tbe,o
stood a woman without who was
swarthy with the sun of Egyptian cen
turies, tall, strong, sinewy, with coarse
black hair, and tawny skin. woman
stunned and feared as sorceress-o
gypsy fortune teller and vagrant.
was about to shut the door in haste
and exclude her unwelcome E,ca aud
form, when the baby gave little cry
as OF recognition, and held out his tinv
ulmpled hands with n caressing motion
to the strange, weird woman.
And she-her whole face was trans
inquired with that look of mother-lovc
which comes from heart bereGt of ;ts
young. Tears We're in the fierce black
eyes, She devOured my child with her
burning glance, and well | nitied
her and babe 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 watched her mar
rowly, jealousy, as trod the hospita-
Die round of kitchen and sitting room.
he fell asleep in her lean, dark arms
with sweet smile on his contentcd
face.
On, strange democracy of a 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 badr her bepone
She wanted to stay, to work for me.
assured me She was wise in wom,n,,
ways; could minister to the sick. read
the stars, knew the secret value of the
herbs OF the ficlds-but no, | felt that 7 |
could not breathe the same mir with
that Egyptian sorcere5s, and l sent her
away.
But before she went she leaned over
the baby, took his little hand, soft and
relaxed in sleep, and spread 1t open in
her dark withered palm, where it Law
like white rose leaf. Then the weird
woman looked at me.
You leetle bebe. tai you leetle
bebe tahchune, prophah good :"
No! no!' cried hastily. II will
not have my baby's fortune told, at
least not by-you."
The woman was smiling to herself.
the baby smiled, too, and nestled his
hand in hers. hated her, and longed
to thrust her away.
So leetle," she murnlured yapueIv
=" So leetle lines in leetle bebe's ham, >
leetle short line, but so good. Misses
tell your leetle bebe's past?"
You tell his past?" l answered
scornfully; his past is in Heaven"
Va, va; etistrue, Missee-Heaven
my bebe there, too!'
l wanted to cry, "It is notr, and
snatch my baby away from her, but !
there was something in her weird face
that checked me.
II tai this lectlc bebe's fuchah?"
she asked.
looked at him, my beautiful boy;
his future! l had trodden that path !
over and over again.
\ wreath, not of gold but of palm ona day g
Philip, my King"
l said briefly "Yes, yes; tell me-"
1T eSs not mOoch," she answered in
ow aud solemn tones-tricks of her
rade, l believed then. "He ess a
eetle kingling; here ess lifeline in u
1itty han, an on both ends lifeline. eet l.
He leetle kingling, an d
lave crown in fuchah," u
She went away reluctantly, and ="
'eeping her eyes upon him until the 3
loOr closed, and when he awakened he 81
ooked around with little grieyed g
ry, and fretted and was impatient for u y
omething that was gone. ID
L have only few words more to say, It
nd that is to mothers. Never let any ~
weird woman tell your chiid's fortune. u
here is such q thing as the evil eye, o'
nd It envies all happiness and pros ~
erity, and casts its baleful glance on
hose whom it would injure, and they at
lde, wither unto death. My baby NJ
ined from the hour that woman left ST
i'm, and when the wood violets were o'
bloom in Spring-time aud the robins u
tucked their breasts, we laid him VI
way from our sight forever! Don't III
ELL me it was malaria, or teething, or pa
ome natural thing! 1t was that "
oman's longing for him, that drew
i'm away, And she came with croco- aV
lie tears, and tried to see me, but they III
ept me from her. III
Oh, my little lost kinslinel 'iO