Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-03-05
HIAR:AN'S GIFT.

An April day, the sky al dappled
with silyer-shining clouds, while bright
sheets of rain seemed to braid them
selves with the sunbeams, and every
gust of southwark coming air seemed
full of the vague scents of yiolets and
daflodils, and grass growing green ON
sunny hillsides.
Hiram Lacy sat by his city window,
where the sweet air lifted the silver hStr
from his forehead, and thought long
ingly of the departed days when he
dwelt under his own vine and fig tree
and watched the dancing sunbeams
with greedy eyes.
marian, he said, in his feeble pip
ing voice; marian, don't You think
we might have a little walk in the park
this afternoon? The air is so mild and
I'm so tired of these four walls.
Marian Lacy looked up from her desk
at the farther end of the room
She was a slender, pretty girl of sew
en- or eight and twenty, with large,
soft, hazel eyes, brown hair and pale
checks.
by and by, dear father" she said
gently, "when the sun gets little
lower"
Once more she eagerly resumed her
writing, the pen flying swiftly over the
surface of the paper, as if it were
winged with magic speed.
Hiram Lacy turned to his wife who
sat patiently sewing opposite him.
"Wife,, said he, 1.-The apple trees
will be in blossom at the old farm soon.
Don't YOU remember how the white
leaves used to shower down on the
ground like a snowstorm? The old farm
If | could but have ended my DAYS
there!n he added with a weary sigh
Here I'm poor weakly old man, and
nobody nurses me or cares for me in
the city whirl but there every tree is
friend Of mine, and the very wind
among the branches sounds familiar in
my ears.
''It's no use thinking of old times,
dear" said his wife, signing almost
inaudbly.
If | could only have been contented
to let those old speculations alone, re-
sumed Hiram eagerly; cor il | could
have bought them a month-only a
month--earlier! But | was mad-and
we are ruined! The landlord was here
this morning prosecuting us because
the rent of the room was not paid. /
never thought should come to this,
Huldah!'
His wife made no reply. Marian still
wrote on. her brow slightly contracted.
''Still, we should have done well
enough, went on poor old Lacy, IF
Marian could have made up her mind
to marry young Deforestl He is well
off we old folks could have had home
with him, with our feet on green grass,
and Gods pure, clear sky, above our
heads It's not too late yet, lass. De-
forest was here yesterday when yoi.
and mother were gone down to those
musty old newspaper offices. You'd
better think of it, my girl"
Marian looked up, to sing back the
dropping hair from her brow.
Father" she said pitifully, 81 have
told you that do not love him!'
Love! love" echoed the old man,
sneeringly. Love won't boil the ket-
tie nor buy gown. | thought you
had outgrown the age Of sci ool-gir
sentiment
81 hope / shall never outgrow it,
father, answered Marian in a low
voice.
"And while you are waiting for love
to grow up in your heart your poor old
father and mother may pine their lives
out in this city-smelling denr'
Il hope not, father, said Marian. /
''My writing has
Il don twant to hear another word of I
your writing" interrupted Mr. Lacy. /.
IF it hadn't been for your ridiculous
idea thatyou were genius, you'd have /
settled down quietly to be John Defor-
ests wife five years ago.
Marian pursued the argument no /
further, but her mothers gentle. en-
couraging glance, rs she looked up, /
mutually testified that she had at least (
one tender sympathizer.
The blue-eyed April violets blossomed
and died. and hung her chaplets OF
bloom on tree, glen, and forest, and
still Marian toiled on, early and late
Her fathers words often occurred to
her at times of fatigue or dependency.
"A genius. Was she, indeed, a genius?
If she were-oh, bright, impossible if
every sacred fire of her nature was
burning on the altar of this book, into