The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-03-28
THE GIFT.

An April day-the sky all Cappled with
silYer.shining clouds, while bright sheets of
rain seemed to braid themselves with the
sunbesms, and every gust of southwark
coming air seemed full Of the vague scents
of violets and daffcdils, ard grasa gro wing
on sunny hillsides.
hiram Lacy sat by his city window, where
the sweet air lifted the silver hair upon his
forehead, and thought longingly of the de-
parted dsys when he dwelt under his own
vine and fg-tree, ard watched the dancing
sunbeams with greedy eyes.
Marian" he said. in his feeble, piping
voice. marian, don you think we might
have q little walk in the park this afternoon?
The air is so midland I'm SO tired of these
four WALSH
Marian Lacy looked up from her desk, at
the farther end of the room.
She was a slender, pretty girl, of seven or
eieht-and-twenty, with large, soft hazel eyes,
brown hair and pale cheeks.
"By and by, dear father" she ssid gently.
when the sun gets q little lower"
AND once moro she eagerly resumed her
writing, the pen flying swiftly over the
smooth surface Of the psper, as ii il were
winged with magic tpeed.
HIrsm Lacy turned TO his wife, who sat
patiently sewing opposite TO him.
Wife" said ne, the apple trees will be
IN blossom toon at the Old farm. Don't you
remember how the white leaves used to
shower down on the ground like a snow
storm? The Old farm-if / could have
ended M days there" he added with a
weary sigh. Here Pm a poor, weakly old
man, ana nobody nurses me or cares for me
in tie city wbirj-but there every tree is an
cid .EiFbo Of mine, and the very wind
among the hTancht sounds familier."
It's 40 use thu king about old times,
dear" ssid his vile. signing almost inaudi-
by.
III ! could only have been contented TO
let those o. speculstions alone" resumed
Hiram, eagerly, or il l could have bought
them a m0nth-enly q month earlier Bat
/ was mad-apd We ere ruined! The lend.
lord MSS here this morning persecuting
Us bec2aSe the tent OF the rooms was not
paid. l nsver thought l should come TO this,
Hulcah."
His wife made no reply. Marian still
wrote on, her brow slightly contracted.
still, we shonld have done we'll enough"
went on poor cid Lacy, "if Marian could have
made up Der mind to marry young Deforest.
he Is we'll of. We old folks could have
had a home with him. with our feet on the
green grass and Gods pure. clear sky above
our heads. It's not too late yet, lass. De.
forest was here yesterday when you and
AA0tACA WC4C kOAC AOWA ~ LAOco mQ5Ll OlQ
newspaper offices. You'd better think of 1t,
my gill"
Marian looked up, tossing back the droop-
ing hair from her brow.
Father" she said, pitifully, II have told
you that l do not love him."
"LoYel lovei' echoed the old man, sheer
ingly. Love won't boil the kettle nor buy
q gown thought you had outgrown the
age of schoolgirl sentimentl"
II hope l shall meyer outgrow il, father"
answered Marian, in a low voice.
And while you are waiting tor love to
grow up IN your heart your poor old father
and mother may pine tbeix lives out in this
city smelling denl"
II hope not, iatherl' said Marian. "My
writing"
II don't want to hear another word of
your writing interrupted Mr.. Lacy. "If it
hadn't been for your ridiculous idea that
you were a genius, you'd have settled down
quietly TO be John Deforest's wife five years
ago.
Marian pursued the argument no further,
but her mothers gentle, encouraging
glance. as she looked up, mutually testified
that she had at least one tender sympa-
thizer.
And the blue eyed April violets blossomed
and died, and May hung her chaplets OF
bloom on tree, and 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 ge-
MUS" Was che indeed a genius? III she
were-ch, bright, impossible if-every sa-
cred IRE OF her nature was burning on the
altar of this book, into which she was inter
weaving the tendeTest fancies OF soul or
brain; oh. if
And Marian grew paler and more absorbed
day by day; and her mother watched her
win wlstf0l. silent care. and old Hiram
Aretteo on, With the incohereBt plants of
OLD age, aDo the summer ripened into golden
fuilness under benny moonlight nights and
the glow OF tropic days.
ITS getting warm weather." groaned old
hiram, = this croton water isn't At for a
dog 20 drink, let alone q CHRISTIAN. Oh. if l
could OILY nave 8 drink OF water out of the
old veil under the garden WALL 1t used to
be cold rs ice when the sun was at its hot
test. ! dreamed last night OF standing beside
that we'll. With the old bucket brimming
over. and the Wild roses hanging over the
cure, al ~ e tangle, as they used 10 gov"
'sFsther,' said Marian, Who had inst come
in, with cheeks u~nwontedly rosy, and a light
sparkling deep down in her eyes, shall We
all go-you and l and rsother, for a long
drive IN the country this a~fternocnr'
The old mans face lighted up for an in
stanf. but it fell again.
We can't afford it he said, testify. I'VE
are poor Carriage drives cost money!
but ] have earned ga little money from
my hook" began Marian, earnestly.
Book. indeed" laughed old Hiram. "A
pretty book you'd write. But we'll go If you
can afford TO squaDder the money on your
cd father. You've been very close with -FOUR
money OF late"
Marian's cheeks slowed at the undeserved
tsunt- but she did not reply.
Fathers not we'll" she said TO herself,
and he's old and irritable, and this hot
weather frets him. He will be better
when"
And here Marian's reverie stopped
The air WAS full of the sweet breath oinew-