Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-08-16

you where they live IN tnat DOCK ana
tell them all you have discovered.
"They would not believe it,
PEARL"
"But, papa, I would expain it all
to them just as you do to me.
would tell them that the philosophy
of perpetual motion is plainly dem
onstrated-"
ssDo not speak of it now, my
child. We will rest for time. /
was so fearful lest evil should befall
you when you left me this morning
that / worked without ceasing to
quiet my anxiety. Later in the
evening we will discuss the latest
phase of our intricate labors, but
now when you have had enough to
eat, you can move your chair close
to mine and sing to me some song
like you used to do when you were
only child"
"But am child no longer, papa.
/ am almost a woman. / will be
fourteen years old next week."
She sits down beside him and
leans her head on his shoulder. He
strokes her soft hair gently till it
looks glossy and smooth. Her heavy
eyelids quiver and she endeavors to
resist the desire to sleep.
"Sleep Pearl. You require rest"
She puts one arm about his neck
and kisses him. He draws her close
to him with one erm, and with the
other hand he raises his second cup
of tea to his lips.
"My poor, tired PEARL" he MUIR
murs, and the lean, white fingers toy
restlessly with her black hair.
The stars looked down and smiled
when they saw the two asleep.
"They are tired" they whispered to
each other, and winked and bllnked,
and looked wise. But when the
moon came she said, ssThis is wrong.
They used to watch me nightly and
ponder on strange things. l must
wake them," and she flashed her
regal splendor full into the old barn
upon the sleeping man and child.
Let them resl, they are weary,
said the frost, and he spun a curtain
of rarest design over the often-patch-
ed window paues. When the sun
saw them in the morning still asleep,
he thought: mot yet at your labors,
my friends. l must despoil your
home of this pretty curtain the frost
has wrought across your window"
And the stars, the moon, the fros
and the sunlight all did what they
could for those who loved them
But the father and child did not stir
and the rats and mice danced abou
them, and ate at the bread she hat
brought, and tore bits of his and he
hair away to build them new nests
for their young, and ate at thei
flesh. And the vermin lived al
through the cruel winter, and in th'
spring time they scampered over th'
fields and enjoyed the sunlight, bu
at evening always returned to th'
old barn, and wrought new nests fo
their young of black and white hal
and bits of'old cloth.
} But one day stray match ignited
and burned full many nest built o
! black and white threads, soft an(
warm, like the finest silk, and th'
: old barn for half an hour was sigh
for passers-by. The fire department
was called, but it was registered as :
false alarm, for it was an empt,
barn that had taken fire just outsid,
the city limits.
, And the stars, the moon, the fros
and the sunlight have looked upon |
few white scattered bones, and tn,
heavens have wept upon them, ant
as they crumble to dust the eartl
absorbs them. And the stars, th'
moon. the frost and sun still gaz'
on strange ambitions, strange mis-
fortunes, strange sad endings.