Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-03-07
and draws the nss. On tas ..b,s by his "a.

and draws the light On tie tabis BY his Id
nearer to him
She laid the bread 10 bad bsea cutting
On . cracked plate, which shs placed On .
napkin in the center q The table, then
turned her face to him
He took it between his hands, and looked
anxiously into The eyes Of his child
They have been rough 20 you, my Pearl
Come rest your bad On my breast and cry.
I see the tears in your heart Ny sweet
flower, have leant on you till the slender
stem is ready to break But may yet be
able to use my imba So cheer up, my
precious Pearl But let % drink the tea Il
smells good after we have bad nothing but
warm water for days and days"
Hand me my medicine chest, my Pearl
We must both take some medicine 70 make
us stronger and cheer our spiritx7
She smiles through her tears, and places .
mail paper box beside him on the table
Brushing his hair from his face, she drawn
the table closer to the stove, moves his chair
nearer the table, and seating herssf, pours
out the tea
1T tastes good, papa shs Ays, touching
it daintily to her lips, and then takes . long
draught as If to emphasize her word&
7
He drained the tea in his cup at . draught,
and when she refilled thar cups said: .Let
me put some medicine in this, my Pearl, %
that we will grow stronger. Perpetual mo-
ton and perpetual life-two grand discov-
cries; they ought to bring me fame and
fortune"
Perhaps they win yet, papa. They have
q book in the city, IS You told me, on which
they have all the names Of the great people
who live in Chicago They call it 'direc-
tory SO if you could remember the names
Of some Of the doctors and mathematicians
you used to know can find out where they
live in that book and tell them all you have
discovered
They would not believe il, my Pearl"
But, papa, would explain it all to them
just as you do to me- would tell them
that the philosophy Of perpetual motion is
plainly demonstrated"
do not speak Of it now, my child We
will rest for a time i was 50 fearful lest
evil should befau 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 a child no longer, papa l am
almost woman l will be IA 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 as she endeavors
10 resist the desire to sleep.
Sleep, sleep my Pearl You require
-estn
She puts her arm about his neck and kisses
him He draws her close to him with one
arm, and with the other hand raises his sec
md cup Of tea to his lips
MY poor, tired Pearl, he murmurs, 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 into each other, and winked
and blinked and looked wise But when the
moon came She said: This is wrong. They
used to watch me nightly and ponder on
strange things 1 must wake them" and
she flashed her regal splendor full into the
old harn upon the sleeping man and child.
''Let them rest, they are weary" said the
frost, and he spun a curtain OF rares: de-
sign over the often-patched window-panes.
When the sun saw them in the morning
still asleep, he thought, Not 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 frost, and
sunlight all did what they could for thoss
who had loved them. But the father and
child did not stir; and the rats and the mice
danced about them, and ate of the bread she
had brought, and tore bits Of his and her
hair away to build them new nests for their
young, and ate Of their flesh Aud the
vermin lived all through the cruel winter,
and in tine spring tims they scampered over
the fields and enjoyed the sunlight, but al
evening always returned TO the old barn, at
nightfall, and wrought new nests for their
young of black and white hair and bits Of
old cloth, and fed their young on human
flesh.
But one day stray match got ignit,d,
black and white threads, soft and
warm, like the finest silk, and the
old barn for half an hour was a
sight to idle passers-by. The fire depart
ment was called, but it wss registered as a
false alarm, for it was an empty barn that
had taken FIRE just outside Of the city limits
And the stars, the moon, the frost, and
the sunlight have looked upon q few white
scattered bones, and the heavens have wept
upon them; and as they crumble to dust the
earth absorbes them And the stars, ths
moon, the frost, and sun still gaze on strange
ambitions, strange misfortunes, strange sad
endings-L E Somers in Inter Ocean