Iron County register., 1888-03-29

wondering anu more wildly when: tapi
tap! May I come in?" and there stands
Mrs Marsden- The sight of that sweet,
startled, child face puts Mrs Marsden at
her besF, which is saying every thing, for
it makes her irresistible
am Mrs. Marsden, dear. Your doctors
| assistant The doctor gave me no medi-
cine, so I brought some flowers Yes.
yiolets; sent and roibed the church this
| morning. You needn't look serious. the
flowers were my own You love flowers
can see it by your eyes-and it was for your
eyes brought them. No. I am not going to
take the chair, but sit right here on the
bed so.
Who could withstand Mrs Marsden in such
a mood? Not little Lily. who capitulated at
once and let her hand lie willingly in the
warm, soft clasp of its captor.
Now, tell me, aren't you very much sur
priseds"
Liys wondering had taken such celestial
sweeps that an angel would hardly have
been surprise; so she answered.:
"Yes. ma am, that is not so very much /
did think mamma would tell God and am
so glad 1t is better to be a little girl than
a sparrow, isn't it, Sister says God cares
for the sparrows; only sometimes when she
is so long away, it seems as il God might
forget little girl that couldn't go out of
uotAS, WucAc I1t CouIu SCC ACA 1CeA ploih-
Certainly the pain of yesterday has gone
to Mrs Marsden's heart. And oh! the fam
tastic ghost of that murdered bonnet! Why
would it pursue her2 She pats the little
cheek, and smooths the bright hair.
Where Is your sister. child? Why is she
not with you?"
The child fancied IN implied rebuke in
the question, and fastened to the defence.
"Sister never leaves me except when
she's at work, and even then, if she is near
enough, she always runs home to see me at
lunch time 1t was much nicer when she
used to paint and do Kensington and that,
because 1 could watch her, but people
would not buy her things, though they
were so nice; and sometimes we had such a
little to eat that sister could not put any
crumbs out on the ledge for the sparrows
She always puts some now before she goes,
and sometimes beautiful pigeon comes
and eats the crumbs wish I could have
it for my own"
Kiss the child, Mrs Marsden, and try to
smother an uncomfortable suspicion that
Dr.. Lucy deliberately stopped short of tell
ing her story last night
q Sister will be so glad you brought the
flowers" says the child, because she
meant to bring me some last night, only
she couldn't because" - and just here
Bessie enters, flushed from her work at the
stove, and stands looking in bewilderment
at the scene. The situation would have
been much more embarrassing for Mrs
Marsden had she not been good woman.
Like many another good woman her vision
was usually focused for long range benev-
olence. You can't see Breeds court when
you are looking at Benares But there was
no hesitation when Mrs Marsden did see
Impulsively she moved to where Bessie
stood, and taking her hand, said: "You
must forgive me, dear have been very
foolish woman, but I am not wicked. /
hope that it may yet prove good for
both, and for the dropping Lily there, that
my tooishness sent you away with an
empty purse on the eve of Easter I will
send Mary to make amends for my remiss-
ness in the morning and you will come and
call on me in the afternoon. in token that
you forgive me-"
Bessy's trembling lips could not frame o
reply any more than they could refuse the
kiss of peace that was laid upon them.
Mrs Marsden went her way, and as she
went she said:
e thank Thee, Lord, for this Easter day
and for Thy ministry" and for answer
came the sweet salutation to her spirit:
Peace be unto thee"
The ghost of the bonnet was laid from.
that moment And but for all this fuse
about a bonnet, Bessie Bartram might
never have moved out from Breeds court,
and Lily lacked the skill and kindness that
made her a strong and healthy girl? Who
knows; for SGod fulfills Himself in many
ways" But SO it happened, and Mrs. Mars
den never puts on her Easter bonnet with
out. Then she did go back to her old
frivolity2 Pooh! One must have bonnets;
and then, there's world of difference be-
tween bonnets for Easter and Easter for
bonnets E G. CHEvERToN.