The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1888-10-17

grasshopper rattle, and the evenings Of
work We're extended still farther into the.
night. They bought for Little Cab book
in which there were pictures only of the sea
views of harbors with their forests Of
masts set along the piers, steep crags washed
by foamy waves, fishing boats, scattered
apart, in the offing, like a flock Of white
winged birds. The child talked Of nothing
but the sea; he saw it In his dreams, and
sometimes even in full daylight, through
the gray fog which filed the inside yard, he
had unhealthy decisions of shores beaten by
tho waves, and great watery spaces, crossed
by ships with distended sails.
Sometimes he took from the mantelpiece
large she'll; he placed it against his ear, and
with his. neck sunk into his shoulders, and
with thoughtful eyes, he listened for hours
to this roar Of the sea, which seemed to come
from far, far away through the shell.
The winter was exceptionally damp and
cold, and did not again encounter Little
Gabunder the porch. The doctor had ex-
pressly forbidden them to let him go out.
From time to time saw him at the window,
one of the curtains of which was raised.
His eyes, sad and downcast, stared into va
cancy. and on the clear window glass his
thin fingers traced vague form of ships.
Then suddenly his glance would be fixed on
the easement where was making my obser-
yations, and, feeling that he was watched,
with timid gesture he would draw down
the muslin curtain. Towards the middle Of
March no longer saw him near the window
pane. His bones made him suffer more and
more, his too feeble legs could no longer carry
him, and his headaches were redoubled. He
now passed whole days lying on his little bed,
turning over for the hundredth time the
leaves of the picture book where were seen
the sea and the big ships with their white
sails. He had not given up the idea of his
journey. when will We got" be asked OF
his sister; and when the latter had explained
to him that they must wait for fine weather,
he replied in his sharp, thin voice, ut is
because am in hurry; | want to get well
quickly, very, quickly, SO as not to see you
cry any more y And he began to repeat to
himself the names of the towns through
which they would pass. He already knew
them by heart-C hantilly, then Clermont,
Amiens. Abbeville and OF last the sea.
"Once that we are yonder," said he, 81 am
sure that my bones will not pain me any
more" While waiting he wished to have
the big pink shell from the mantelpiece by
him. and, bis car placed against its pearly
valves, he listened attentively to the distant
noise of this sea that should deliver him from
all his suf'erings.
Towards Easter heard no longer the dull
rtrnbling of tho sewing machine. There
was no more working in the little home, and
yet a light from a lamp gliding one Of thu
windows well into tho night, showed that
they were always watching there near the
bed Of tho sick child. HE is much worse,
murmured the porters wife, pressing in
stinctively against her skirts chubby littl,
boy; the has not long to live. The poor SOU
lit viii be releasep
Ono morning passed under the porch 1
little coffin carried by two undertaker's mer
and followed by tho family. 1t was Littl.
Cab, who was at last setting out on his jour
ney towards the unfathomable sea OF the tin
known Translated from the French for TIL,
boston Transcript