Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1890-12-27

the whole household had rushed into |
the room, and then there was a great |
hubbub OF voices, and cries. and La |
mentations, but the only words that |
Norman heard was the piteous, my |
child, my child" that broke in a wild |
Shrek from his mothers lips.
Was Elsie dead?
They lifted her up softly from the |
floor. The blue eyes were shut, and
the little face was white except for the
stains of blood upon it, but Norman
heard her give one moan, and that
sound of pain was the first thing that
seemed to bring his own life back to
him.
He had never uttered word as they
came hurrying into the room. Some
of the servants began to question him;
one took him by the arm and shook
him roughly; but he neither moved
nor answered.
He only stood by his mothers side
This mother, who in her anguish never
spoke to him. clinging to her gown,
and grasping it tight in both his
hands.
"Oh, wish was dead! wonder if
l shall be able to die"
The poor young keart in it's misery
was passionately crying to itself.
1t was almost half an hour before a
doctor could be got, and when he
came they carried Elsie out of Nor
mans sight.
An hour later, the little blue-eyed
yellow-haired child lay quiet on her
bed, asleep, with her mothers hand in
hers.
And her mother, sitting at the bed
side, was looking at her with look
as if her heart wotld break sob, my
Elsie, whose little feet will never make
music on the floor again." she was
murmuring over her through her bitter
tears.
For Elsie was not dead, and did not
debut she was famed for life. The
shot had gone into her right leg lit
tie below the thigh, shattering it to
pieces, and the surgeon had had to
cut it of.
at might have killed her; let us
think how much more unhappy we
might have been" Mr.. Foster said.
as he held his wife in his arms, and
tried to comfort her. "If she lives we
can bear all the rest. Thank God!
Thank God!"
The father and mother were alone
together in Elsie's room; they had
neither of them yet spokento or even
seen Norman.
Where is he?" Mr.. Foster asked aft
er long while, and the poor mother
almost shuddered as she answered.:
81 don't knowl / know nothing
about him" she hurriedly said.
"Can you tell me where Norman is?"
he went out presently, and asked one
of the servants.
81 think he is in the garden sir" the
woman answered; and then Mr.. Fos-
ter went into tine garden and called
him. He knew that it was his duty to
see the lad and talk to him. Nor
man." he called loudly, but it was
only after he had repeated his name
twice that the unhappy boy came.
He came not daring to look into his
fathers face, and the father in silence
put his hand upon his shoulder, and
led him back into the house.
He took him into his study and
closed the door. 81 must punish him,
but how can l punish him?" he was
thinking to himself. ~ must speak
to him, but what can say?" 1t
seemed so useless, almost like mock
cry, to use words of ordinary rebuke
to him-ko treat him as if the feeling
towards him in his heart was one oil
common anger.
For a few moments he stood silent
with his hand still on Norman's
shoulder; then he tried to begin to
speak, but a knot came into his
throat, and the words would not
come There only came instead o.
them the sound of a great rising sob
The boy looked suddenly up in great
terror and anguish; he had never IL
his life before seen his father weep.
He looked up almost wildly into thu
white and quivering face, his own al
ouivering too; and then something al
at once swept away from each Of then
all anger and fear, and in their com
mon anguish they clasped each othel
in their arms, and on his fathers
breast the lad wept his heart away. ;
We learn by experience indeed; bu
how much the happiest are they WHIT
gather wisdom without her sharp ant
bitter teachingl
From the day on which he shot hi
little sister, Norman Foster was neve
, an entirely light boy again
How could he be wholly happy an!
more when his reckless play had takel
the light and gladness out of that 9th
err little joyous liteg
| The look of Elsie's shrunken face il
! her little bed seemed half to break hi
heart when he saw it first, the sight Q
; the two ittlecrutches she was to USE
) well, that took them all down. think
All of them at least, except Elsie her
! self.
| She looked at them with big, roun,
5 eyes, and laughed, and said it would b
| so funny to walk about on those tw
! sticks. "You walk with them now
Norman, and let me see, she called
!. eagerly, from her bed, where she wa
j propped up with pillows. But MOI
:. man did not do what she asked hin
1 He could not, but ran out oftheroor
: with great sob.
, She had become, even by that tim,
! the dearest thing in all the world t
!. him, and she remained dearer to hin
than all other people as long as
4 continued to live. This great swee