Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-29
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of tenderness and warmth, which all who
knew her greatly wondered at.
Let me take her, miss" said Tom Con-
ly's wife; she's heavy, and you're not
used to babies"
Thank you. can manage very. well.
She clings to me. See!' And she did.
The little damp head had snuggled itself
away among the folds of silk and lace on
the lady's bosom, and the dimpled hands
were clasped around her neck with all the
touching confidence which a child gives
its mother
The dead bodies were buried from the
parish church, and those whose dwelt at
Breakwater will never forget the awfully
solemn spectacle.
The young girl-mother-her face calm
and beautiful as that OF saint-was laid
little apart from the rest in the village
burying-ground. Miss Archelaus had re-
quested that it might be So
The babe was the sole survivor Of the
wreck. From the broken bits of the YES
sci which drifted ashore it was ascertained
that she was called the Royal Charlotte,
and the Captains desk revealed the fact
that she was English, and had sailed from
Liverpool, bound for Charleston.
Miss Archelaus kept the child. Nothing
was known of its parentage, though all
were sure that its mother was dead.
Around it's neck was a slender gold chain,
to which was attached a broken gold coin,
and on the clasp of the chain was engraved
the name-'Zelia"
So the babe was christened leila, and
was formally adopted by Maud Archie
laus. Mr. Archelaus thought it was a
foolish whim of his daughter to keep the
Child, but he was an indulgent parent,
and never opposed Maud in any way. So
the little wait found home at Archelaus
Hall.
Maud trembled sometimes when she
realized how well she loved this child. 1t
almost :3C fnrt
or pleasure in anything but leila. And
her affection was fully returned The lit
tie girls love for her beautiful mother, as
she always called her, was strong and
deep, and undivided.
But Heaven never allows US to have
idols, and one day Zelia fell i'll. From the
first she told all who approached her that
she was going to die 1t was no use to
trouble the doctor to leave her medicine,
she said, in her quaint, unchild-like way;
she had passed beyond the help Of medi-
cine.
Maud hung over her in an agony Of grief
and despair; crying out to Heaven not to
take away her little blessing; begging and
pleading with leila not to go and leave
her alone.
The fifth day the disease reached crisis.
The sympathizing physician remained
through the night, watching with Miss
Archelaus the faint respiration of the suf-
fering child.
1t was near midnight when leila was
relieved from all pain, and Maud grew
wild with hope.
my darling, you will Iivel you will
liver' she cried, gathering the already
chill form into her arm.
Zelia turned her fast-glazing eyes fondly
upon the anxious face Of this one dear
friend.
Don't weep" she said quietly; cit hurts
leila. | have asked God to send somebody
to comfort you, and He promised me. At
ter while you will not miss your little
leila. | am going to my mamma. She
came last night and spoke to me. She had
blue eyes. and hair like sunshine. Good
By, dear Mamma Maud; l see the golden
gates Opening!'
The lips fell apart. the rapt eyes closed,
and Miss Archelaus, like one in fearful
dream, suffered the physician TO lead her
from the room where the dead child lay.
After the little coffin was put into the
grave, and the others had gone away,
Maud fingered. There was something
sacredly dear about the place. She stood
by. and saw the old sexton heap the fresh
earth high above the cold form of her
darling, and then he, too. went away, and
Maud was alone.
1t comforted her to sit there by the new
gr, We, and so she remained. How long,
she did not know: she took no heed of
outward things until startled by step at
her side, and, looking up, she saw the tall
figure and bronzed, bearded face of q
stranger
you uot BID me welcome homer" and held
out his hand.
She knew the voice; it was that of Ken
meth Lerond. At any other time she
would have swept haughtily past him, but
now her heart was softened and subdued.
She reached out her hand and touched
his
low
you will understand it when tell you that
leila was my child"
Your child!' she exclaimed in amaze
ment Il do not comprehend you"
sit down here by her side with me, and
will tell you. 1t is fitting that the story
that you have buried her beside some 9TH
er-was it her mother?'
Eyes. At least, we thought so. They
We're washed ashore together"
You will forgive me for alluding to the
past, Miss Archelaus. l know the subject
Azelia Mayne. Only my fancy was touch
ed-my heart was yours, then, and always.
l Wearied of her almost Immediately, but
you were cold and distant Your hauoht-
mess drove me from you; was sure that
you had ceased to care for me- married
her, and In doing so l did her a great
wrong. L carried her beyond the seas, so
that | might avoid the chance of ever
meeting you. For, Maud, notwithstand-
ing everything, l never ceased to hold
you dearest of all. l thought I would
make her happy, and tried to, in lstless
SORT OF way, which never yet won wo-
mans affections. I failed. l think that
before she had been my wife a year, she
would have given hclf her life to have been
free.
Looking back upon it now, I cannot
blame her so much that she sought the
1rNx-n of Il
and earnest. He did not chill her with a
lukewarm sentiment of affection, worse
than the most utter Indifference to one of
her imprisoned organization But be-
fore SHE lost herself for George Argaud's
love, our child was born-our little leila.
hoped much from the holy influence of
the mothers love which comes to every
woman who has child to cherish l can
not tell you how | worshipped leila.
was never content when she was out of
my presence.
DO you know the punishment of idola-
try? Every idol shall be broken. So was
mine taken away from me. l returned
home one day from weeks absence,
frantic to embrace my child | found nv
home deserted Both wife and child were
gone! Azelia had fled with her lover, and
they had taken my darling with theml
For more than year l sought to OBJ
tain trace of them, but in vain. Acct
dent at last revealed what 1 wanted to
learn. They had sailed for America on
the ship Royal Charlotte. And at the
same time learned the dread tidings that
the ship had been wrecked, and every soul
had persisted"
What proof have you that leila was
you childs" asked Maud
The proof of my own feelings, now that
stand by her grave! And if that is not
enough l have still another There is the
other half of the broken coin, which she
wore about her neck. l placed it there
noI to- oh al.