The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-07-03

tude.
Monsieur, permit me to persuade you
to come away. Poor little child! she is
free from pain now. Her fancy that you
were her father was fortunate delusion
for her. 1t made her last moments
happy. Pray come with mel can see
this has been a shock to your feelings"
Revefently 1 laid the fragile corpse
back on the yet warm pillows.
With a fond touch stroked
the flaxen head; 1 closed the dark, up
turned and glazing eyes-I kissed the
waxen cheeks and lips, and folded the
tiny hands in an attitude Of prayer.
There was grave smile on the young
dead face-a smile of superior wisdom
and sweetness, majestic in its simplicity.
Assunta rose from her knees and laid her
crucifix on the little bresst-the tears
were running down her worn and with
cred countanance. As she strove to wipe
them away with her apron, she said
tremblingly:
''It must be told to Madams." A
frown came on the doctors face. He
was evidently true Britisher,
enough to declare them openly.
1ES, NC sdiO 4hddahds &c
you call her, should have been here"
THE little angel did not once ask for
her," murmured Assunta
True" he answered. And again
there was silence. We stood round the
small bed, looking at the empty cssket
that had held the lost jewel-the flaw
less pearl of innocent childhood that had
gone, according to graceful supersti-
tion, to ornament the festal robes of the
Madonna as she walked in all her
majesty through heaven A profound
grief was at my heart-minghed with a
sense OF mysterious and awful satisfac-
ton. felt, not as though had lost my
child, but had rather gained her TO be
more entirely mine than ever. She
seemed nearer TO me, dead, than she had
been when living. Who could say what
her future might have been? She would
have grown to womenhood-whatt then?
What is the usual fate that falls to even
the best women? Sorrow, pain and
petty worry, unsatfs1ea 1ongines, Incom-
pleted aims, the disappointment Of an
imperfect and fettered life-for say what
you will to the contrary, womsn's inferi-
ority to man, her physical weakness, her
inability to accomplish any great thing
for the welfare Of the world in which she
lives, will always make her more or less
an object Of pity. If good, she needs all
the tenderness, support and chivalrous
guidance of her master, man; il bad, she
merits what she receives, his pitiless dis
dain and messureless contempt From
all dangers and griefs of the kind my
Stella had escaped-for her, sorrow no
longer existed / was glad Of It, !
thought as watched Assunta shutting
the blinds close, as signal TO outsiders
that death was in the house At q sign
from the doctor / followed him out OF
the room On the stairs he turned
round abruptly and asked:
'Will you tell the Countess?"
81 would rather be excused, replied,
decisively. II am not at ali in the humor
for Q scene"
"You think she will make a scene?''
he said with an astonished uplifting OF
his eyebrows II dare say you are right
enough! She is an excellent actress"
By this time we had reached the foot
of the stairs.
, ''she is very beautiful" I answered
evssively,
oh, veryl No doubt Of thatr' And
here z arrange frewn contracted the