Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-02
ONE THING LACKING.
The Home Was Not Complete Until the
Husband and Father Came.

Husband and Father Came.
The lamp is shaded, the blinds drawn,
the fire Just enough to take the chill of
the evening air The evening paper is in
willingly opeu The cat has clambered down
out of the vines, where she has been play
ing hide and seek for half an hour,
stretches and curls her back in front OF the
fire and curls herself upon the rug. Like
all her kind she has found the softest spot
upon it. There is something lacking; the
interior is not complete. The mistress of
the house is evidently impressed with this
idea. She fits in and out until strong
draft closes door with 4 bang that fore
bodies rain. The sound warns the mis-
tress, the windows throughout the house
are examined, and when the mistress re-
enters the room there is a flash and down.
pour that causes the cat to rise suddenly,
yawn, cape around in very human fash
ion. and, after glancing furtively at her
mistress, mount to the tete-a-tete. Is it to
be out of harms way? What is it, then?
Mark her composure now as she snuggles
her head between her paws.
Whewl II is searching storm; it tears
at the shutters and rattles the blinds. The
mistress involuntarily laces her fingers,
and now we know what 1t is that is missing.
A sound-a familiar souud-comes from an
inner room. The mistress disappears once
more, and when she re-enters her face Is
TRANSPORTED. Apprehension, perplexity,
has been succeeded by the most beautiful
expression that has ever lit up the human
face-a mothers joy. She kisses the babe,
prinks its sleeves its collar, its waist; from
a ruffied look the drapery has been trans
formed into graceful flowing lines in keep
ing with the mothers tasteful attire
Now there is Il cooling between the moth
err and child. The babe, year old, is art
full. 1t bends its head, losses its arms and
finally kicks up its heels as it is smothered
with kisses. The play goes on-until the
mother looks at the clock. Her husband
is fifteen minutes later than the longest
interval between the train time and his
step on the door. The fifteen minutes are
prolonged to half an hour. The babe lies
looking up into its mothers sober face
now; the mother is wondering what keeps
her husband. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES shad-
ows, but nevertheless clearly enough de-
fined to cause concern-hit through the
mothers mind.
And now wondering round face, half
concealed by masses of curls, appears at
the door. There is a chubby finger in
very red mouth. The big blue eyes look at
the table, then at the mistress. Then
girl with one shoe on and one in her hand
glides before the fire. The mother starts.
Bessie! l thought you were asleep" 81
walked. Where's my pap" Diplomacy, we
are told, is a creation Of the courts. Hum
bugl Diplomacy was first resorted to by
Mother Eve to quiet too inquisitive child.
The questions Bessie propounds are like an
endless chain or apron-one grows right
out Of the other, like the drawers that
Pantaloon pulls out of the table in the
pantomine.
The cat comes down from the tete-a-tete
and rubs against the half bare leg of the
four-year old Bessie-again-why the half
bare leg, but it is fact. 1t puts its nose
up to her hand and is pushed rudely away,
because Bessie is sullen; she wants her
papa. An hour has elapsed. The babe is
silent, Bessie pouting and the mother alert,
listening for the football that has never
failed to meet her ear since they occupied
the house.
A stronger blast shakes the door; the
limbs of the elm rub the side OF the house;
a dreary night outside, a silent night in
side. There is peculiar sound, like the
wind blowing the gate-nol there is foot
step on the porch, the hall door is flung
wide open and closed as quickly; man
strides into the room drenched to the skin.
This is the thing that was wanting. De-
spite the dripping clothes, his calculations
and protestations. as Bessie runs to him,
he is seized, taken possession of by the
wife and child.
The room seems to have new life in it,
from the mistress to the cat briskness is
the order of the hour. Ten minutes later
the outside world is forgotten; there is
only one world, and that is inside of the
room where the babe. Bessie, their mother
and the cat is-so far as the man is con-
cerned.-Pittsburg Bulletin.