The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-08-07

said the mother, and her voice was an
infinitely tender carcss. She did not
praise him, but he saw an approval in
her eyes too great for words.
''I'm not much hungry, mother" he
said. sI'll get the tubs filled, so we
can go to work when y're ready
When the poor meal was prepared he
came in and ate few bites in silence.
The food cholxed him when he looked at
his mothers care-worn face. Suddenly
as they sat at the table, the father cried
out wildly in the other room, and the
wife ran in and they heard her strug-
Cling with him. The children grew
still and the little waif looked fright
ened and perplexed.
SIT was right up there on the ceilin'r'
cried the man; fright up there an it
had green eyes and red-forked tongue!
1t was an awful snake, Lucy, and it
jumped down onto me an got round my
neck an was chokin' me! Oh, it was
chokin' me!''
Paul got up and, lifting the little girl
lin his arms, looked at the children
meaningly, and they fsollowed him out.
He placed his delicate burden on a
bench in a sunny place down by the
wall, and, asking Carl to watch them
while they played, he went back to
help his mother. She came into the
roC.n as he entered. 1t struck him to
the heart, she looked SO worn and pitt
full.
"He's sleeping again." she whispered.
"Don't you go in where he is, Paul, un-
less call you; perhaps the spell won't
come on him again
The boy turned aside and sat down
before the fire, and began drying his
wet and clinging clothes. The woman
went slowly about her work, and
sounds from the children playing in the
sunshine came floating in.
The two did not talk; some question
touching the little stranger, who she
could be, and through what mysterious
ebbed through their thoughts, but they
had no heart to speak of it, The chill
dren might gambol on the grass, with
the deep indigo sky above and the
fragrant rain-washed air coming
through the pines and filling them with
zest, but to these elder two the very at
mosphere seemed thick and stagnant
with the curse that lay upon the family.
After a time the woman finished
washing the poor, cracked dishes and
went out, and the boy reused himself
and stirred YEARLY about. He felt
stiff and heavy, much as if he were
partly numb in body while his mind
was painfully wide-awalSe. He found
his mother putting the tubs in position
under the shed, getting them ready at
once for work.
'Mother, ye amt fit to-" pleaded the
boy. "Ye amt fit to work; ye didn't
sleep none last night, I know ye didn't.
See, y're all of tremble now, mother;
can't we wait till tomorrow"
"We have nothing to eat in the house,
Paul." she said. ''We must get these
mill-clothes done an get something to
feed the children. Your father may
have to have some medicine, too," and
her lips trembled.
The boy could have cried out against
the whole world in his bitterness, but
he shut his teeth hard, and, putting the
water-yoke across his shoulders, went
down to the spring.
He felt bruised and sore from his hard
work on the face of the cliff, and came
back slowly. His mother was not at
the tubs, but he heard her soothing the
poor man in the hut, the sounds being
mingled with pitiful cries. He sprang
to the door and waited. But she did
not call him, and in a little time she
came out. She was breathing hard and
went unsteadily and sat down on the
bench by the tubs.
81 guess he won't be bad like he is
sometimes" she painted, because he
goes off to sleep so quick. It's not
much more than bad dreams, think"
"Why can't ye let me go in an help
We, mother?"
''He might hurt you, Paul. You know
what he did to you once. never could
bear to see you near him since when
he's bad. He won't hurt me, no matter
how wild he may be. He's kind, you
know. Paul, only when the drink takes
away his mind. You mustn't feel i'll to-
wards him, dear, for he's doing himself
more harm than anyone else"
Eyes, mother" said the boy; "Tll try
not to feel hard towards him." and his
lips trembled with feeling.
AS the day advanced the father ceased
to leap up from the awful shapes that
peopled his sleep, and sinking deeper
and deeper in slumber lay as if he
might never wake. The child slept
T.. 4 4l,a