The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-07
COBWEB.

VITA admirably pIanueu hltCueH anu
flower gardcns?"
NO" said l, laughing.
with an extensive view"
"Why, any one would think you were a
house agent, Cobweb," said smiling.
mo wonder, para. when I've bsen read
ing SO many advertisements. But do tell
tie: have you really found the place at
lastT'
81 have really. my dear-at least l think
So"
as it real Old-fashiOned country hOuse?"
"Yes."
'.Smothered in clematis and roses and
honeysuckle?"
Yes, and swarming with birds nests and
insects"
And with a regular great wilderness Of
garden?"
YES"
la viii h you can lose yourselt?"
les, aud in the wood, too.
"Whati is there a wood?"
"Acres OF it."
land plenty of fruit and fowers?"
Plenty 10 ma he you i'll and litter the
house"
And purply plums, and ruddy apples,
and 'tatOes, ana beans enough to supply &
Erocer's Store" l cried testify.
And it doesn't look new, and stiff, and
bricky; and isn't overlooked by the neigh
bors, who hang out washing; and there are
no organs, nor cabs, nor street-Singers ?"
No, no, no, no, child. It's Just what
you asked me 10 get-old, and ragged, and
picturesque, ana incunvenient, and damp,
and Uttered with leaves, and four miles
from any railway station; and now | hope
you're happy"
Oh, am. dear, dear, dear fathcr! she
criel, seating herself ON my knees and
nest ing her head on my shoulder
There, hold up your head" l said, land
look az me. Now tell me frankly. did you
ever see such weak, stupid old man in
your liieY
~ ike weak. stupid old men," she said
archly; and her eyes twinkled with merri-
ment and then sottened with tie tears that
stole into them.
Yes" said, "because you can tyran-
nize over them and do what you please with
them, aud made them your slaves like you
do NE. a pretty rig I've been running this
last two months To ind place you like-just
as II Madison ayenre wouldn't do. tell
You what, my lady. you'll have to take
pains TO make he comfortable down there,
for stall be as dull as lead"
No, You will not, pa dear" she said,
laughing aud then laying her cheek to mine.
Il am so, so glad You've made me SO
happy, for l was very tired of the city"
did not answer, but sat looking down on
bAlC oiANttAA pcoNuJ OilCEh tAAhI ODt u NY
hands ". uld keep strokiug, and at the long
yellow hair that had hung down over the
shoulders in waves, and in spite Of myself
a sigh escaped my lips.
Ruth-CObWeb. as l always called her, be-
cause she was so soft and dOWnY-staIted
up gazing earnestly in my face and then
kissed me very. very foudly.
Don't think abOutthe past, dear father"
she said sOftly-she always called NE father
when she was serious.
Cant help it, chic" said mournfully {;
and then seeing the tears gather in her eyes,
tried to be cheerful, and smiled as added,
Il have the future as well as tie past to
make NE sad, my dear"
She looked al me wonderingly, but did not
speak. and | sat there holding her little
hand to my Heart as thought Of the past.
and how ten years before, Just as business
was beginning to prosper with me, l was
left alone with the little fair-haiTed girl OF
eight, who found it so hard to believe that
her mother had been taken away never to
return, only to live in our memories. Aud
/ thought, too, Of how the years had fed
away, and | had become a wealthy man.
whose sole thought had been of the child |
had seen grown up TO maidenhOod, making
4 very idol Of her. yielding to her every
within and doing the most / could to spoil one
who never could be spoiled. For, with all
the accomplishments i have lavished upon
her, Ruth las grown up to be a notable lit
tie housewife, who disgusted our cooks by
going down into the Kitchen and making
my favorlte pudd ngs and tarts with her
own hands and generally behaving in what
the servants called an unladylike way.
And then l thought OF my other SORROW
the future-and pictured with an cgony I
cannot describe the day when | should have
TO resign my claims to another and be left
alone. desolate, broken old man.
l am naturally very common, hard and
busInessllke old man aud terribly selfish.
CohweD had woven herself so round my
heart that in my peevsh irritable way |
was never happy when home without she
was waiting on rue.
Cobweb was very quiet when she glided
down from my knee to her hassOck at nv
feet, aud was evidently thinking as much
as 1, and at last l frightened up, for a
thought had come to me with selfish kind
Of comfort.
She'll be quite away from any tempta-
tons to leave me, there, anyhow" l said to
myself rs l thought of tue 'at homes" and
balls TO which she was go often receiving
invitations.
This set me talking-fshing, as l called it
In MY great cunnng-tO see if there was
one Of the rocks ahead Of which l was in
dread.
How shall you be able to leave all your
tine friends parties aud setouts?" | said.
Oh. Pm tired of them alp abe said
clapping her hand
And gay cavaliers, with dandy airs and
muSlacntS, ana programmes.
la ha, ha J! she laughed merrily: and
then, as 1t seemed to me in my Jealous
watchfulness turning the subject, she began
to talk about the country place had taken.
A fortnight later and we were settled
down; and really. began to find the calm
and repose OF the country delicious. Cob
web was delighted, and constantly drag
ging me somewhere or another into the
grounds Of the pretty old place, where she
arranged garden seats in the snuggest,
shadiest spots for MY especial behoof.
AS have said there was q wilderness of
wood adjoining the garden, which the for
mer pOssessor had left in a state of nature,
saving that he had had the old footpaths
and tracks widened In their old winding
ways. carefully turfed, and dotted with a
chair here and there.
This was Cobweb's favorite place, and il
missed her out in the garden l knew ]
should find her here, with the sun raining
shower OF golden beams through the net
work OF leaves overhead. to dance and fla sh
among the waving tresses Of her long golden
hair.
One day l found her leaning on a dead
Dough which crossed an opening in the
wood. where all seemed of delicate twi-
hight green. She was listening intently To
tile song OF bird overhead, and as stopped
snort gazing at the picture before me said
to myself with sigh:
Ali that's bright must fadeI Nv darling
.
Time flies" L muttered, "and the winter
comes at last, with bare trees to the woods 8,
and gray hair and wrinkles to the old"
She caught sight of me directly. and the
next scene was changed, for / was listening
the next moment to her merry, happy voice
A day or two later / was in the CITY.
where l always went twice a week. for
could not give up business, it was part OF
my life-when an old friend dropped in, and
in the course Of conversation he said:
'By the way, Burrows, why don't YOU
have your portrait painted?"
"Bshl stuff What for?" l said.
"Well," said my old friend, laughing, 81
don't know. only that it would give poor
artist / know job; and, poor fellow, be
wants it badly enough"
bah! I'm handsome enough without
being painted" said l gruffiy. Then as
thought flashed through my mind-for
saw again the picture in the wood with Cob
web leaning on tie branch-"Stopa minute
Can he paint well?"
''Glorioasly."
"And is terriblp hard upY
Al .rrihlv mn faltom