Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-07-21
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THE STORY OF A SIN.

BY HELEN B. bfATUERS.

mo, no." she said, the red of her
cheek pressed to the warm white Of his
neck, L want to hear them"
Perhaps the man who believes in
nothing receives no greater shock to his
unbelief than when he hears his child
isping out at its mothers knee
Pity my simplicity,
Teach me how to come to Thee.
He would be less than human could he
detach those little folded hands, cloud
with doubt that innocent mind; as he
listens he must surely put himself in
the child's place, and, for one brief mo-
ment, believe.
And peese Gawd, don't send daddy
'ome till we'se bin cow5jping, 'cos cow
sips is nearly over, Amen" concluded
Dody; adding in the same breath, 20!
look at that little boy in your eyeS!"
us 700 going to ky?" he said in won
der; then, spying brown mole on her
beautiful neck. and thinking that it
was something that hurt her, he leaned
forward and pressed with devOut faith
his tender lips to it, ''tO make it we'll"
as she had now and again done for him
in his childish aches and bruises, and
for want Of which he had so often cried
himself to sleep.
'MadCap!" said a stern voice behind
them; and they turned aghast to see the
master of the house looking with a
froWn of strong disapproval at the
group.
"Off with you'll" he said, glancing
from one child to the other. for DOune
had just reappeared, bearing his BROTH
er's clothes; but the one stood notion
less, his broWs drawn into an absurd re-
production of his fathers frown, while
Dody, made desperate by vanishing
joys, actually dared to nod his small
head graVely at his father, and re-
mark
Us is going coWsiping WiZmummyl"
Next year, perhaps" said Mr.. Eyre.
dryly, and pointed to the door with a
gesture that neither child dared resist:
they ran to each other, and not daring
even to pause and kiss their mother,
clasped hands and tOttered down the
corridor, sODblng bitterly as they went.
Good morning, mas ami" said Mr..
Eyre, with trenchant emphasis, as the
sound of those little footsteps died
away, and still Madcap had not ad-
yanced a step to meet him.
Good morning, sir!" she replied,
Wiping a tear away with equal spirit.
And pray" said he, lis that tear
due TO my absence, or my return?"
ITO neither" she said sitting down
by the open window, and looking up at
the pale sky as if she sought and found
her Children's faces there.
so that's over" said Mr.. Eyre. as he
loosened his riding-cloak and threw it
aside.
what isl" said Madcap, looking
round.
NO more than [ can make shift to
live without" he said, as he sat down
at some distance, and stopped to I'M
faSten his spurs.
what could that have been?" said
Madcap, the mother in her eyes dWind-
ling to two SpeckS as she insenSibly ap-
preached him.
'Only sweetheart not much when
You get besotted mother in her place;
and then for the husband to object to
be sunk in the father of fine family
what follyl" And Mr.. Eyre detached
spur with avigOr worthy of the thought
1T isa beautiful character-a father"
said NladCap, shaking her head gravely;
but SomehOW-SomehOW you don't
seem to fit it!''
Not |, he said, grimly; ''such folly
is for mothers, not men,"
y es," she said, sitting down opposite
him: ayoung light shape with bare arms
crossed lightly on its knees, and upon
brow and lips something lOvelier far
than the childish dimpled beauty so
dear TO lovers heart; for mothers, like
me. Have you ever thought of it; that
must love them because-because [
am their mOther?'
He turned and looked at her keenly,
for the first time in his life consciously
regarding her as the mother of those
mere uncOnsidered trifleS that he called
his children.
AS idOliZed sweetheart, wife, friend,
and the little wild Madcap who, in
electing to dance through life to the
tune Of his own sober footsteps, had
come 10 him to
Fill all the stops of life with tuneful breath,
he knew her well; but this motherhood
there was to him nothing lovely or
sacred in it: on the contrary, a fierce
pang smote him as he realized that his
sole, undivided right to her was gone,
and that others had as great a claim
upon her as himself.
He Snatched her in his arms, as
though by sheer force he would keep
her still; then put her from him. and
heavily, with the fires of love suddenly
grown chill in his eyes, turned away.
''Ihere-gO, he said. Forty years
Of my life | managed to live without
you; the rest of my existence, as [ told
you but now, I'll exc out somehow"
For moment she Shrank from him
from this selfish virile love that swept
aside all, even duty, in it's course; then
with an instant recOil of feeling. the
woman's heart thrilled the mans ex-
acting devotion, and she approached
him softly.
Love has no second place." she said;
land could you live without me?" she
added, all the mother gone, and the
sweetheart's airs and graces in full
blow.
Indeed I could. It's living ,cith you,
and taking a second place, that l won't
endure"
''You might do worse,'' said Madcap
sadly, and uplifting to him two such
sweet mirrors of fatherhood as a man
might look in and find himself emo
bled, not dethroned.
''And better, he said. For instance,
he might breakfast" and he opened
the door as he spoke.
His will carried him across the thres-
hold; but flesh and blood is sometimes
stronger than iron. and somehow Mr..
Eyre found himself led back to chair
While Madcap, in mere accidental
way, seated herself on his knee.
And pray, ma'am," said he coldly,
what do you do here"
20! I'm used to it, )" she said, nodding,
as she chung to his coat lapel to save
herself from Slipping from the ungra-
eious support afforded.
Precisely" he said. Mere habit
duty-what you will-not a spark of real
inclination in, it-a chair would do as
well. Off with you, ma am, TO the nurs-
cry; there thread your daisy chains,
weave your cowslip balls, and be hap