Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-09-15
BOOK II.
REAPED.
CHAPTER I,
BY HELEN B. hATHERs,
A~AL LIN IL
Forlornly brave.
~ IL Il

ness and color, and as she drew one of
or those azure trails across her lips,
realized, as she had never done before,
the lesson of happiness that the flowers
teach us year by year.
They say to US land it is a message
from God they speak, if only we could
understand it). I'VE Withered and died
last year. but we have come back again
to you; and SO will joy, but you must
wait for it, as 1Ce have waited long, but
struggled into the light at last" And
to the heart that can feel this outward
influence, there is no death possible; it
will rejoice where religion would bid it
mourn, and in WOrshiping its Creators
works, will forget itself.
AS one who has died ignorant, and
Wdkened to the value of what it form
erly held cheap $50 Lazarus may have
found elements Of grandeur in Martha's
much serving when he again Joined the
home circle, as he must have seen with
clearer eyes Martha'S beauty and help
IesSness), MadCap, in the vigorous re-
bound from crushing blow, had sprung
to keeness of content in her everyday
existence that made precious the COM
mOneSt incident of everyday home life,
where all was her own, not stolen from
another Woman's store Of happiness, or
snatched at with a sense that hunger
lmpended over the next moment, yet
so wildly new that her husbands step
thrilled her as when he had been first
her lover, and her childrens voice
sounded sweet in her ears as when they
first faltered her name.
She heard herself softly called by one
of them at that very moment, and look
ing round, saw DOdy peeping at her
from behind tree, coaxing her with a
small forefinger to approach.
~ S is going Annoying, mummy" he
said in a whisper; twill 700 come too?"
To maying, my sweetheart" she
said, Its too late for maying."
'OI no, mother" said DOune, who
had come up; its real one, only
they've got lilac and things instead of
may. and it's just as pretty. [ heard
Josephine tell the black lady so yester-
day."
Madcap started up, and forgetting
that she had promised not to leave that
corner Of the garden on which Mr..
Eyre's study gave for he could not
write, he said, if on looking up now and
then she were not within sight. slipped
behind the bush that had screened the
little brothers from their father, and
putting an arm round each, asked them,
between the kisses that even in her
hurry she could not rot
What black lady, and where did you
see her?"
''S'pose she thought it was grandpas
funeral every day." said Doune, practi-
cally. I'VE met her in the COpSe, moth
er, and she is as fond of kissing Dody
as you are
'EAnd her ky-ond ~ said Dody,
shaking his head sadly. ''Sink dat'5
the poor 'ooman daddy'S been punish
ing-eh, mummy"
mo, mol" cried Madcap, passionate
ly. And were you kind to her, Dody?"
she added, taking the child9s lovely
flushed face between her hands.
20! yes, > he said, nodding; me told
her not TO ky, and kissed her; but me
couldn't call her mummy, 700 know; you
is mummy" and he patted her face
fondlv.
"Josephine's waiting for us at the
gate, and daddy'S gone to sleep" said
DOuue, taking his mothers hand to lead
her away; and seized by sudden i'm
pulse, for which her youth perhaps was
accountable, Madcap went away with
them across the garden to where the
nurse waited.
Mr.. Eyre had laid no commands on
her going out, or coming in, nor had he
enforced her promise with regard to
ITS ltl, Je Ildu SlIDDIN I6llupIGu any
meeting between the two women inn
poss bic by never letting his wife out of
his sight. But to-day. the strange oc-
currence had befallen him of falling in
to sudden dead sleep as he sat at his
table, the result, probably Of those
waking nights that had lately fallen to
his lot.
Josephine started and colored as her
mistress apprOaChed-a close observer
would have said guiltily, if the facile
French face were permitted by its own
er to express deceit-but she answered
composedly enough that the maying
was a mile beyond the village, and then
waited for the children to be given over
to her charge.
But with four little eager hands pull
ing at her two more than half-wilIing
ones, the garden seemed to Madcap a
dull enough refuge 10 return to, and she
permitted herself to be dragged through
the gate that opened on the cOpse (Jhe
only egresS from the house save through
the villageG and step by step the great
er length OF it, till suddenly, all flushed
with rOmplnC aud happiness, she came
to the very spot where she had kneeled
by Hester, and heari her story.
Me so tired" said Dody, sitting
down on the grass, as MaIcap paused
and claSped both hands to her heart
Come and sit on my knee, mummy
he aided, patting a tiny lap invitingly.
Tired already?" cred Madcap, for
getting Hester, and thinking that she
saw a shade OF unusual paliOr on the
little beloved face.
'Ol no, ma'am," said Josephine
whose rule in life it was ALWAYS to tell
a lie when the truth was not pleasant:
"'but he is so fond Of this cOpse. and
will always sit down just her3"-then.
with her usual tact. withdrew little.
and affected to busy herself over a scrap
of work she took from her pocket.
Madcap stood for moment LOOKING
around. then, yielding TO DOdy's en-
treaties. sat down with him beside her.
while DOune, tired ont with his search
after birds'neSts, came to her side, and
leaned his head to her shouIdar-a rare
sign of tenderness in the boy, and one
that brought the color to Madcap's
cheek. Does mothers love for her
child lie in the JOY, the delight he is to
her, or IS it something entirely indie
pendent Of the return he may make to
her in kind? For long while the word
mother carries no significance with
it to his mind; he loves her as some
thing tenderer, gentier to him than any
other, but he would be equally happy
Swith any one equally devoted. ; II
even when he begins to understand. the
vigorous StrlVIngS of lite lmpeI HIM TO
escape from her arms; it is in the in
FREQUENT careSS, the unexpected kiss.
that the mother finds her reward. when.
without her bidding, he will run to her
and clasp his little arms about her