Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-06-02

a woman in early middle age, who had
lost both husband and children, and so
J understood little Madcap, who now oc-
cupied her new nurseries opposite Mr..
: Eyre's bedroom, so that he could see
| her at any moment, whether he cross
. ed to her, or she to him.
. Where he had laid his life down. three
!, years ago, he now took it up, without
; a lost stitch; nothing was omitted CT
forgotten, and when he took his place
on the bench with his brother magis-
trates it was with admiration that they
welcomed him.
He had done amiss, but in their
thoughts they had wronged him. and
the Dukes example was not to be
gainsaid; while those who had a sec
ret sin or two on their consciences
felt the more wormly to him. as one
who had vicariollsly borne their punish
ment, so that the attitude of the whole
country was friendly, land a consider
able surprise to Mr.. Eyre. This was
the second time he had rehabilitated
himself in his worlds esteem; and
Colonel Busby, standing aloof. unused
to some purpose On the folly of human
nature, though to very little effect on
his own.
His curiosity was so Unsuitable that
he could not give up visiting at the
Red Hall, and so consenting to the
iniquity of Mr.. Eyre's presence among
his peers; but he found little enough
to reward his investigations there
Mr.. Eyre'S life was that of a simple,
everyday copntry gentleman of large
estates, who devoted all his spare
time to a little daughter; SO that often
you would meet the pair on foot, or
even on horseback, she ON the saddle
before him, with the reinS in her
hands Cough he held them too, and
delighted with the fancied skill that
! urged on or restrained the favorite
black that Mr.. Eyre invariably rode
They came to be a familiar enough
sight in the village, where Mr.. Eyre
had been rarely seen, save by his Wife's
side; and the women pitied and the
men forgave him the past as, day by
day. he went among them, always with
the little child, whom he led carefully,
and not as ignorant or needless mothers
do, suffering them to fall into danger;
receive her when she showed fatigue;
and in all this no touch of ridicule at
tached itself to this stern proud man.
She was so fearless, and his own
fiber was SO strong in her, that any one
but he might have taken her courage
! for obStinacy; but he knew better and
by no restraint or harShnesS would
have shaken feather from the crown
of independence that sat SO well upon
her baby broWS. For when the child
| came to him in the depths Of his des-
pair, he got 4 glimpse of a life beyond
as streak of light ON the ocean will
show to one who stands in the dark
ness ON q stormtossed promotory; and
beyond Himself he saw something for
which he might live, while for himself
he could only die.
Here was the aftermath Of his life,
as the furze cropped by the lambs in
spring bursts out defiantly in golden
autumn blossom, delighting the gaZer
with unexpected riches, and knowing
itself secure from any such second
destruction. By the time little Mad
cap was grown up, the story Of her
/
gotten; and us he had shielded her
mother from that Knowledge, So he
would make shift to shield her dau@ht-
CT after her.
Already he was used to the strong
fresh current of healthy life that
child brings with it, already he was
learning the unselfishness that a childs
daily presence teaches one, adm by de-
beauty and preciouSness of the Child
rens kingdom that is ever among us,
and by which we might keep our hearts
pure and undefiled, would we but enter
it Oftener.
For in the love for little children is
no passion, only a yearning tenderness,
through which the universal the only
the only true love is learnt; and those
who watched Mr.. Eyre said that the
will of the man was learning Submis-
sion to his Maker through lbs heart
and that by the hand Of little child
was he being led back to God.
! For every Sunday you would see the
pair in church, though in his wifes life
time he had not gone there a score
of times, and this regularity of atten-
dance had been inaugurated by the
little one herself in those first days
when Mr.. Eyre was entirely her slave.
Bells going-church time," she had
said standing still to listen, the first
Sunday morning after Mr.. Eyre's re-
turn. Come along" she added, pull
ing at his hand; and so they went
through the village together, past the
older Madcap's grave and Franks fresh
one, appalling the Sanctimonious and
rejoicing the villagers by the unortho-
dOXy of their appearance.
I think that most of us are conscious
of Il desire sometimes to be able to go
back to traditions and beliefs of our
youth. .... "A line from an old hymn,
! the turn of a aforementioned tune
Will for a moment renew in us devout,
unqueStoning faith of our early years,
so that we return to our everyday life
with the curious sense of it's worthless
ness and our shame. And as a man
who thrusts a cup Of healing from his
lips, crying out that he loathes though
he has never tasted it, so until now
Mr.. Eyre had disliked childrcn-those
crystal shapes that, so long as we do
not try to cats them to our own mold,
keep their divine freshness. $3.50. His
books became stale to him beside this
fresh and exquisite page of childhood,
over which he gathered fresh draughts
CT strength and happiness as he read
To hear her sing, in that little, pute,
thin sweet voice unlike anything else