Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-10-26
- 1872
AT LAST.

your time watching that bush. Do you
expect golden leaves to put out suddenly
from the almost withered stalks:''
Hush, ssaid Paula. Il want to see what
comes into the parlor of this poor hungry
little spider
And, To- fat wiggling thing, thing
without wings that might have helped the
wiggling q bit, fell from somewhere above
just into the stronghold of Paulas protege!
The girl was all excitement. See, :"
she cried, show patience is rewarded! l
shall take it for a sign and believe that the
rain must soon fall, the grass grow green
again, the COW yield better measure and
the flowers that paid so well while since,
yes, the flowers bloom again How empty
the luck box is, to be sure.' she whis-
pered. And wee Nannie's fever running
so low And the flowers all promised for
the next weeks night when the fine ball
comes off at the red house. Little spider,
little spider, help me pray for the good
fortune that will bring things right!'
And her mood changing swiftly she cried
TO herself, but not so that wee Mamie
should hear. No one heard nor saw but
the spider hidden away in the spider bush
and swelling, swelling, even to his legs,
from the luscious repast which the wig
Cling thing furnished.
Angry Margheretta had left Paula to
her strange Idle way" Better take to
her needle. She can sew when she Ills,
and times are growing worse and worse.
can't think what is to come of those two,
and the little one falling so fast. What
ever made them come away to this strange
land to die? Father, mother and now wee
Mamie, for where are the wine and tho
broth to be got that will strengthen her to
fight the fever, and Paula SO heedless|'
Then, relenting, But such a brave heart,
too, and so, so bcautiful!'
Paula was so hopeful so full of her new
fancy. The loss of sleep with wee Mamie
the night before seemed to have left no
trace of WEAKNESS. She felt that her play
mate, her dear little sister, must get well.
She had so long withstood this fever
And so all day she watched the cloudless
sky, believing that the rain spcck would
come, and toward evening wee Mamie
grew restless, but only for a little while
Paula watching her, saw sudden twtch.
ing of the lips and stiffcning OF the limbs
"Margheretta, she cried, and when the
nurse mother came Paula raised her hands
imploringly, Il dread questioning in her
eyes. For Paula had seen father and
mother die, and the clammy GOODNESS
which now began to creep, creep slowly
up wee Nannie's feet chilled also the hope
in Paula's heart.
The rain fell steadily for three days
Maybe it soaked down through the ground
and into where the worn little body and
prcttily made froclI were put away. 1t
came not too late to save Paula S flowers
but somehow she forgot even to look after
them. The money they brought had been
for wee Mamie, and now
The sun came out, and the blossoms
seemed laden with jewels. Paula did not
sec; the tears were so thick before her
eyes. But Margheretta had been into the
empty lardcr. When the footman from
the red house came down to say he wanted
all the flowers now open, and would the
young lady bring all She could gather for
the ball, two days hence, Marghcretta
gave ready assent I'VE must live" she
told Paula, and looking at the old nurse
through her tears, Paula echoed YEARLY:
Yes, we must live. Oh, little sister,
little sister, why could not you|' she
cried and; going out into the night, which
was coming on, she crouched under the
spider BUSH When her tears were spont,
she sat there still, looking up mt the stars
and pondcring the loving words that ia
thcr, mother and wee Mamie were even
now speaking of her, and she seemed to
feel how they pitied her loneliness down
there.
A tiny thing crawled down her hair and
bpp a bSpntl(r Sbp ipr
hand to crush it. The spider seemed to
spring aside, alighting upon the back of
her wrist, and as her eyes in the starlight
fell upon her small companion u tender
recollection of how she had spoken Of it TO
the little sister caused her tears to flow
afrcsh.
Tho spider passed over a bridge of his
own making back to the little corner,
where he could safely blink down upon
his grieving friend, who seemed noG to
know that the thing best to do was still
Ito wait.
Before the sun had power to wilt them
Paula gathered her wealth Of blooms and
carried them on that morning of the ball
up to the grand red house on the hill. She
toilcd slowly up, not noticing tall, stern
looking old man in the path confronting
her until the deep tones of his voice sound
ed close to her ear
"Your burden is fair to look upon and
most fragrant, but in few short hours
they wither. Are they to deck the rooms
for tonight's empty mirth? Come again
tomorrow, young girl, and look at your
garlands. And he laughed harshly as he
moved aside to let her pass.
Frightened and hurt Paula frightened
her hold upon her basket and sped up the
path, but only for few steps. Something
seemed to turn her and lead her back to
the bitter old man. She lightly touched
him on the arm II will come, sir to-
morrow morning. viii you meet me here?
Something hurts you sorely that you turn
upon my flowers. Oh, sir, they cannot
help it any more than could my poor little
spider!' She looked so tendcrly brave,
not shrinking from the bent brows of the
naughty, disappointed old man, only wist
fully regarding him. And it was so new.
this pity for him that shone in the soft
gray eyes. So long he had stood alone in
his pride, steeling his heart as lifc's disap-
pointment, disgrace, death and doubt in
the honor of mankind followed fast upon
his footsteps.
Wealth he had but the fawning flattcry
of the sycophaut sickened him of it. The
butterfly life of those about him, living in
the moment, were the theme of his con-
slant satire, but here was this child of ma
ture, poor and in deep distress, and she