National Baptist world., 1894-09-21

Oh! COUSIN Hannah, she said, with
delight, Il think the country is SC
nice! There is such color in every
thing. The sky is so blue, and the
grass is SO green. and there are sc
many pretty flowers. Oh. everything
IS Just lovely! Do you care, Cousin
Hannah, if | pick some Of your flow
ers?' she asked, suddenly.
Il hain't got no flowers" she re
Piled. .'Them's wild what you see.
You're welcome to pick what we're
mind tew of them; but don't ye bring
any in here. I'm not goin' to have nv
haouse Uttered up with any sech
mess.'
Marguerite gave cry of delight and
sprang away; but Hannah instantly
called after her:
"Marg'ret! Marg'ret Come back
here! Ye've got t. eat naow or go
'thaout till noon. l amt goin' t have
no eatin' tween meals"
Marguerites buoyancy vanished in
an instant, and she came slowly back
to her breakfast. They ate for some
time in silence, and then Marguerite
asked, timidly:
"WSat makes you call me Marg'ret,
Cousin Hannah? Ny name is Mar-gue-
rect" she pronounced
That's French, | guess, for De Why
is French" replied Hannah, with one
of her shifts. 'Marg'rets English,
an that's good 'nough for me. I've a
great mind to call We Higgs, tew, seein'
as yere goin' to live here along II me. T"
"Oh! l don't think you ought 70,
Cousin Hannah" said Marguerite, re-
proachfully. ''De Why is my right
name. don't think Higgs is bad. It
was mammals name; but l don't think
she would like me called by it, Her
voice trembled in speaking of her
mother, and her eyes became fearful.
Hannah rose and began to clear the
table, rattling the dishes more than
necessary as she did SO.
You can go and git ye're flowers
naow," she said, shortly. Il don t
knows shall call We anything"
'My!" she continued, after Mar
guerite had gone .Haow her eyes
dew take hold of me! | don't knows
I'm goin' to be able to make aout as l
intended"
Every day there were hours how
ever, when she was very sad and very
lonely. She longed for the love and
sympathy which had been taken from
her. Sitting on some secluded, grassy
knoll, she would look away into the
deep, blue sky and wonder if her
a
the tears would come to blind her eyes,
and stretching out her arms she would
cry: Mamma, mammal" and sob as if
her heart would break. After this she
would return to the house and watch
Hannah about her work. Often she
begged to be allowed to help; but
declared that the child knew
about work, and that she her
self had no time to waste in showing
her. She generally wound up by say
ing:
<Oh, g'long an play with yer flow
ers. | can't have ye 'baout in my
way"
One afternoon, as Marguerite came
in very quietly she discovered her
cousin asleep in the rocking-chair All
the hard lines had gone out of Han
hah's face, leaving only something
which answered to yearning in the
child's heart, and which seemed to
1raw her irresistibly. Noiselessly she
tiptoed forward and softly put her
arms about the old womans bony
shoulders and breathed kiss upon the
sallow, weather-worn cheek. Despite
ler utmost care Hannah started.
Good land.' she cried, springing to
ler feet. What scare you give me!
Don't you ever, ever dew that thing |
ag'in!''
Marguerite was frightened beyond |
Measure, and turned and fed to her |
'oom. There she threw herself upon |
Ter bed and cried until sleep came and
'hut out all thoughts Of the cold world |
o which she had come.
But the effect on Hannah was re-
narkable. She had felt the softening |
Influences of the child ever since the |
irst moment, and now this stolen |
demonstration seemed to break up her
whole icy nature. So foreign to her,
however, was this new feeling that she
lnew not how to act. She could |
,ut seed cake on the table three times
day and offer them to Marguerite
vice at each NEAL she could tell the
title one that she might leave her
lowers in the house on rainy day, if
he would be careful not to make
nuss: but somehow she could not put
Ter arms about the child nor give any