Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-04-01
A rIOther'S MiStake.



closing the door Of the room where
she kept the precious souvenirs of
her boy, she followed her husband to
the dining room. Everywhere the
bowed shutters kept out Gods sun
light, and the house was as dark and
gloomy as If n corpse awaited burial
there.
Awed by the fathers grave face, the
mothers look of woe, the children ate
silently, gladly scrambling down and
escaping to Mamie and the nursery
when the dinner was over.
Come, Susy," Fred said, "I can
afford to take few leisure hours to-
day. / will get a carriage, and we
will take the children out. A run on
the seashore will do MS all good, for
the weather is getting hot"
ooh! Fred, drive me to Greenwood.
1t is nearly month since we were
there"
"Well, as you wish, "said Fred, pity
ing the pale face and really fearing
that he was growing heartless. "We
can take the children down to Bath
afterward."
Nearly month after the day de-
scribed, which was fair specimen of
the days preceding it for six long
months, silyer-haired old lady sat
knitting in cheerful sitting room.
In sleeping room beyond a lady lay
upon the bed, resting after an excit-
ing talk, weary with crying and half
sleeping.
While the old lNdyplied her needles
with her sweet, placid face clouded by
some troubled thought, Fred Aiken
came into the room.
"Oh!" he said, kissing her fondly,
''you always look cheerful here,
mother"
81 am glad You still love your old
home, Fred" was the reply.
"Yes. Have you seen Susy to-
day."
"5he was here this morning, and
.---"
elias she told you am going to
accept Russell's offer and take the
California branch of the business?"
"She said you thought of it. But,
Fred, I hope you will think better of
it. You are doing well here, and your
first duty is to your own home"
81 have no home"
erred, you shock metz
"There is funeral vault up town
where live" was the reply, "but the
home / had there is gone. / have
been patient, mother, as you advised
me. / have not said one harsh word
10 Susy. / respected her sorrow and
tried to comfort her, but tell you
frankly that l shall become insane
il | do not get away. 1t is useless for
me to tell you that / loved my boy, my
little Willie, as fondly as ever father
loved Il son. l grieved for him sim
cevely, but after my first shock of
pain was over / thought of him safe
in Gods care, happy, released from
all the SORROWS of this life, and was COM
iorted. God has left me my wife, my
two noble boys and my own home,
health and strength. 1t seemed to me
monstrous and wicked to see no light
or hope in life because babe had
returned to Heaven pure and spotless.
But Susy would not see the loss in
this light. 1t became her religion to
mourn for her baby ceaselessly and
hopelessly. She Rugged her grief
to her heart till the whole world was
dark, and would hear no word of COM
fort"
Have you told her what you have
just told me of your own source Of
comfort|
cover and over again, but she only
sobs more pitifully because do not
share her feelings, You advised me
to be patient, to let time carry its
healing to her. have been patient,
Int | am losing my own powers of
usefulness in the dreary atmosphere
OF my once pleasant home. My boys
are growing pale and thin in the un-
natural suppression of their baby
spirits. Susy has actually persuaded
them that it is S in to romp, to make
q noise or laugh, and / have seen Ed
die put his finger on his lip and say
to Charlie:
Don't laugh! You forget baby
bruzzer.
Fred"
~ assure You do not exaggerate.
The house is like prison. Every
room is kept darkenei, and the whole
atmosphere is heavy and actually chilly
in this glorious summer weather.
Susy nurses her sorrow till it is be-
coming monomania."
Cannot you coax her out?"
SSha will fro nnwha l,ut 70 Graan