Iron County register., 1899-08-31

|
And now a little wind and shy
scattered the apple blossoms over
the path, and the Sunday silence
was broken by clear child voice
To Dorcas such sound was as the
| skirl of the pipes to a Highlander
in far country; her heart beat
quick and her cheeks grew redder, and
she rushed out to see who ''was a-com-
| ing;" for Dorcas had put away four
in the ''cemetrary" on the Peterborough
road, and one had 1ived to be four years
old Besides, to let anyone pass the
| Blue House without "givin' of 'em
| good day" was a thing she had never
done-''not once in 20 years" So she
laid her Bible on the chair. covering it
with a clean white handkerchief. and
| crossed the few feet of garden which
lay between her cottage and the towing
path
\ sturdy little boy. in REFER coat and
| muffin cap. with round, fresh little face.
and cheeks pink as the petals of the
| apple blossom nearest the calyX. danced
/ with excitement on the bank as he
watched his father gathering some yell
| low flags which grew at the waters
| edge The attendant father-parents
/ and such were always secondary con-
| sideration with Dorcas-was not very
successful. as the ground was soft and
slippery.
1T is wet down there. dad? Can 1
| come? Oh. get that big one just over
| there. Won't muth be pleased? What
dirty boots you'll have. Shall / hold
your stick for you 10 cling on to?"
Then he noticed Dorcas. Good
morning." said he. with gay courtesy.
Isn't il a fine May morning?"
1T be that surely. little MASTER" an
swered Dorcas. in high delight Then
1.-The little gentleman dada'-he never
| achieved a separate identity in the mind
| of DOrcas scrambled up from the
swamp in which he had been standing.
He too. proved most approachabl BILE, and
she learned that the youthful potentate
in the REFER jacket had never walked
so far before, that the ''scroped out old
quarry" just beyond the Blue House
was his destination. and that he would
probably come again next Sunday.
He came every Sunday morning all
through that summer. and always with
his dad. Sometimes they went tapping
for fossils in the disused quarry, some
times they came with butterfly nets and
caught ''tortoiseshellS" and wall
browns" and upon one great occasion
a ''fritillary." But whatever they
sought or whatever they caught. Dor
cas- was always. as who should say.
In at the death" and shared the excite
ment and the triumph with them.
The little gentleman was very friend
ly-a child is quick 10 recognize an
admirer as any pretty woman-and it
is possible that the attendant father
understood and induIged the childless
woman's craving for a child's affection.
Sometimes Dorcas felt qualm of con-
science. and wondered whether her
adored young gentleman ought not
rather TO be in church these sunny
Sunday mornings; though had he been
in church ne certainly could have been
nowhere in the neighborhood of the
Blue House. But she was comforted
when she heard that he went with his
mother to Il children-s service in the
afternoon. Henceforth she gave her
self up to the study of natural history
and the worship of her dear little gem
tleman'' with light heart
Even in winter he sometimes came
of a fine Sunday" ana Dorcas would
spend many hours of the following
week vainly trying TO determine wheth-
er she admired him most III a sailor suit
or in the breeches and CATERS OF which
he was so proud. One never 10 be
+nrrrDT - TaN- he -,
torrents just as her sultan and his
grand vizier reached the Blue house
They took shelter with Dorcas. and the /
sultan was graciousIy pleased to be
lifted up that he might reach a GER
tain mug from the top shelf of the
dresser mug which had belonged TO
= i'm as were gone. Dorcas made |
gingerbread cats and ducks. and her
artistic efforts went so far as TO at
tempt a king with a crown upon is
cad After regaiing himself with |
these Gelicacies her sultan would hold |
up rosy face. ornamenJed by sundry
sticky streaks. to be kissed in fare |
we'll: and when she had watched him |
round the bend of the canal her eyes |
would grow dim. and she would go back |
to the Book OF Revelation" murmur- |
ing to herself: The Lard gave and the |!
Lard ave took away. Blessed be the |
name of the Lard
OF course. the many charms of the /
little gentleman" were duly reported |
to Elijah. and the residence of Ethni |
HarmaE took a reflected glory from |
the fact that it was but stones throw |
from that OF her sultan.
1t was wet summer. and there came |
four wet Sundays, one after the other. |
Nainly did Dorcas try TO fix her mind |
on the streets of Jasper, while all the /
time she was straining her ears for the /
sound of the little voice that never |
chimed into the stiffness. She grew |
To hate the patter of the rain on the !
path outside: even the fact that the I
canal. for once, was full. and three /.
barges passed in one week. did not CON
sole her. The gingerbread animals
grew stale and crumbIy between two
plates. and the gorgeous mug: ~ Pes
ent from Fairford.' was put back op the
top shelf of the dresser again.
The weather changed. and there came
a lovely Sunday. Elijah set off 20 the
Cat and Compasse>" as usua,: Dorcas
bustied about with pleasant sense of
and wen; and stood on the
towing path. her eyes fixed on the
distant bridge. Some boys went by to
bathe beyond the second bend. with
laughter and shouting. Then the only
Loupd vVaS +bsa hmm Of hoes So1 lt4G IN /