Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-03
we will be left desqate. What shall we do,

man good enough or woman sufficiently
tender! do not. but If God wills that our
| little Frederick should live. he will raise
| up some one ny theipang of possible separa-
tion already tearing my heart; believe
that he will raise up some one
meanwhile do not dare to kiss the child
lest should blight it. He is so sturdy
| Phliemon, SO different from all the other
five.
1 open thisi to add that Mrs Sutherland
mas just been in with her five weeks old
infant. His father is away too, and has
not yet seen his boy; and this is their first
| after ten years of marriage.
| Inc next letter opens with a cry:
fhliemon! Come to me. Philemon,
, nave done what 1 Threatened; l have made
the sacrifice. Our child is no longer ours
| and now perhaps he may live. But oh, my
breaking heart my empty arms. Help me
u pear my desolation, for it is for life We
| VIII never have another child. And where
| Is II! An. that is the wonder of it. Near
| you Philemon, yet not too near Mrs Suth-
| Grand mas 1t and you may have seen its
| niue lace through the car window if you
| were IN the station last night when the ex-
| press passed through to Sutherlandtown
An! but she has her burden to bear, too.
| An awful secret burden like my own only
| She VIII have the child-for Philemon, she
mas taken 1t in lieu of her own. which died
last night in my sight. And Mr. Suther-
land does not know what she has done and
| never Will, If you keep the secret as 1 shall
| has thus won
What do 1 mean and how was 1t all7
| hllemon, 1t was Gods work, all but the
deception. and that is for the good of all,
ana TO save four broken hearts. Listen:
lesterday, only yesterday-it seems a
month ago-Mrs. Sutherland came again to
see me with her baby in her arms The
paoy was looking well, and she was the
napplest OF women, for the one wish of
mere heart had been fulfilled, and she was
soon going to have the bliss of showing the
chhd to his father. My own babe was on
the ped asleep. and 1. who am feeling Won
usIiuiiy strong. was sitting up in a little
chalr as far away from him as possible,
not out OF hatred or Indifference; oh no. but
because he seemed to rest better when left
entirely by himself and not under the hun
cry look of my eyes. Mrs. Sutherland went
over over to look at it. "Oh. he is fair, like my
baby. she said. "and almost as sturdy.
though mine Is month older" And she
Stooped down and kissed him. Philemon
he smiled for her. though he never had for
me. nh1e ! saw it with a greedy longing that
almost made me cry out. Then I turned
10 her and we talked. OF what? / cannot
remember now. At home we had never
been Intimate friends. She is from Suther-
.andtoWn. and l am from Portchester, and
the distance of nine miles is enough to
estrange people. But here, each with a
husband absent and darling infant sleep
ing under eyes, interests we have never
lnoueht Identical drew us to each other,
and we chatted with ever increasing pleas
lre Suddenly Mrs. Sutherland Jumped I'D
in terrible fright. The infant she had been
rocking on her breast was blue, the next
arms dead.
! hear the Shrek yet with which she fell
with 1t still In her arms to the floor For
tunateiy. no other ears were open to her
cry. L alone saw her misery I alone heard
her tale The child had been poisoned
Philemon, poisoned by her She had ms
taken cup of medicine for a cup of water
and had given the child few drops in a
hrF
hotel. She had not known at the time
what she had done. but now she remen-
bered that the fatal cup was just like the
other and that the two stood very near to-
sether. Oh. her innocent child, and oh,
her husband! 1t seemed as if the latter
thought would drive her wild. "He has so
wished for child" She moaned. I'VE have
been married ten years and this baby SEEM
ed to have been sent from heaven He
will curse me, he will hate me, he will
never be able after this to bear me in his
sight. This was not true of Mr.. Suther-
land but it was useless to argue with her.
Instead of attempting It. I took another
way to stop her rawlings. Lifting the child
out of her hands, I first listened at its
heart, and then, finding it really dead
1 have seen too many iifeless children
not to know, began slowly to undresS it.
What are you doing?" she cried, Mrs.
Webb! Mrs. Webb, What are you doing?"
For reply 1 pointed to the bed. where two
little arms could be seen feebly futtering
You shall have my child" / whispered
L have carried too many babies to the
tomb to dare risk bringing up another"
And catching her poor wandering spirit
with my eye, I held her while | told her
my story. Philemon I saved that woman.
Before I had finished speaking l saw the
reason return to her eye, and the dawning
Of ptiful hope in her passion-drawn face.
She looked at the child in my arms, and
then she looked at the one in the bed, and
the ng-drawn sigh with which she finally
bent down and wept over our darling told
me that my cause was won. The rest was
easy When the clothes of the two children
had been exchanged she took our baby in
her arms and prepared to leave. Then l
stopped her. Swear" I cried. holding her
by the arm and lifting my other hand to
heaven, swear you will be mother to this
child! Swear you will love 1t as your own
and rear 1T in the path of truth and right
eousness.' The convulsive clasp with
which she drew the baby to her breast told
me more plainly than her shuddering Il
swear" that her heart had already opened
to 1t. l dropped her arm and covered my
face with my hands. l could not see my
darling go; It was worse than death ooh
God, save him. l groaned "God make
him an honor But here she caught me
by the arm; her clutch frenzfed, her
teeth were chattering. Swear in your
turn" she gasped, swear that if l do a
mothers duty by this boy you will keep
my secret, and never, never, reveal to
nay husband. to the boy or to the world
that you have any claims upon him. 1t
was like tearing the heart from my breast |
with my own hand, but | swore Philemon
and she in turn drew back. But suddenly
she faced me again, terror and doubt in all
her looks Your husband" she whispered. |
Can you keep such secrs. from him? |
You will breathe it in your dreams" Il |
shall tell him. L answered. Tell him. |
The hair seemed to rise on her head and |
she shook so that l feared she would drop
the babe BE CAREFUL / cried See YOU
brighten the babe. My husband has but one |
heart with me. What l do he will subscribe |
to. Do not fear. Philemon. So l promised |
in your name Gradually she grew calmer
When saw she was steady again 1 mo |
toned her to go; even my more than NOR |
tai strength was falling. and the baby |
Philemon have never kissed it and / did |
not kiss ii then. l heard her feet draw |
slowly toward the door, l heard her hand |
fall on the knob, heard it turn-uttered one |
cry-and then. They found me an hour |
after lying along the floor clasping the |
dead infant in my arms. l was in a swoon, |
and they all think fell with the child, as |
perhaps 1 did. and that its little life went |
out during my insensibility. OF its little |
like and yet unlike our boys, no |
one seems to take heed. The nurse who |
cared for 1t is gone and who else would |
know that little face but me? They are |
very good to me. and are full of self-re- |
proaches for leaving me so long in my part |