The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-06-13
THE NIGHTINGALE.
BY e. NESBIT.
He Sang Like a Bird, Saved q
Life and Won a Girl

She was leaning on her arms at tn
gate and looking away from him.
ats no use." she said. II couldn'
marry any one unless l was so fond 0
him that couldn't bear my life withou
him. That's the only excuse for maj
Then I'm not to come here any NOR
II suppose"
"Oh, dear! she said, drawing her eye
brows together with a worried frown
"Whv did you 60 and spoil it all? It wa
all so pleasant! Can't you really be sen
sible? Let us 60 on just as we were, ant
pretend that nothing has happened"
"No." be said, II shall 60 away. Wher
one lives in lodgings they may as wei
be in Putney or Kew-as here"
She thought how dull tennis and dance
and picnic would be without him, ant
said stifly, Just as you please, Of
course"
Then her face lighted up as the rattle
of hoop and hoop stick and little patter.
ing feet drew her eyes to the other side
Of the road, where a little girl in scar.
let frock came quickly along the asphalt,
her brown hair flying behind her.
Here's Vynie"-
The child saw her sister and her friend,
for he was friend to all children. and
struck the hoop SO that it bounded on the
curb and flew into the middle of the road.
The little scarlet figure followed.it. Then,
in a fash. a butchers cart from side
road. a CHATTER, scream, curse, and
the butcher was refining in his horse 80
yards down the road and looking back
over his blue shoulder at heap of scar
let and brown that now had crimson
mixed with it, and over which a girl in a
blue gown and man in gray suit were
bending.
| ''Her leg Is broken. They have set it.
| 1t will be months before she can walk.
| But they say she will be all right again
then"
The two were standing at the gate
| again, hut now there was no fresh rose
in her face, and in his eyes no light of
passion.
"My poor DEAR" he said, and she did
not resent his words, "let me do any
thing can. Forget all that folly of this
morning and let me help my poor little
Vynie."
Il will-you SHALL" she said, looking
at him through swollen eyclids red with
"eepIHSy Uul there Is any one
can do. 1t is horrible. When told her
she would have to lie still for time, she
tried to smile, and then she said: Don't
cry Sissy. will be as good as gold
And then she said she would sleep all
day and lie awake at night to hear the
nightingale. She has never heard it
yet
He remembered how he had listened to
the nightingale in the copse behind her
house on many summer night when he
had walked lonely in the fields to see
her light in the window and her shadow
on the blind, and he sighed and said:
'"Ihe nghtngalcs are singing braycly
In the wood beyond the station. I'm
glad she has thought of something that
plcases her, poor darling"
Vync lying still and rigid in her
splints, with wide open eyes, watched
the day die. Then the lamp was lighted,
and presently that in its turn gave place
to the yellow glow of the night light and
the great shadows it cast.
"Arc you asleep, Sissy. my own" said
the little voice.
NO. my darling" Rose bent over the
bed. Does it want anything? Will it
have some mik-nce fizzy milk?'
"No-yes, but want to hear the
nightingale, Sissy. Why doesn't he be-
gin? Isn't it late?"
"Yes, my sweetheart, but perhaps the
nghtingale's got such pretty home, in
the warm country where he lives. that
he can't make up his mind to come here"
"Oh. Sissy, he must come! | cant lie
still all the time unless he comes! Do
please ask God to tell the nightingale
how badly want him. And, Sissy, put
out the light. Perhaps he doesn't like
to sing till he's sure I'm in bed, and no
couldn't know I've got broken, could he!"
mo, my precious, no. Try TO go to
sleep, and Sissy will wake you il he be.
gins to sing"
But Vynie could net sleep, and by
morning the fever was high. She talked
and noaned and laughed, but always her
cry was for the nightingale.
"Master Tom, miss, to inquire"
Rose went down, trembling With want
Of sleep, haggard with anxiety. She took
the great basket of roses her friend had
brought, and, holding it, told him how
the night had passed. "Thcy were sing
ing like mad down by the station" he
sail. "ConfOund the brutes! | expect
your nightingale isn't coming this year"
Don't" said the girl. 81 believe Vynie
will have no rest II he doesn't. When
she heard the church bells this morning,
she told me to send to the clergyman
and tell him to explain to God that she
couldn't do without the nightingale. Oh,
my own little girl! Oh, Tom, she's all
have"
Tom was not such a fool as to say,
you have me-" He only said, Eyes,
invw," and pressed her hand.
"You are good" she said, and went
pack to the child.
A little ftful sleep came Ia. -
light hours of that terrible Sunday,
,ul it was broken and feverish, and at
very awakening the little voice. grow
ng ever weaker. said:
isn't it dark yet? Won't God send
he nightingale? Oh, Sissy. do want to
lear him."
The old servant, who had been with
lie two sisters since Vignie's birth, two
months after the fathers death, had cost
lie life Of the mother, insisted on Send-
ng Rose to rest and sat by Vynic's side.
"Nursey," whispered the child. come
lose. Will you do what say?"
Anything, my precious" said the old
oman, holding the hot little hands In
er smooth, wthered palms.
swell, kneel down and tell God shall
lie If l don't have the nightingale. God
ill attend to you because you always
,member to say your prayers. l forget =
inc sometimes even when I'm not very i
eepy. Oh, nursey, shall never be '
eepy any more. Do tell God all about
The old woman knclt by the bedside q
I'd with faith simple as beautiful as q
e child's own told God all about it." u
The dusk was deepening. The child U
Y with cheeks scarlet against the white =
lows and shining eyes fixed on the =
,wly darkening squares Of the window.
lie moaned with pain and the misery Of
,eplessness.
open the window, nursey, my DEAR" 81
e said softly when the night had al. a,
ost fallen. Il think l heard some u u
ing"
When the window was opened, vynis
Id her breath and listened to a silence 4,
at after moment was softly broken w w
two or three mellow notes. ai
is it-oh, is it, Nursey-nursey"- ~
It's the nightingale right enough, my v.
t." said the old woman as Rose crept
% the room like a ghost in her white ~,
assing gown. N