The Negro world., 1900-03-24

lOu HttIe 1elltaief EhIu the OtHeF,
and Mabey subsidized into tears and
sibyl's lap.
Mr.. North watched her as she
soothed the little things distress
How gentle she vast
"0h. my girl" he said to himself
suddenly. Her goodness seemed re-
yealed To him in that moment.
There's spring tide tonight" " said
Arthur. Jack and ] are going TO Teth-
er's Point to see II. Old Tremlin says
1t will be one Of the highest ever
known, and there's splendid sea on
already" !"
The younger children clamored to be
allowed to go too.
NO" said Sibyl. "You, Willie aud
Mabey must stay with me. Tether's
Point is too far for You TO walk. be-
sides IL will not be high tide before
your bedtime. Elsie, you can go with
them II you like, but you must put
ON your strong boots. and tell nurse 60
tie my woolen scarf across your chest.
Willie and Mabey began TO protest.
Mr.. North returned to his severe
manner ana BtleHced tneu.
"sibyl says no, and that r. enough"
he said. ''Not another word"
Their mouths turned down.
II think they might come down to
the beach, sir" said Sibyl. seeing their
disappointment. ut is only Tether's
Point that is too far. Mabey. be good
and ask father II you may come down
with me for quarter OF an hour be-
fore going to bed"
Mnbey shrank back behind her elder
sisters skirts.
"But Sibyl meant to go TO Tether's
Point. herself" said Elsie. 'you know
you did, Sibyl- You told me SO. You
wanted to see the waves"
II can see them just as well on the
shore here" said SibyI.
why should you sacrifice yourself
TO these children" said Mr.. North.
testify. "Why can't their governess
take them?"
"She is lying down with headache.
sir, and nurse has cold, and can't
send one of the other servants out to-
night. Besides. like to go with the
children"
"Well, just as you like" said Mr..
North, GROSSLY. He went To his study.
The wind WINS roaring round the
house and the waves Numbered on the
shore. lie settled himself to his work.
He dipped his pen in the ink and looked
at the ruled paper before him. He
wrote n sentence, rend II over, altered
n word. and finally cancelled the whole
with line. Then he began once more
The house shook in the herceness Of
the gale. A draft came from the chin
ney. Presently he heard the boys and
Elsie starting. He heard their boots
on the hall. and Elsie's strong pair"
creaked. Arthur ungallantly told her
that they made his head ache. Mr..
North smiled dryly as he heard Elsie
retort that they had been Arthur's be-
fore they were hers, and that they
would be his still only that they ceased
TO fit him.
"And I'm not surprised" she added,
though they're miles too big for me"
The door slammed on the argument.
Then he heard the pattering OF Ma
hey and Willie and their excited voices
calling for Sibyl.
Coming. coming, comingl" sounded
In her voice from upstairs, He heard
her bounding lightly down with jump
NJ the last four steps. Then 10 strucl,
him that he had spoken GROSSLY to her
even though II had been on her own
behalf--and AS she passed the study
door he called 10 her.
"What Is IL, fnther?"
Nothing. want to kiss you, that's
ALL"
Dear old fatherl"
II am bear sometimes"
"Neyer, father. Never bear 20 me-"
"Sibyl?"
"Yes. dear"
"no the children love me?''
"fes. father. You are little bit
sharp with them sometimes"
She laid her face against his.
"fry 10 be gentle with them. They
are children. They don't understand"
"How good you are, Slhyl"
After that he moved as II he would
go ON with his work. The children had
opened the hall door and they had ad.
mitted the four winds OF heaven.
Now must he on" she said.
He never knew what impulse moved
him, but he followed her 10 the door,
and there he kissed her again. When
he went back 10 his writing table there
were tears In his eyes.
Half an hour passed. II was Allied
In the study by the sound of the
scratching of pen. The vicar wrote
that night SERMON that he never
preached. The text was taken from the
thirty-hrst chapter of Proverbs and
the twenty-ninth verse.
lie heard the children come in and
he called to them.
where u your sister, dearP" he
asked of Mahey.
"Shc sent us in because Il was time
for US to go to bed. and she has stopped
because she wanted to see the sea, and
so we're TO 60 TO nurse"
"And oh, the seas SO rough" said
Willie, "and there are big enormous
waves AS big as-oh, ever so bigi And
Mabey's hat nearly blew away, aud our
coats are quite wet"
sGo and take them of, my hoy.
Goodnight. little man. Goodnight,
Mahey, Run along"
Sihylstood ON the beach and watched
the sea. Her clothes were twisted
round ler hy the gale aud her hat had