New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-03-11

the housemaids. who was a witness Of the
scene, hurried of to the kitchen below
Hes down" she exclaimed breathlessIv
a-cilrrylng Of his own portmanteau and looking
as handsome and cheerful for all the world as
Il ne was a-going to be married, instead Of OF
10 the war"
Poor dear" said cook as she turned the
chops; poor innocent delrm
Perkins hurried down at this moment TO
THINK ne cried tragicaIly, as he's strapped
MS own traps and carried down MS own port
manteau, and he on to the var, I'd have lost
q whole months wage sooner than this ere
should have happened Surprising he's killed
and I've got TO remember that he waited on
hisseIf the last morning.
Amt he cheerful said Mary the house
maid He don't look as Z he meant to be
killed"
On they none Of en- mean TO be killed, bur
that don't make bullets blank cartridges" Per
k-ns answered grtuIy-
IN The mean time mother had dressed
She mad borne Up braveIy throughout
once, though her lips had -rembled, that was
when the sound Of Bob's gay vhistIing had
reached her ears But even then loving pride
H-o flashed into her eyes and caoked down SCR
IT " her boy was 1rave-brave and true: ard
allE, she knew fun we'll would ind him hero.
she wondered If father, VINO was IN the
dressing room, could hear the sound. She would
Ike To have called 10 him, only she was lust
little hurt 1t his apparent unconcern II his
sons departure But after all she thought, he
vas only q man, ne could not know q mothers
heart MS breast had not pillowed the little
sunny mead IN the years gone by. he had not
cried with joy when the little feet had taken
-heir first unsteady steps across the floor. How
vel she remembered that day and how proud
she had felt Of her son. He was such fine big
baby She had placed him against = chair. and
lie had looked I'D al her with round eyes Of
wonder then, when her meaning came TO him, he
had not hesitat=d & moment, he had thrown back
hIs little head. ana with a scream IF delight,
walked 3rav=ly forward right into her loving
waiting arms. And uov.-nOw- She brushed
aside a=c tears. for she heard father coming.
Father entered me room quickly but paused
u the threshold. To tell The truth ne mad
thought mother downstairs. He had been try
-ng to remember that day when Bob had ridden
the new pony for The first tine 50 pIuckily
whether the lad mad been Dreeched or not He
knew the picture was on mothers dressing table
and ne had come IN 10 look al i, and there
stood mother with the photograph II her hand
"Humph"' exclaimed father SO you have not
gone DOWN and his voice was not cOnCiliatory,
for he felt that every one that morning himself
Included, vas wearing his heart his sleeve
and sense u lost dignity was irritating him
Mothers heart sWeIleG At the tone, she put
down the photograph and looked up al father
with q look N which reDroach and sorrow
mingled and then suddenly she turned aside
and her hands busted themselves among the
brushes and trays on the dressing table for
her quick eye had detected that father was
wearing odd b0ots-a buttoned and q laced up
one. To think Of it! He. the soul Of precision
10 thus bctray himself But there MS abstrac-
ton stood confessed And Oh, how mother loved
hin for it! He had been such q stole, TOO Well
there was accounting for mans ways, but