Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-06-28

she let me take her and sit her on my
knee She kissed me with her soft
mouth. We were happy till the nurse
girl came and shook her and asked her
If she was not ashamed to sit on the
knee of that strange man. But | do
not think my little one minded. She
laughed ut me as she went out.
If the world was all children. |
could like 1t, but men and women draw
me so strangely and then press me
away till l am in agony. | was not
meant 10 live among people. Perhaps
some day, when | am grown older, l
will be able TO 60 and live among them
and look ut them, as | look at the rocks
and bushes, without letting them dis
turb me and take myself from me, but
not now. So | grew miserable. kind
of fever seemed to eat me. | could not
rest or read or think. SO | came back
here. / knew you We're not here, but
it seemed as though | should be nearer
you, and 1t is you / want, you that the
other people suggest to me, but cannot
give"
1T has been a delightful journey,
this journey home. | have walked on
foot. The evening before last, when 1t
was just sunset, | was little footsore
and thirsty and went out of the road TO
look for water. | went down into
deep little 'kloof Some trees ran along
the bottom, and thought | should find
water there. The sun had quite set
when | got to the bottom of IL. 1t was
81; cti irt.tn
anywhere In the bed of the noun
tain torrent thought / might find wa
ter | came to the bank and leaped
down into the dry bed The floor on
which | stood was of fine white sand,
and the banks rose on every side like
the walls Of room. Above there was
a precipice of rocks, and tiny stream
of water oozed from them and fell
slowly on TO the fiat stone below. Each
drop you could hear fall like little
silver bell. There was one among the
trees on the bank that stood cut out
against the white sky. All the other
trees were silent, but this one shook
and trembled against the sky. Every
thing else was still, but those leaves
were quivering, quivering. | stood on
the sand. could not go away. When
1t was quite dark aud the stars had
come, crept out. Does 1t seem strange
to you that 1t should have made me so
happy? 1t Is because l cannot tell
you how near | felt TO things that we
cannot see, but we always feel. To-
night has been wild, stormy night.
have been walking across the plain for
hours in the dark. | have liked the
wind, because | have seemed forcing
my way through to you. / knew you
were not here, but ! would hear OF
you. When | used to sit on the trans
start awake because your hands We're
on me. In my lodgings many nights
have blown the light out and sat In
the dark that | might see your face
start out more distinctly. Sometimes
1t was the little girls face who used
TO come to me behind the 'kopje' when
| minded sheep and sit by me in her
blue pinaforu. Sometimes II was the
elder. love both. | am very help
less | shall never do anything, but
you will work, and | will take your
work for mine. Sometimes such
sudden gladness seiZes me when / re-
member that somewhere In the world
you are living and working. You are
my very own. Nothing else Is my own
80 When have finished, am going
to look ut your room door
He wrote, and the wind, which had
spent It's fury, moaned round and
round the house, most like tired child
weary with crying.
En- woke up and sat before the fire,
rubbing her eyes and listening as 1t
sobbed about the gables and wandered
away over the long stone walls.
"You have many letters to write"
she said
NO" he answered. TT Ii only one
to Lyndall."
She turned away and stood long be
fore the fire looking into 1t. Ii you
have n deadly fruit to give, IL will not
grow sweeter by keeping.
"Waldo, dear" she said, putting her
hand on his, "leave off writing"
lie threw back the dark hair from
his forehead and looked Mt her.
"It Is no use writing any more" she
said.
"Why notf" he asked.
She put her hand over the papers he
had written.
"Waldo," she said, ''Lyndall is dead"
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