The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-06-23
After breakfast Elizabeth and /

| and air. Then she went from room Il
room. helping US put things to rights
! and gently suggesting improvement.
here and there. We spent some time il
Franks room, planning new curtains
and toilet covers, and mother fingered
in the garnet. sorting out herbs and ex
ploring for garden seed.
When all was in order we went out
into the sunshine itself. and mother
looked over her flower-beds. and said
what flowers she was going to have
that summer. She showed us where
she mean to plant the moonflower
seeds. and how the rose-v;nes should be
trained. The Easter lilies were in full
bloom. and. with the yellow jonquils
bordered the path to the front gate. A
little creek runs through one corner
of our large yard. and the violets grew
there like weeds that April, so blue. so
big. so tall.
We sat down on a wide seat father
had made under a group of weeping
willows. Jimmy was on the ground.
living against mothers knee. and Eliza
beth and | had our arms about her.
She drew a deep breath Of the heavenly
air. There was a pretty color in her
cheeks. and her eyes were clear. You
only noticed the soft waves of her hair.
not the gray in them. Elizabeth had
thrown a blue knit thing around her
shoulders. and Jimmy had filled her
lap with the v~ioiets. Her eyes wandered
over the green. fiower-wreathed yard.
They passed the tall row of naples lift
ing their iame-like buds in front of the
porch. and rested on the window of the
room that had held her prisoner for so
long. The thin white curtains fluttered
out like immense moth-wings striving
to beat closer to the sun. She seemed
to fall into a pleasant reverie. from
which she reused presently and turned
to look far across the land to the ire
mendous incurve of the mountain. then
vei,ed in tremulous young foliage.
Lower came the cleared lands and
arabic fields. Around one of these ia
Their and Frank were building a fence
that day. We could see them as they
worked.
Papa ought to be here" said Eliza
beth. but he is always working"
".Ah. we are such poor people," said
mother. smiling. land l have been such
a drag-such a good-for-nothing!'
you're Il good : for = everything."
cried Jimmy. Indignantly. patting her
hand as it rested against him.
Elizabeth and | said nothing. We
just held her closer.
l had never noticed before how eX-
actly Elizabeth looked like mother.
Only younger. of course.
Darling" l said, why don't | look
like you. too? 1t doesn't seem fair"
"Why. | had to have a fathers girl"
said mother. so sweetly that | was for
ever ]reconciled to my gray eyes and
fair hair.
We sat there awhile longer. making
plans for the summer and drinking in
the fragrant air and flower perfume.
"I feel like a girl again" said mother.
$50 strong. so full of life, Everything
is going to be different and better. girls
boy. Mother has come back to
YOU"
But mother mustn't overdo herself
on her first well day" said Elizabeth.
we went back to the house.
After our lrnch-dinner had been eat
en-. father had to 90 to town on some
business that could not be neglected.
else | am SURE he would have stayed by
all the afternoon.
NO. YOU must go" she said to him.
will not be Il hindrance to you any
more"
But don't tire YOURSELF" pleaded ia
Their.
Il don't feel as if I could" laughed
mother.
Such happiness leaped into fathers
eyes, 1T is a miracle" he cried.
After watching father ride away.
kept Frank by her for a little
ak. She let him 90 back to his fence
building reluctantly. Il want all of
them right here" she said. here. with
n reach of my rms.
She leaned her head on her hand.
We feared lest she become sad while
how we were not rich enough
% let love keep us away from work.
our mother was never morbid. She
;oon turned to us brightly.
LET us while away the lonesome
ime." she said. Il know my bureau
need arranging"
These bureau drawers had always
been one of her absorbing pastimes.
we had always accounted it a
to be allowed to delve in them
With her. Each drawer had its own
harming hoard. Mothers tongue
aced as she turned over the long-un-
.and,ed treasures. We chatted togeth-
r like three schoolgirls. We knew
bout everything. from the tiny silver
'ound prayerLbook that had been
'reat-grandmother's to the ruby ear
ings which were to be mine some day.
tut we liked so much to hear it all over
gain. We could not pile up high
nough the proof that the mother of
ur childish days had come back to us.
seemed to us as if a rose long with
had been uplifted TO dewiness and
outh. We had read of such magic.
We only remembered that the rose had
cen renewed. We forgot the end of
he story.
Now for the dress" | cried. as we