The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-04-26

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"Slcedr yoat auill be q mother to this cltildp'
Listen. Yesterday, only yesterday-it
seems a month ago-Mrs. Sutherland
came again to see me with her baby in
her arms. The baby was looking well,
and she was the happiest Of women,
for the one wish of his heart and hers
had been fulfilled, and she was soon
going to have the bliss of showing the
child to his father. My own babe was
on the bed asleep, and l, who am feel
ing wonderfully strong, was sitting up
in little chair as far away from him
as possible, not out of hatred or indif-
ference, oh, no, but because he seemed
to rest better when left entirely by
himself and not under the hungry look
Of my eyes. Mrs. Sutherland went
over to look at him. ooh, he is fair,
like my baby" she said, "and almost
as sturdy, though mine is month old
err" And she stopped down and kissed
him. Philemon, he smiled for her,
though he never had for me. | saw it
with a greedy longing that almost
made me cry out. Then | turned to
| her, and we talked. OF what? | can
not remember now AT home we had
never been intimate friends. She is
from Sutherlandtown. and l am from
Dorchester, and the distance of nine
miles is enough to estrange people.
/ But here, each with her husband alb
sent and darling infant sleeping I'M
4 do,. hor ovoc wa have never
thought Identical drew us to each 9th
er and we chatted with eyer increas-
ing pleasure. Suddenly Mrs. Suther-
land jumped up in terrible fright. The
infant she had been rocking on her
breast was blue; the next minute it
shuddered; the next it lay in her arms
dead.
hear the shrek yet with which she
fell with it in her arms to the floor.
Fortunately no other ears were open
to her cry. | alone saw her misery. l
alone heard her tale. The child had
been poisoned. Philemon, poisoned by
her. She had mistaken cup of medi-
cine for cup of water and had given
the child a few drops in a spoon just
before setting out from her hotel She
had not known at the time what she
had done. but now she remembered
that the fatal cup was just like the
other and that the two stood very neal
together. Oh, her innocent child. and
oh, her husband! 1t seemed as if the
latter thought would drive her wild
"He has so wished for child.' she
moaned. 1--WE have been married ter
years and this baby seemed to have
been sent from heaven. He will curse
me; he will hate me: he will never bt
, able after this to bear me in his sight
, This was not true of Mr. Sutherland
. but it was useless to argue with her
i. Instead of attempting it took anothe
+ way to stop her rawlings. Lifting til,
child out of her hands, first listened
, at it's heart and then finding it wa
f really dead-I have seen too many life
less children not to know-I began
. slowly to undress it. What are yol
doing?" she cried. "Mrs. Webb, Mrs
g Webb! What are you doing?" For re
ply | pointed to the bed where two lii
t tie arms could be seen feebly flutterins
i You shall have my child" | whisper
}, ed. 81 have carried too many babie
o to the tomb to dare risk bringing u
O another" And catching her poor wal
J. dering spirit with my eye, | held he
# while | told her my story. Philemon.
/, saved that woman. Before I had fiji
a ished speaking | saw the reason re
/. turn to her eve and the dawning of
+ pitiful hope in her passion drawn fac,
She looked at the child in my arm
q and then she looked at the one in til
o bed, and the long drawn sigh wit
n which she finally bent down and wei
over our darling told me that my caus
r won The rest was easy When tt
$ clothes of the two children had bee
D. exchanged, she took our baby in hi
is arms and prepared to leave. Then
T. stopped her. Swear" | cried, hol,
70 ing her by the arm and lifting II
r. other hand to heaven, Swear you wi
be mother to this child Swes
you will love it as your own and re;
n. 1t in the path of truth and righteou
"a nessw
10 The convulsive clasp with which st
y drew the .,aby to her breast told N
" palmer than her shuddering Il swear
s. that her heart had already opened
v it. l dropped her arm and covered IL
is face with my hands. could not ST
ar my darling go. 1t was worse tina
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