Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-12-05
A Daughters Gift

7s> OU know. pa wouldn't consent
W to Ders marriage with Jim,
- wouldn't allow the wedding at
the house or allow either Del or Jim
to come here afterward. This was be-
cause Jim had been wild and hadn't
settled down. 1t was hard on us all,
for Del was my only child; she had
always been her fathers pet, and his
treatment almost broke her heart.
The years went by, and pa, instead
of softening. appeared to harden,
though Jim made Del a splendid hus-
band and grew rich. They had one
child, a boy, the prettiest little chap
you ever saw. One day an artist saw
him in his bath and was SO struck
with his slender little form that he
asked leave to copy him into picture
he was painting. The picture was
success and brought the artist fine
reputation, all on account, everybody
said, of the little figure in the corner.
One day Del said to me: Ma. Pm
going to send pa present"
"I'm afraid, my dear, he'll send it
right back to you"
Maybe he WILL and maybe he
won't Anyway, I'm going to try it.
I'm going to put it in the little dining
room so that he'll see it when he
comes down the first thing in the
morning. He's always in a better hu-
NOR then than at any other time of
day. Don't you remember how he
used to toss me in the air every morn
ing before breakfast?"
How are you going to send it?'
"Jim and are going to get up early
and take it round. You are to let US
in. Well place it right where pa will
see it the first thing when he comes
into the breakfast ROOM"
/ didn't believe it would do any
good, but l told Del l would help her
in any way 1 could, so it was all ar
ranged that they should bring their
gift the next Sunday morning. On that
day we breakfast at 8 o'clock and pa
does not have to go downtown to busi-
ness. When Sunday came, the sun
was shining bright and beautiful, the
birds were singing in the yard, and
there was a delicious freshness In the
dlE. was lAIAhluS Ihdl IL
anything could put pa in a good humor
1t would be this beautiful morning. A
little before 8 Jim and Del drove up
to the side gate, which was hidden
from the house by trees, though that
wasn't necessary, for pa was shut up
In his shaving room, where he couldn't
see anything, and Jim carried an OBJ
oh tn vfh
to the side entrance. l let them in,
and they went to the dining room,
while 1 went upstairs to keep an eye
on pa. He had finished shaving and
was sitting by the front window, look
ing out, but instead of being happy.
the bright morning seemed to make
him all the more melancholy.
What a pleasant day." 1 said, ''for
a family party to go for drive in the
country"
There's no family party except you
and me-" he said.
knew that he was pining for Del,
but 1 didn't say anything more for
fear of making him ugly. 1 saw by
the clock that it was five minutes to
8, and l went to the banister and
coughed to give Jim and Del warning,
then told pa that breakfast was ready
He got up with a sigh, and we went
downstairs together.
We both stood mute, looking at
what we saw in the bay window at the
end of the dining room. The marble
bust that always stood on the pedes-
tai had been removed, and in it's stead
was the statue Of a little boy about
8 years old. 1t was of white marble
that Is, so far as we could judge-and
held out pair of little arms to us.
Great gunsw pa exclaimed
Little darling" said 1. What a
pity it isn't alive!'
How do, grandpa?" cried the
statue, and. tearing off it's white face,
it displayed the rosy features of Ders
little Jim. Jumping off the pedestal,
all in his white tights he ran up to his
him in his arms.
l never saw pa so overcome in my
life. He hugged the boy SO tight that
I thought he would crush him. Then
Del came from the pantry and put her
arms around them both. Del was
laughing and crying, and pa was try
ing to keep from doing both. Then
he put little Jim down. and without
noticing that his clothes were covered
with the white powder that had made
the boys tights look like marble he
folded Del in his arms.
Jim-big Jim, mean-seeing
through a crack in the pantry door
that the plan had been a success, came
into the room, and pa put out his
hand.
That was the happiest breakfast par
ty any of them ever sat down to. l had
taken pains to have a nice breakfast,
though l didn't believe Ders present
to her father would break through his
crustiness. but hoped 1t would and we
would all take our Sunday morning