The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-07-09

ditiOn.
always"
"And aren't YOU very lonely" She
forgot her occupation and. coming
across to him, put her soft. childish
hands in his. and looked up with nn
expression that was wistful and filled
with an understanding and sympathy
beyond her years.
"Sometimes. little lady," he said,
with a short sigh, But you know VIC
dull, mi'ld!e-aged foceys have our day
dreams like other folks
what are day-dweamS?'
"Well. for instance, might imagine
one day that 1 did not live here but
somewhere quite different. in the couI-
try. perhaps. and that 1 had little
girl. like you. to talk to-and love and
work for, and that she was merry.
just as you arc. ard made the world
seem bright. even when the sun was
not shining. And then, maybe. when
can almost fancy this to be true I
wake and find it was only dream"
"Is that day-Gweam?' she asked.
81 has them." she went Oh, reflectively,
"but--but they are different all about
fairies and gweat, big. enchanted
castles, and forests where there are
twees of real silver and gold, and a
good fairy. and bad fairy who wants
to turn a little girl into nasty toad.
Would you wea,ly like to have little
girl like me?' she broke off, abruptly.
A SentleIess came over the mans
somewhat stern face. touching it into
kindliness and softness.
"Yes, little lady" he said. "Ani now
the kettle is becoming angry with u.s."
She laughed at the fancy. as he
turned to the kissing kettle. which was
Indignantly rafting its lid to call their
attention to its important self.
Turning to the cupboard again, he
saw that it contained nothing to tempt
a child's dainty appetite. Children
liked sweet. jammy things. he remcm-
bered, and he rang loudly at the bell.
After a lengthy interval the indlvi-
dual who followed the mysterious oc-
cupation of laundress made her ap-
pearance, with husky apologies. and
was dispatched to the nearest tea-shop
for a goodly assortment Of sweet
meats.
He then gave lis attention to the
child once more, poured out the tea,
sugared it to suit her taste, MIXED it
according to his own Judgment. and
looked after her wants in general.
In a very short while the laundress
returned with the cakes which might
have tempted an anchorite,
1t was quite a merry tea-table, and
somehow the barrister felt years
younger. The mantle Of age which
had fallen prematurely upon him, as it
does on most who have 10 love to
sweeten their days and keep them
youthful. slipped suddenly away.
''It must be vewy nice to live here
all Alone" said the child. during a
pause in her healthy attack upon the
cakes. "No lessons, no horwid gov
erness."
But I have my lessons, child" he
said, whimsicaIly. eve all have our
lessons; those are mine," and he point
ed to pile Of papers.
care they difficult ones?"
"Sometilnes." he said. thinking Of a
ticklish case he ought at that moment
to have enmeshed his intellect in.
She seemed to ponder over this, and
presently she slipped off her chair and
climbed on to the barrister's knee. She
looked into his eyes. They were SOM
bre enough usually, but just now they
were lighted by smile. >
"Do your lessons ever make you
cwy like mine do me?"
"Not exactly that, my pretty one.
Men don't cry; they mustn't, you know;
all their crying Is done inwardly. Do
you understand"
She nodded solemn head.
sThat's like what mummy does.
She sits In her chair sometimes so
quiet. and looks just like little girls
do when they want to cwy and can't.
/ 'spect it's eos daddy's gone to
heaven, and isn't likely TO come back,
nurse says. Have You ever been to
heaven? And is it far away?'
"No; have never been, dear; and it
is so far away that when one goes
there one never. never comes back
again" ,
II s'pose it's vewy booful, like fairy
land" she remarked thoughtfully.
This reflection seemed to give birth
to q new idea.
"Tell me a fairy tale" she pleaded.
II am so fond Of fairy tales"
The barrister looked at the flushed
tender face and cudgelled his brains.
The laws grave study does not much
lend itself to the cultivation Of the
fancy, and he lacked the gift Of fc.
ton. Then there came to him way
out of the difficulty. He would relate
to her something of his own life In
the guise of a fairy tale.
With preliminary cough he com
menced.
"Once upon a time" be said, and
his listeners eyes grew wide with
delight, ''there was-let ME see-a
woodman's son. The fairies had not
been invited to his christening, so that
there were no good gifts to help him
in life; he had to fight hts own way
unassisted.
"His father and mother were not
kind to him-they had so many chill
dren and they were very poor-and
his life would have been altogether
very sad but for a little playmate he
had, Of whom he was very fond. She
was little, fair-haired girl very much
like you. She was pretty and gay
and he was so veDy fond Of her that
he never dared to tell her Of his fond
ness.
"But he used to have a dream-one
of those day-dreams that told you OF