Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-06-18
THE SUPREME
SACRIFICE -
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NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. xsx1rppp-


! 4
breaths, and the scarlet spots on thu
cheeks of the pretty Italian woman
told of the fullneSS Of the mother
heart.
HE is all have now, he and the baby
sister, but he puts the gladness into
my heart, as it was when was a girl
he gives to me again in his laughing
eyes, my home. Ny own Italy, my
sunshine and flowers, and 1 am young
again with my Bernardo and my baby
Maso, and oh, so happy, and the trouble
and the black clouds, 1 forget them
when my boy is with me-"
And then she broke down and the
tears came in downpour.
1t was a strange scene-the two
women in that tiny, neat back room
over one of the stores on Desplaines
street. 1t was the Italian part OF the
city, and very poor were all who lived
there. The tall and beautifully clad
woman in the soft dress and the long
rich cloak, looked a creature OF an
other world, as in reality she was. She
rose quickly and impulsively placed
both her small gloved hands on the
shoulders of the little Italian mother.
"Oh, don't do that" she said. "Ican't
bear to leave you. did not mean to
hurt you, but you know love the boy,
too, very much, and-and he has tai
ents, and 1 would love to do for him
as if he were my own, and he could live
all the time in that dear country which
he loves so well, with the trees and
the hills.
She looked out of the window and
spoke again, softly, as if to herself
"And you know 1 shall never have
one of my own-a little child, to love-"
The other woman raised her head
quickly.
"Ah, 1 am sorry-so sorry for you
but you have so much, you are so
rich, you can buy anything you wish
i have only my boy-that is why God
sent him to me-"
The tall fair woman sighed gently
and turning away, she said, eyes, that
is why he sent him to you and not to
me. Good bye. If you should ever feel
differently, if your boy should need a
friend, you will not forget me?"
"Icould not do that" spoke the other
woman simply.
There were tears in both the black
and the blue eyes as the tall, soft
gowned woman kissed the round baby
cheek and clasped the mothers hand.
Down the narrow stair and to her
waiting carriage she walked, and only
her eyes bent upon the ground before
her gave token of her bitter disappoint.
ment. But up in that little room the
mother drew a sigh of relief as the car
riage rolled away.
The labor which the poor woman
had sold to the rich one had brought
them together, and then the boy, a
child of rare beauty and unusual sweet.
ness, had been from the first strong
bond.
Maso and his little mother saw nc
more of their beautiful lady," as they
called her, for she had gone far away
for the winter
do you think 1 will ever see thu
country, mother, and those field!
where the tall grass waves, and thu
flowers grow, and the dark woods are
l would like to, mother" he would say
in earnest tones and with his blacl
eyes shining brightly.
And she would laugh and kiss tn,
boy and say they would go there som,
day, surely. But after he was asleel
the tears would come, and she would
look at her two chubby hands, rougl
with hard work and shake her head
saying: "Only bread can 1 get for m,
Maso-no country, no flowers. All, i
only my Bernardo had lived he nigh
have had these things he loves s.
much" And then she would think O
the rich woman's offer, but never witt
j a thought of giving up her boy.
:, But one dreadful winter day
trouble which seemed to paralyze he
heart with terror came to the littl
I mother. They brought her boy int
: her from the street, where he had beer
playing, and he looked so white an,
- limp, her heart stood still But no, h
?, was not dead, they said. but he had bee
2 hurt; a horse, heavy wagon, tn
]. wheels had gone over his body, and b
Z, was stunned and inSensible.
The good and kind doctor who min
D, istered to all the poor ones in the dis
d trict came in haste. and after eXamin
g If he puts forward any claim viii
1 am away, you shall be the judge
For the next two weeks Wad
" worth performed his duties in pc
le functory manner. One night, aft'
t a long debate, Wadsworth declare
that he would have to marry Louis
- despite parental objection, and folio
some other calling.
E. 81 am tired of taking astronomy
E. he said. 81 believe that had bett'
go back to civil engineering. "
v. know that 1 can always make Ii
OF ing for two" he added as an afte
en- thought.
"Of course you can," she sal
- proudly, "but love my father al
h. 1 want you to win me under the co
e. ditions he has named. Anyway, "
can't leave the observatory until
- returns"
II. "That is true. In the meantin
n however, 1 can be looking about f
"' something else to do. Although a
a bad astronomer, 1 am a good EN-!
"A. neer. / know that l can make 1
R. services valuable some place. He
my talents are as good as wasted"
~ ooh, Harvey" she exclaimed,
Id you only could do something ne
ID at hand, where I could see you, a
" share in your triumph! Why cal
- YOU discover a comet or a new ST
or get famous in some way Ii
that?"
Wadsworth did not answer imme
y. ately. His eye scanned the heaye
as if it might light fortuitously up
some hitherto undiscovered star.
averv star there he recognized