Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-30

- MskNsd
blame of Turing her from her arduous duties with
her dolls. And yet l cannot blame myself very
sincerely for the forenoon had been so full of
shine and waiting perfume that L could not have
regarded myself human being had stayed at
my desk, merely writing, while the shining
and the birds singing and the wild opening its
dewy heart to the sky.
Deliberately had decided that would not work.
and strolled up through the green, sun ascending
perfumes the gorse and heather at the top of the
pine wood AS emerged into the broad, brooding
sunshine, a swift rustic stirred in the underbrush
and zigzag of silver flashed away from my feet
threshing its way with snuous sinister beauty to
shelter in old bank hard by l had disturbed
adder taking his MONDAY sun bath.
Snakes hardly more common in England than
they said to be in the island of Saint Patrick
When occasionally surprised they startle one with
something like the thrill of an appartion something
of the fear and fascination of the supernatural They
to belong to the beautiful wicked side of nature
that at once repels and insnares. Though l had
lived much in the country l had not previously
three snakes in my life; so this fleeing flashing
adder quite event in my morning S walk
and my first thought was, If only Eva were here
to it too!
Presently the adder himself gave me my oppor-
tunity by gliding into hole in the bank, from which
there outlet except by the way he had en-
tered. | could him sitting there cooled in the
kIleSS, Win HIS VICIOUS erect ready ll1ly
worm after ALL he was to fight the whole big
world He sat there and watched me, unmoving;
and then noticing big stone that lay near, l
closed with it the door of his little cave and made
his Imprisonment safe with earth Then | went
down the wood again to bring Eva. | caught sight
of her through the garden hedge, sitting the grass
playing with alphabetical bricks Nurse sat short
way off sewing
Nurse is such an old friend of ours and so clothed
with vice maternal authority that | am almost as
much afraid of her in regard to Eva's and my tru-
of Eyva'S thar Mon r1nhf1x
enough, by natural law, are allowed little to say
in the rearing of their own babies, and, however
much the master of the house you may deem your
self, your authority stops with the good woman who
guards your child There is something sacred about
a nurse,-a mother nurse, mean; not nursemad
which it would be profanity, impertinence
for mere father to disregard. When the mother
is not there, the the mother, and her word
is law.
Realizing this, could not dare openly to cross
the lawn and take Eva away with me, though
had every right to do So Had l dared to do that,
l should have been speedily Inundated by that
mysterious authority which is said to rock the cradle
and to rule the world In other words, nurse and
would have had spirited fight, in which | would
have been speedily worsted.
Therefore, | Law in ambush awhile behind the
hedge of Towering laurel, wondering how to catch
Eva's attention. Presently | found a simple way
Within reach of my hand grew red bush,
weighted with fat heavy One of these [
plucked, and threw it with dexterity on which 1
prided myself right into Evas lap. If there is
thing love about her, it is the calm way she takes
surprises. She looked silently at the
ment then with her strong quiet eyes gazed around
to see where it could have come from. As she did