New-York tribune., 1907-06-30

49, -Az-~a->
her dolls. And yet | cannot blame myself very
sincerely for the forenoon had been full of sun
shine and waiting perfume that | could not have
regarded myself As human being had | stayed at
my desk. merely writing. while the Was shining
and the bird- singing and the wild rose opening its
dewy heart to the sky.
Deliberately had decided that | would not work;
and strplled. up through the green, sun ascending
perfumes - the gor=c and heather the top Of the
pine wood As | emerged into the broad, brooding
sunshine, Il swift rustic stirred in the underhrush
and q zigzag OF silver flashed away from my feet
threshng It's way with sinuous sinister beauty TO
shelter in Old bank hard by | had disturbed
an adder taking his MONDAY sun bath.
Snakes are hardly more common in England than
they SAID to he in the island OF Saint Patrick
When occasionally surprised they startlc one with
something like the thrill OF an apparItion something
OF the fear and fascination of the supernatural They
seem to belong the beautiful wicked side OF nature
that a. repcls and insnarcs. Though | had
lived much in the country, | had not previously
seen three snakes in my life; 50 this fleeing flashing
adder Was quite event in my mornings walk
and my first thought was, II only Eva were here
Presently the adder himself gave me my oppor-
tunity hy gliding into a hole IN the bank, from which
there outlet except by the way he had en-
tered could see him sitting there coIled in the
darkness. with his VICIOUS head erect ready, tiny
worm, after ALL he was to fight the whole blg
world He sat there and watched me, unmoVIng;
and then noticing q big stone that lay near, |
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 of sewing.
Nurse is such an old friend of ours and 50 clothed
with vice maternal authority that | am almost as
much afraid OF her IN regard to Eva's and my tru-
ancies as | of EVa'S mother. Men, rightly
enough, by natural law, 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
q nurse mother nurse, | mean; not a nursemad
which il would be profanity, even lmpertinence,
for a mere father to disregard. When the mother
is no. there the is the mother, and her word
II law
Realizing this, [ could not dare openly to cross
the lawn and take Eva away with me, though |
had every right u do 50. Had dared to do that,
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 a spirited fight, in which | would
have been speedily Worsted.
Therefore. | lay 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 rose bush.
weighted with fat. heavy roses. One of these |
pluckei, and threw 1t with a deXterItV which |
prided myself right into Eva's lap. If there is one
thing love about her II IS the calm way she takes
surprises. She looked silently at the rose a mo-
ment then with her strong. quiet eyes gazed around
10 see where II could have come from. As She did