The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1908-03-27
..THE SCRAP"


! nk SSNAFs
BY NJ. Z. HARDING.
."The Scrap" wondered why Mum
never came to him now. He had not
been specially naughty lately. VI
course. he had done many things ne
onght not to have done, but that was
nothing unusual; he always had done
them. ever since he could remember
and Mum" had reproached ana 1er-
given him. That was the usual rou-
tine. and everything seemed changed
now. He had tried being good-so
good that nurse thought he must be
sickening for omething-without re-
suit: and then in desperation ne mad
indulged in all the mischief he could
| think of, vainly clinging to the nope
to the notice Of Num-" Il,
All of no use. Nurse used to cnlde
him herself, but it was in very hair-
hearted way. More often she KISSED
and petted him, and called him ner
poor lamb" which was all very weii
| in its way, but nurse wasn't Mum,
and it was NUNS" attention that the
"The Scrap" craved for. No one
| could take her place; 1t had been SO
different before daddy went away.
They had always come to say good
night to their little boy then, and what
a ioyous sight it was to see Mum
! all dressed up in some beautiful SHINY
stuff. with lovely things twinkling In
her hair and on her neck and arms,
and she never seemed afraid OF ner
finery being tumbled by the baby hands
which clung so lovingly about her,
and daddy had always looked so proud
and happy. What glorious times those
had been, and what an awful day II
was when daddy went away. He,
..The Scrap"-wanted so much to cry,
IT seemed SO cruel for daddy to have
To go away. But daddy was soldier,
and his country was in need OF him,
land. of course, a soldiers first duty
was to obey his country's call, how
ever hard it might be to leave those
dear to him, and "The Scrap" had
bIinked hard to keep back the tears
when he said good-by, because ne
would be a soldier, and wear a medal
too. some day, and daddy had told
him to be brave and take care OF num-
my until he came back, and mummy
used to cry a lot at first, 30 1t took
1.-The Scrap" all his time to carry out
his daddy's charge, and comfort her.
But that all seemed such long
time ago. There was no need Ior
him to comfort mummy now, Tor sne
never cried, and she went about 10
balls and parties just the same as
ever the only difference being that she
forgot to come and say good night 10
The Scrap"when he was snugly tuck
ed I'D in his little cot. or course, sne
forgot; she could not do such thing
willfully. "The Scrap" never for
moment doubted that, only he did so
wish she would try and remember
again; it was such dreary work lying
awake hour after hour hoping des-
perately to hear the soft swish OF her
dress against the door of his little
room, as he used to in the old days
which seemed so far, very far away
now.
II only daddy would come back per-
hans everything would be all right
again, but "The Scrap" heard vague
rumors of skirmishes, and his baby
mind managed to grasp the fact that
daddy would not be home for long
yet
But why should Mum" change? He
puzzled his three-year-old brain over
this in vain. Why was it Mum" never
told nurse to bring him down to see
her as she used to? 1t was not that
she did not care so much, his loyal
heart stoutly rejected such prepost-
erous idea. If he ventured to ask
nurse why he was not taken down to
the drawing-room as in the old days,
her only reply was to take him on
her lap and kiss him, and tell him
not to worry himself. But that was
no use, it was a kiss from Mum"
he wanted, not nurse, and the ever
present question in the child's mind
was. how to make Mum" remember
him again.
Sometimes from the nursery win
dow he would catch glimpse of her
as she swept into the carriage wait
ing to take her to garden parties or
dinners, but she never looked up to
wave her hand to the little face press
ed SO eagerly against the window;
she never saw the loving kisses
thrown to her, and no one but The
Scrap" knew what an effort 1t was
to keep back the tears which strug-
gled so hard to escape from thebig blue
eyes when the carriage disappeared
from sight. /.
All, but "The Scrap" was not the
only one who suffered. Mum" had
not forgotten; she was only trying
to forget. If only daddy had not been
obliged to go. She was so happy be-
fore but now-nOw she did not know
herself, she never dared to look back,
she tried so hard to put aside the
memory of the quiet, gray haired SOL
dier who had gone to obey the call of
duty, but even when, with a desperate
effort, she lost sight of him, she could
not quite put away the remembrance
of a pair of innocent blue eyes look
ing happily into hers, while a soft,
chubby hand stroked her face, and
the words, Mummy, my num-" rang
increasingly in the ears which would
fain have been deaf to them.
Poor mum" she was fatally pretty
and deplorably weak. When the
tempter crossed her path and held
the cup of fiattery to her lips, she
turned away and tried not to see it,;
tried with all her strength to be faith
full and true, but her power of resist
ance was feeble, and gradually she
gave way, taking only half frightened
sips at first; anon; deeper draught,
and at last she was going to drain the
cup to the end never needing the dregs
which of surety, she would find at
the bottom.
1t was late when she reached home.
you can go, Mary; 1 can manage
by myself" she said to the sleepy maid
awaiting her. Left to herself Mum
1 sat down before the glass, her head
was aching, her mind in a whirl. With
an effort she collected herself, and
tried to think calmly.
Somehow or other she had manag-
ed not to think much during these last
few weeks, but now she wanted to
think, she must face facts boldly to-
night, for this was the end of her old
life, tomorrow would see the dawn
of new one, and she wondered fear
fully IL the future would bring all
the happiness she expected. She would
want SO much to take the place Of
all she was sacrificing for it. Her
husband, whose first thought had ever
1 been for her, her child-she caught
| her breath and turned q sob into q