Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-19

''rhe first rest she's taken in days"
said the nurse
.''All ]. needed she said, was this
bed of sweet roses to cool my hot head
to lull me to sleep. I wonder wig
Grandma's withheld 1t SO long? It's
mine, you know. John
rs 1t her's?" John questioned.
ITO be sure! but l never told her."
Then how did she ltnow?''
''The plot thickens." unused Grand
ma.
"And why in the world has so Won
drous thing been allowed to repose
in the garrett"
ITO smother the voice OF that rug"
'.And is the thing haunted?" the
nurse sharply asked.
ma Grey2'
Just what I said Mr.. John, that
rug has lain wrapped in the greatest
of care and locked In my own cedar
chest all these years. Imagine the
state of my nerves, II you will. when
today found it spread out on the
attic floor"
Then that's where my patient has
been when I have missed her. ex-
claimed the shrewd nurse.
Pray, how do you know-you've no
proof" John spoke with excitement.
"Will you both hold your tongues
and sit down, while I tell you the
story" Grandma said CURLY.
"And haste lest my darling awake
Never fear; she'll sleep like an In
fant till morning. I know all the tricks
of that rug"
The facial expressions of husband
and nurse were peculiar.
rugs are not only written pages,
began the wise, not to say startling, Old
lady; "but they live and breathe and
have their being. Not only has every
color It's significance, each design It's
hidden meaning, not only may you read
wondrous things from Persian char
acters and wondrous verses from Per-
sian poets: not only in the shadowy
tracery Of leaf forms. flowers and trees,
is there contained symbol language
but pervading all, there hovers a pc
culiar spirit--a mental drift-somo in
herent and mysterious fitness bearing
the sublime truth of our marvellous
nearness to the world beyond. gained
my knowledge through reading and
study while in possession of that Won
drous creation upstairs; some there
are, however. so sensitive MS to know,
and hear. and see. and learn, without
the aid OF books or teacher.
THAT costly fabric was given to my
great-Grandmother as o Christmas gift,
hanging over the foot of her tall four
poster bed for her to muse and dream
upon as she lay with her first-born-
my grandmother-clasp to her breast.
From that time 1t has passed down the
line, from first daughter to first daugh
ter, with the behest that it be given
at Christmas time, or at the advent
of a daughter, whichever first followed
the marriage. And strange to relate,
each first birth has been a girl babe,
and always happening about Christmas
time with never one break
Were any of these mother strange
before birth?" the nurse broke in.
Il John gasped Now, don't tell me
my dear child is a victim Of some terri
bio heredlty?"
''Will you please hold your tongues
till finish? Then you can form your
own conclusions by yourselves. When
my Elsie, the sweet mother of this child
upstairs, was married, the sunshine OF
her nature soon met with its eclipse.
I can see her now as then looking like
crushed violet, and with all her wife
~ joy snuffed out like candle She
was natures own child, in love with
life, longing for Its joys, yet feeling
the deep fires OF faith, an ever In
censed shrine in her heart
ION all these instincts the man, her
husband, trod and cruelty Even her
hope of motherhood fell under the
blight of his contempt
Religion, duty-the names were wit
ticisms he played upon in blasphenous
skepticisin till my girls heart shrank
In its fear.
ooh, twas cruel!" Grandma clicked,
the grandson's eyes flashed fire. and
the nurse looked out through tears.
I'VE little thought" went on the
hating voice, how strange should be
her solace. According TO the will OF
that old, eccentric granddame, the rug
was to be Elsie's within the coming
week. Twas the very first Christmas
In the exchange OF the rug that hailed
no birth. No little stocking hung be-
ed the JOY Of motherhood. But Elsie
was SO changed In the delight Of her
new possession that the heaven OF my
own mother heart took wings Twas
happiness indeed to see my first born
happy. Weeks went by. and gradu-
ally Elsie's old-time sunshine began
breaking through the clouds. till at last
the days were Hooded. and by spring
she was creature radiant and trans
formed. I knew she had been making
study of the rug, and decided that
this marvellous change was wholly due
TO the all absorbing interest along a
new line. IN her most rarely sensitive
and artistic temperament every vine
and flower. verse and mystic figure was
being rewoven.
"In March, the cold and heartlsss
Stanton receiving a business call of
several months absence, journeyed
away to Alaskan fields little dreaming
of Joy he had unconsciously implant-
ed in the heart of his obedient Elsie
the joy of promise and fruitIon. One
evening In April, she stood before no