Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-26


aged to turn the lights, and furthermore he had
contrved to take off the babys cloak and hood and veil
though usually he could easily embroider a thing
as to unite it. after a long time. And there sat
Peleas on the sofa, with the baby in arm, and he
was grayely holding lighted match foot from her
face.
AS looked he threw the burned match in the CRATE,
sobery lighted another, and repeated the performance
Evidently he construed some movement of the babys
face to be answering smile at all events Peleas own
lace took most tender and nane expression and he
"Weli-tol toll folly tol! Yesl" And then added
in tone to convince all the jurors of the world OF
course
hurried forward laughing at him, for all the sudden
lump in my throat 1t is sad for Peeas to be nobody
grandfather when he looks SO precisely like grand
father on the stage.
What are the matches for, Peleas2" cried.
He looked UP with the adorably abashed expression
that I love to bring in his eyes.
They keep its attention. he murmured apologetcaly
"Not95pg else & would Sd-i think is 1, ,huqigry if -n
"Well" placdly argued Peeas you said It's girl,
and said It's hungry What's the difference?"
And to this there really no response
The babys disturbed babbling siminered to a steady
retting which increased in volume and violence Hun
cry it, undoubtedly was.
/ remembered that Milcente's black bag lay on the
bench in the hall | hurried to it, and there the
babys botte-empty When | came back, though Peleas
was lighting matches at furious rate, the baby was
crying at the top of her small strength.
She'll disturb Mllicente," | sad Peeas," | added
suggesting revolutions, we must take her down
to the kitchen and feed her"
All you to whom such sweet Offices are the beauty
or heaven help us, the burden of every day. what
you possibly know of the thrill of that moment to
whose arms have been empty for so long-so long?
protest that holding the keys to The Hague, and to all
Holland and TO whole continents is not to be compared
to the radiant responsibility of that moment
Peeas promptly stood up and extended his arms.
Take her. said he, with enchanting masculine help
lessness Peleas will not even let me carry my prm
up and down stairs, but merely because this
baby he resigned his rights Really had we'll nigh
forgotten how extraordinarily humble men are in such
presence.
oontented little gurgle which always attends baby's
changing hands, most subtly hatterng the new
until the breaks aresh, harder than before.
wildly For whatever to be done, must do.
go first" said Like Caesar to his torch-bearer
the lip of the Rubicon-" and open the kitchen door"
We went down the stairs, one foot at time, and when
Peeas opened the door the sight warmed my heart The
kitchen was CHEEKY and brightly lighted hot fire was
blazing in the range and the teakettle was singing away
make the most miserable at peace. Sometime shall
write essay containing advice to those who are blues
and the of it will be go and put the tea-kete
sat by the fire while Peleas, by devious ways of pam
try and refrigerator, sought out the milk, and
very merry warming it, for it very wonderful
occasion. Peeas spilled great deal on Nicholas per
fectly polished grddles-oh could not have loved him
if his hands had been firm and Indifferent in such
pleasant excitement Then he came and sat beside me,
and the baby drank with little soft huddering breaths
the painful memory of how hungry she really had been
bent above her. and did Peeas heads quite close
together watched her, and heard the little soft
noises and sghs, and met her eyes grave, wondering
criticism. So long-so long it had been since had
against my breast!
Peleas put out finger and the little funny hand
caught it and clung to it Peeas wrinkIed his eyes at
how he used to do that and then wait for to scold
him and to tell him that at that rate never could get
Cedric to sleep. Someway when Peeas had done that
now, we sat silent For very little babies
like and if had really let myself might have imagined
and SO think might Peeas have imagined that
which, for than forty years. have only dreamed
At last the baby moved her head, gurgled brief
grace, and stared up at us unwinkingly, and then
wrinkled her face most astoundingly. Peleas rose
wildly and looked about francally for the matches
would have said that fugitves from justice
crouched behind open panel and that our safety de-
pended upon keeping that baby quiet during the passing
of the men-at-arms cannot tell how it with Others
but when one is seventy baby affects one quite like
this and to keep it from crying seems all the law and
fair proportion of the prophets So that when Peeas
with box of paratn matches and lighted whole
handfuls before Micentes babys eyes could say very
little She did stop crying, though she looked at these
humble pyrotechnics somewhat haughtiy and as if she
knew far about them than she cared to give out
The sair-door does not crea and Nichola was quite
in the kitchen before we heard her She INDUCED in one
comprehensive glance which did not even omit the
matches, and she passed on the other side of the
"Its mother wants it right straight off," she re-
marked, with her back toward us.
Peleas and rose promptly and meekly made our way
upstairs. Old NichOa dictates to all day long mat
tiers i'll which, as think, are really far wiser than
she how then should not yield in crises OF which we
may be supposed to know nothing? Though | am
bound to confess that felt myself wise little Mil
cente, who as have said is baby herself. And this
brings to something about which have often Won
dered namely when the actual of motherhood
may be? For, | live, it to that all the
mothers of babies of my acquaintance either them
selves babies or else catch myself thinking of them
that they too old and spinsterish in their
tons to be able perfectly to bring up the child And
yet cannot very well be that the only mother
neither too young nor too old to train youth properly
laid the little thing in Mlicentes bed and Nillcente
smiled-that tender pitifu young mother smile that
somehow breaks ones heart no matter how happy the
young mother be- And hour later while the doctor
with Mllicente idea to that set me in
delicious hutter. [ had forgotten that there such
excitements in the world hugged the hope i'll
silence for moment and then shared it with Peeas
Suppose I said that Milcente should need her
rest Tonight"
looked at him tentatively, expecting him to under
stand at once he almost fails to do did not
remember that it is far easier understand in matter
of books or philosophy the like, which have occupied
COPYRIGHT, 1908