The San Francisco call., 1910-09-25
IHE pDICE

The man sprang forward. eager ana
solicitous both for child. girl and hoop,
She stamped her foot, annoyed ana
naughty, as she drew to one side. Tn.
sorry" the child pattered. piteous look
in her great blue eyes. 4" but the
girl passed on.
Stupid child!" she exclaimed, half un-
der her breath. Il hate children" sne
added; they are a nuisance; why are
they allowed In the parks?"
The man and the girl passed on. Tne
girl quickly forgot. but the man saw
only the eyes OF the little child. and the
brightness of the day grew dim to him,
as If he had seen the death OF new
young friend. for budding love had
been killed.
Years passed. Always she wandered,
lqoking for something; No. not some
thing for her. She knew well for what
she longed Did she not stop at the
sound Of a baby cry and peer into the
window and watch some young mother
young son as she gave him his morn
ing's bath, while she without-a
stranger-could but look on? Or per-
haps in the house of friend, a baby
figure would toddle toward her, but pc
fore he could reach her., or she him,
the mothers voice would say TO the
nurse, Come, Mary, take the baby
away; children annoy Miss B" and
all the protests would count for naugh,ti; ls.I,i
only reply, at is kind Of you to feel
that way, but, OF course. we all know
your aversion to children"
In the parks, she would stoop over
the nurse would quickly move on Tnen
one day on the sands she held In her
arms a wee small bundle so soft and
IL
breathing being-a baby: Never before
in all her life had she held baby in
her arms With awe she looked down
upon It. and as she did SO so she saw
and her heart gave great bound.
Eagerly she searched the little face.
The nose forehead and eyes We're
Some one's"-those wonderful. wonder
full eyes; but the mouth and the chin,
those - why = she caught her breath,
those were her own. What was this
wonderful thing?
A great awe possessed her-a thrill or
happiness that never before had she
felt. Tremblingly. she tried to press the
child nearer to her, but as she did so
II seemed as IL all the world grew dark;
a chill passed over her; she wanted to
cry out, but she could not; her arms
were empty.
As a crash OF thunder broke upon the
air. the woman sat up and looked
quickly about her. dazed. not knowing
where she was. until her eyes cleared.
and one by one the familiar objects
came into sight.
The water had grown angry. and
rough clouds rad gathered all about
and the sun had disappeared
II wonder" she questioned herself,
how long I have been here. I must
be getting back"
But II was only vaguely that she real
lied this question. For instead she was
filed with a consciousness of something
strange. wonderful and yet sad, having
happened. She tried hard to collect her
thoughts and remember, but 1t all
seemed vague. visionary. She rose and
stepped out upon rock, needless of
the approa ching storm. A sharp flash
Of lightning burst across the sky, and
as the light played about her the realiza-
ton Of what she had just gone through
came upon her. The cry Of baby voices
seemed to ring in her ears. She gazed
down at her empty arms. hanging limp
beside her; then she stretched them
out toward the foaming, angry sea-
'On; God" sse murmured. 'if I had
The storm broke. the wind and rain
beat her skirts about her until they
chung so tightly to her limbs that she
could barely stand, and she tottered as
she stood Her hair hung in wet
strands about her face, and yet she
Nearer and nearer drew the arms TIL
they. reached her breast, then they fell
TO her side-empty. Always empty.
Again her cry went forth over the sea.
but she knew that II would never be an
swered, and she sank to a little heap
upon the rocks. her tears mingling with
the rain, which drenched her as she
lay. She realized that the great void in
her life was made by the selhshness OF
youth; its unanswered call was the price
that she had to pay.