Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-05-14
was on the backs of living birds. While
they feasted Duncan gripped bis wife's

was on the backs Of living birds. Whil'
they feasted Duncan gripped his WIFE
arm and stared In astonishment, TO
from the bushes and dry grass will
gentle cheeping and queer. throat!
chatter. as if to encourage each other
came flocks Of quail. Before any ont
saw 1t arrive big gray rabbit sat u
the midst Of the feast, contentedl!
gnawing a cabbage leaf.
"Weel. / be drawed onr came Mrs
Duncan's tense whisper.
"Shu-shuw cautioned Duncan.
Lastly Freckles took of his cap. H'
began filing 1t with handfuls Of whea
from his pockets. In swarm the grail
eaters rose about him like a flock O.
tame pigeons. They perched on hil
arms and the cap. and, In the stress
Of hunger forgetting all caution. a bril-
liant cock cardinal and an equally
gaudy Jay fought for perching place
on his head.
"Weel. I'm. beatw muttered Duncan
forgetting the silence imposed on hi'
wife. "I'll hae to give In. Seem Il
believin'."
A week later Duncan and Freckles
rose from breakfast to face the bitter
est morning Of the winter. Wher
Freckles. warmly capped and gloved
stepped to the corner Of the kitchen fol
his scrap pail he found a pan o1
steaming boiled wheat on the top Of 1t
He wheeled to Mrs. Duncan with
shining face.
"Were you fixing this warm food fo
me chickens or yours?" he asked.
"It's for yours, Freckles." she said
Freckles faced Mrs. Duncan with {
trace of every pang Of starved mothe1
hunger he had ever suffered writer
large on his homely, splotched. narrow
features.
"Oh. how I wish you were my moth
er" he cried.
Lord love the ladw exclaimed Mrs
Duncan. "Why. Freckles, are ye NJ
BRIGHT enough to learn without being
taught by a woman that l am youl
mither? II great man like yoursel
dinna ken that. learn It now and ne'el
forget 1t. Ance woman Is the wife
of any man she becomes wife to al
men for having had the wifely ex
perience she kens! Ance man chile
has beaten his way to life under the
heart Of a woman she Is mother to al
men. for the hearts Of mithers are
everywhere the same. Bless ye. lad
die. am your mither!"
She tucked the coarse scarf she had
knit for him closer over bis chest and
pulled his cap lower about his ears
but Freckles. whipping 1t of and hold
ing 1t under his arm. caught her rough
REDEEMED hand and pressed It to his
lips in a long kiss. Then he hurried
away to hide the happy. embarrassing
tears that were coming straight from
his swelling heart.
Mrs. Duncan threw herself into Dun
cans arms.
"Oh. the puir lad" she walled. "Oh
the puir mither hungry lad! He breaks
my heart"
Duncan's arms closed convulsively
about his wife. With a big brown
hand he lovingly stroked her rough
sorrel hair
"Sarah. you're a guild woman" he
said You're MIGHTY guild woman!
Ye hae way O. speakin' out at times
that's like the inspired prophets Of the
Lord"
All through the winter Freckles' en-
tire energy was given to keeping up
his lines and his chickens" from
freezing or starving. When the first
breath of spring touched the Limber-
lost and the snow receded before It;
when the catkins began to bloom;
when there came hint of green to
the trees. bushes and swale; when the
rushes lifted their heads and the
pulse Of the newly resurrected season
beat strong in the heart Of nature.
something new stirred in the breast
Of the boy.
Nature always levies her tribute.
Now she laid n powerful hand on the
soul of Freckles. to which the boys
whole being responded. though he had
not the least idea what was troubling
him. Duncan accepted his wife's
theory that 1t was q touch of spring
fever. but Freckles knew better. he
had never been so well.