The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-01-25

gate to gaze at the great motor-car;
and the blacksmith's wife would fly
to gather the little ones close to her
like a motherly hen collecting her
chicks. She grew to hate the green
monster, that seemed to her like the
car of Juggernaut, and she wished that
Mrs. Digby would choose some other
way There sprang up in her mind
kind of dislike of this beautiful wom-
an, with her imperious blue eyes and
delicately-tinted face, and her magni-
ficent motor coats, who came to envy
her children. She knew better than
if she had been told, that it was
Bossy on whom the squires wife had
fastened her covetous gaze.
Bossy was three. All the other chill
dren were fair-even the fat, rollick-
ing baby had hair like golden silk;
but Bossy was dark-a wee, sturdy
man. with black brows that frowned
with the earnestness of his thoughts,
beautiful black eyes, and scarlet
mouth, that made all beholders long
to snatch him up and kiss him, and
face as brown as brigand's.
Bossy, bordering over the weighty
matters in his alphabet-book, and try
ing to solve such profound problems
as to why a big "B" and little "a"
should mean the voice of the sheep
in the meadow, was a delicious sight;
but to see him laughing, all the solem-
nifty of his handsome little face broken
up into dimples, was vision of en-
chantment that could never be for
gotten.
The mother shivered often at the
light that sprang into the childless
woman's face as she watched him, and
though she tried to pity her and not
to mind when she gathered Bossy up
against her breast, and sought to coax
him to come with her, the sight raised
strange thoughts in her mind; and she
sighed with relief when the great
green car had glided away and left
all her children with her.
"She is always wanting to take
Bossy away with her." the wife told
her husband as they sat together 81
suppose l ought to feel proud that
she takes so much notice of him, but
somehow it worries me-
He looked at her as she bent her
head over the tiny sock she was darn
ing. He had often suspected that
Bossy was the dearest to her of all
her children, and now he was sure.
He put his kind hand on her shoulder.
"This is foolish, dear And you like
the children to be admired, don't
your"
ooh, yes!"
"She is childless, too," said he gent
ly ''Why should you not share little
of your happiness with her, and let
her enjoy the society of Bossy for an
hour or two? 1t would not rob you of
anything, love-"
She compressed her lips tightly, and
wove her needle in and out for min
ute. or two without speaking. Then
she lifted another little sock from her
piled-up basket, and held it out to him.
Look at that, Richard. Bossy's
feet wear through his socks sooner
than any of the others-his little feet
are never still, bless them!"
Then she dropped it on her lap, and,
turning, hid her face against her hus-
bands shoulder.
Tired, love?"
mo, no! 1 think I'm too happy to
ever feel tired, and I'm sure I've no
time for it either, Richard I'm a sell
fish, jealous woman!"
"The least selfish woman in the
world" said the man tenderly.
I'm not, Richard. If were an un-
selfish woman wouldn't begrudge an
other anything that l have, but some.
how, when Mrs. Digby comes here in
all her beautiful clothes, and with her
beautiful face, and l see Bossy in her
arms, and see her looking at him as
though she were going to take him
from me, l feel so strangely-as
though something was going to hap
pen-and l want to pull him away
from her and run out of the room
with him."
"That is very foolish-very wrong
, Kitty"
Eyes, know it is, for Bossy is mine
, and only God can part us, and am his
mother. Richard, won't be mean anC
selfish any longer; I'll be tender
hearted to all poor women who have
not been sent my blessings, and I'll LEI
Mrs. Digby have Bossy whenever she
wants him for an hour or two, and
will fight against all these queer
wicked, jealous thoughts that come in
to my mind
And so Mrs. Digby got her way a
last, and. the great green car was per
mitted to bear off Bossy.
It came at length that he Otter
spent day at time up at the Hall
and when he returned he came will
full hands, for nearly everyone in thu
little household had to share in Bos
. sy's good fortune. Only the mothe.
' turned away often from the littl,
baskets of game and other luxurieI
> that were so useful an addition tt
that bare little larder; to her it al
y looked like bribery.
n Up at the Hall the wee dark DO,
was waited on like a king, the yer.
pick of the New York toyshops wer,
q sent down for his edif1cation, and h.
: played with his trains and his grea
y Noah's Ark in the long white draw
y ing-room, with a beautiful, eager won