The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-12-24
Ter Child
o. Dreams
By Frances Peck Barnes

For many weeks after the baby died
the doctors despaired of Mrs. Man
sard's life Motherhood had meant SO
much to her.
Then had come the cruel tearing
apart. The wrenching of bonds, which
no human hand could have sundered.
The dull thud, thud of earth on a lit
! tie coffin, and then for time the
| darkness of utter oblivion. After
wards had come a terrible time OF
| fever and delirium for the mother,
whose motherhood was but memory.
The fever passed. but in its place
was terrible weakness over which
the doctor shook his head gravely
Il have tried everything in my
power, but to no avail. She pays not
the slightest attention to anything l
may propose.
And then-when every one had al
most given up hope-came Child o
Dreams.
He came at time when the world
was wrapped In slumber. He toddled
into Mrs. Mansards firelit chamber
and with eager baby steps hurried TO
the bed where the woman lay with her
mournful eyes, which would not sleep,
fixed on the glinting freight. He bur
rowed a warm little face into the list
less hand, then raised two love filled
eyes.
Tate, muzzie Baby heepy.'
Mrs. Mansard gathered the little
form into the warmth of her bed, cud-
ding the tiny feet and hands and
pressing ardent kisses on the tousled
baby head. There was no surprise in
any action of hers. Why, no. He |
had been sent back to her, for God
was good and had understood. Not a |
real baby of course, but a precious,
comforting thing-one that was all her |
own and of which no one else should |
know.
Dear" she whispered, Just YOU
and me- Not even father must know, /
for he would not understand Darling
Child o Dreams
The baby drowsily burrowed his
head under her arm and murmured in
his sleep.
The days wore on and Mrs Man
sard improved with a rapidity that was
astounding. She ate and slept as she
had not done since her collapse. and
gained strength. The color once more
came into her cheeks, and her hus-
band fondly anticipated the time when
she would again be her own happy
self, and in hundreds of little ways he
endeavored to fill the void which had
been left by the death of the baby
But underneath all the joy he felt at
the rapid convalescence of his wife
there was puzzled feeling of unrest
and pain.
He noted that even when he was
seemed scarcely to hear him She
would lie with parted lips, her ex
pectant eyes fixed on space. At
question from him she would start
hen answer -apologetically, it
he would regret having
spoken. Something intangible was
coming between them, and because it
was intangible the knowledge of ii was
all the harder 10 bear. They two had
been SO much to each other at one \
line, and she was so dear to him-so |
lear. Alone in the stiffness of the |
nights he suffered as strong men
,nly can suffer. But his wife never II
guessed, for the face he brought to Il
Ter was always cheerful In choosing II
Ter life partner Margaret Mansard H
lad chosen we'll H
But though the mothers ears were H
leaf to all save the prattling of his H
'wn little voice, the echo of the ia. II
hers suffering found its way to the H
of Child o Dreams and II
me night with grave little face he H
sked for 'Fayver.' Il
He's sleeping, Child o Dreams. re, II
urned the mother with strange lit. H
lie resentful note in her voice Isn't II
lother enough?" she added, unable to II
estrain that jealous contraction of her II
cart II
Child O. Dreams looked al her with Il
reat, reproachful eyes. The mother II
as startled out of all inertia by their II
earching gaze II
BABY, Child q Dreams" She Il
ried. Don't look al mother 81 H
'on't You love me, Child o. Dreams II
on't youa" II
The baby nodded slowly. Then his II
ps qnivcFod. 'Novo favver. 100 Fav. II
or kyin, he said III
And then great wave of comnre II
snsion passed Ike cooling tard II
YER HE hrain If Mrs Mausard. Tile III
tee Of Child o Dreams seemed ia III
row hay and far away. ana in its III
lace was the one of the man who hal y
zen so much to her and to whom of
tie she had been SO little thou.
md things flashed over her memorv
ow unfailingly patient he had been m
ow tenderly his arms had Graded HI
ar pain-racked body How carefully Ill
had shielded her from each and III
'ery annoyance. And how had sbe HI
paid him? iii
She had shut him out from all Hi
shts of confidence She had hidden iii
ON him the dearest secret of bar Hi
art. She had seltishly drunk 10 The HI
II of the JOY which the companion. Hi
ip of Child o Dreams had brouch, I'LL
n. because she had Thought he I'LL
ould not understand When ha5 he Hi
er failed To understand Hi
.Chill o. Dreams shn snil =. ] I'LL