Year: 1869


friend, and evinced 10 curiosity about
the matter, although she often COM
mented upon his striking resemblance
to myself.


Then | sat down to think. And
meanwhile every steamer brought let
ters from my husband. How could |
meet him?


Months wore away. Randolph,
like myself. had neither father nor
mother, and there was no one who
felt any strong personal interest in my
affairs. My old guardian was to take
a sort of nominal care Of me while
my husband was gone; and Randolph
& Co. were to furnish with all the
money I needed. | could stay in one
spot as well as another. So | wrote
to my guardian that liked the place
where my cousin had lived, that the
climate agreed with me and the baby,
and that | had concluded to remain
there for a while. [ rented a small
house in the suburbs of the town, and
there | lived very quietly with my two
children.


al wrote to my husband very often
of his child, who had been christened
Clyde Dudley Randolph. l told him
of all his pretty baby ways, of his
frolics, his caresses, his laughter. all
that could interest a father in the ba-
byhood of his boy. But told him
nothing of my son, of Willie. Some
time he must know; but | put afar
off the evil day. What l should say
to him, the form of speech that l
would utter, were in my brain day
and night. I could not write to him.
| would wait until he came; and then,
when his whole being was melted to
tenderness by the kisses of his own
child, would lay my poor fatherless
boy at his feet, and tell him my pitt
ful story. | would beg him, in the
name of the All-merciful, to take US
both to his heart, to pity US, to love
US.


For oh, my friend, | knew my own
heart better than when he went away.
| learned during the months that had
passed since he left that | loved him
not with a girls romantic, dreamy,
idol love, but with all the passionate
strength of womanhood.


The two children wers very hap
py together. Clyde was large of his
age, and remarkably mature, learning
to walk and to talk when he was a
year OLD. Willie, on the contrary,
was small, slight, delicate. A quiet,
reticent child, he seemed much young
er than he really was. When he was
three years old he was hardly larger
than Clyde, and they might almost
have passed for twins. Clyde had
had the sunshine of mother love to
grow in. Willie had grown in the
shade until | reclaimed him. Per.
chance therein lay the difference.


But one day sudden sickness fell
upon Clyde. At noon he was at play
upon the floor, shouting and laughing
and growing in measureless content
At midnight he was dead.


q thought my poor heart would
break. How could | tell Dudley Ran
dolph that his child was dead, anC
show him the child that was not his
alive and we'll? | think there wa;
no difference in my love for my sons
One was as dear to me as the other
But l could and would have giver
Willie's life for Clyle's in a moment
if so | could have placed in my hus
bands arms his own living, breathing
laughing boy. His letters were 81
full of the child he had not seen! Ii
his very last he had said Il dream
of you, and of Clyde, every night
You cannot know how | love our boy
[ long for him unutterably.'


And | must answer that longing
by leading him to the graveyard.


"One night-the night after the fu
neral-as | lay with Willie in m,
arms, thinking of Clyde in his COLI
and narrow bed, on which the moor
was shining, and of Dudley tossing OIL
the Indian seas-for he was now oil
his way home-a great temptation
seized hold upon me, and my sou
trembled and shivered in its grasp.


"'You can GO back to your HON,
with your one child, said the tempter
God has had mercy upon you, ant
made your path plain and easy. Yor
have only to give this boy to you


husband as his own, and all will b.


WELL


Trembling from head to foot,


crept from the bed and struck light
Willie lay asleep. He was fair ant
beautiful child, more beautiful thai
Clyde had been, with clustering curl
of reddish gold, and great blue eyes
clear and limpid as sylvan lakes


Any man may be proud of him,
: thought. Though small, his limb
were perfectly moulded, and his dim


inutive size was in his favor. N
stranger would have thought him NOR


than two years old.


| tried to pray, but could not
| tried to ask direction and guidance


but the heavens were as brass abov


me. And still the tempter whispered


Do this, and thou shalt be WE'LL
The next morning | arose earl,
and began my work. | packed m.


trunks, and sent my furniture t.
the auction rooms. Twas going home
l | said. | was tired of this grea


bustling town, and wanted to see m,
friends. Besides, my husband was Oh
his way back. | burned little Clyde
clothes. Some of them Willie coul,
4 have worn, but could not have born,