The National tribune., September 23, 1882, Page 2, Image 2

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THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE: WASHINGTON, D. 0., SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1882.
IT"-THE BABY,
And How It Brought Love into
Gloomy Household.
The original of this translation, by Sire.
Jiosalie Orlheiler, of Albany, K. Y.. is a prize
story written for the "Wiener Allgrma'nc
Zcilnng. There were seven humlied and
iifty contributions handed in. and of UiCoO
Alexander V. Koherts's "It" took the first
prize, 300 florins. The judges were some of
the most enlightened men of the German
literature Bauernfeld, Laube, Gross, and
several others.
.Returning from a business trip, I entered
my wife's boudoir, and found her kneeling
before a low ehair, on which sat a boA--baby
with large, round and wondering eyes. She
got up and came rustling in her silken robe
do chambre to meet me. She reached out
her hand and greeted me not more heartily
nor yet more formally than we were accus
tomed to greet each other in those days.
"There it is," said my wife, pointing to
the child.
"What?" asked 1; but she stooped down
before the little stranger, held a buiscnit
elose to his little upturned face, and half
turning toward me, replied:
""Well, you know did we not read of it
in the newspaper? !D$u't you remember
the day before, yesterday? And is it not
beautiful?"
Now I do recollect that a few nights be
fore she had held the Gazette under the light
of my student-lamp, and pointing with her
finger to an advertisement, said to me:
"Please read that." It was the well-known
Jirmrnl. tho orv af dosnnir frntn n KIofli?nr
heart, addressed to "good people." A child
was offered for adoption to persons well off.
""What would you think of our taking it?"
my wife had said, and I had returned the
paper to her with a shrug of my shoul-
"But, Martha, what have
cried I, in a tone vibrating
you done?"
with anger,
"You have really?"
"Certainly, as you see. And then it be
longs to me. I myself have settled every
thing with its poor mother, who is in reality
to be pitied. I have sworn to take good
care of it: and so 1 will, indeed."
She took the little head, with its blonde
silk curls, between her white hands and
fondled and caressed it "Is it not so, little
one yon will be loved?"
But tne somewhat sickly and delicate
little face showed no signs of understanding,
except that out of the hearE-shaped little
mouth came one of those sighs that sound
so strangely from children.
I at once gave up all serious objection.
Had we not been accustomed for years to act
independently of each other? Our marriage
was not a happy one, although we had not
married for love. During the noise and
bustle of the crowded exchange, our fathers
had contracted this union. She had to tear
her heart from a beloved one, and in mine
glowed a passion not yet outspoken. But
paternal wishes conquered ; and so it hap
pened. . . rr:
At the commencement we were to each
other a silent reproach ; after which followed
a declared war, until finally we came to a
polite but gloomy peace.
To be sure she was beautiful; she was
good and bright and sparkling. Others
called her an angel. Audi? Well, I be
lieve I was no monster, either. The analysis
showed the brightest colors, still the sun
was missing. "We were six years married
and had no children. Perhaps, had Ileaven
sent us them well, this chiid belongs en
tirely to her! I heard later that she had
given the mother a thousand dollars, the
price of a set of jewels which she had sold
secretly.
""Why did you not tell me of it?" said I,
halfangrity.
"Because it would have been too late if I
had waited for your return to the city ; and
besides I wanted to have it entirely for my
self; I want to call it my own," said she
poutingly.
My horses, my dogs ; her canaries, her gold
fishes that I could endure; but that she
wanted to have her child for herself alone,
that was too much for me. The thought of
it tortured me one, two days long. On the
third day, my wife having gone out in her
carriage, there came a veiled woman and
demanded entrance. It was the mother.
Like a shadow she glided into the room, and,
with a half-suppressed sob, begged to see her
child once more. She could not part from
him forever, without imprinting one more
kiss upon his cheek.- I opened my safe
quickly: "Ilere, my good woman," said I,
"take that, they have not given you enough."
Hot tears fell down her wan cheeks; she
begged me not to judge her too harshly; she
had another child, a cripple and helpless; she
herself was sick and would not live much
longer, and what was to become of the chil
dren? Then she thought I myself had
finished the sentence, which a violent fit of
coughing had interrupted. "Yes," she had
thought, "'I will sell the healthy one, in
order that the money may help the cripple
when I am dead and gone."
No, she must not be judged harshly; we
rich ones know but little of the trials and
temptations of the poor.
"When my wife returned I gave her an ac
count of the call I had had, adding that I
had given to the unfortunate one exactly the
same amount as she had. "And now," said
I, "you see the cliild belongs to both of us."
She bit her lip with her little white teeth.
" It is all the same to me," said she, after
a moment's reflection, and with that she
pressed a tender kiss on the little boy's
month. It sounded almost like a challenge.
" Our child! " I scarcely ever saw it. And
the changes that were made in our house
hold for his sake were made entirely without
rce. Sometimes, after the most important
things were decided, my consent was then
asked. "We are obliged to have a nurse ; I
hired one, Anselm" I nodded silently
" We must fit up a nursery ; that room is
too warm for the child." I nodded silently,
but I heard the sound of workmen who
were already busy in the hall. What could
I do better? Was it not all done for our
child?
My wife and I did not talk much about
the child, and when wo did mention it, we
used only tho name "It." But this "It"
could be heard through the house at almost
any time of the day.
"Hush! not so much noise! It sleeps. It
must have its dinner! It should be taken
out for a drive. Illjashuititeelf!" And bo
J J
the whole house began to turn round our
" It." This nameless neuter vexed me.
"It must have its own name," said I one
day.
" I entirely forgot to ask tho mother I
mean tho woman what its name is," an
swered my wife. "She intended to come
again. But she does not come, she is cer
tainly sick. Now, I call it Max. Max is a
pretty short name ; is it not? " " 1 lem," re
turned I, between two draughts of my cigar,
"Fritz would also be a quite pretty name."
" One cannot change the name now, on ac
count of the domestics," answered she,
shortly, and then called out loudly: "Is
Max up already? " Never mind, was it not
our child ?
Once, though, I played my justifiable part
towards our child. At dinner it was always
served at a little table in an adjoining room.
At such times avc could hear, between the
scantily dropping phrases of our conversation,
its merry prattling, accompanied by tho
clattering of its spoon. My wife had no
rest; there w:is a continual troiut: and com
ing between us and him; the soup might be
too hoJ, and perhaps he might eat too much!
"Wife," said I, very quietly but very
decidedly, "from to-morrow it shall eat
with us at our fable. It is old enough now,
with its two years."
From that time on " It" ate with us. He
sat there in his high chair like a Prince,
close to my wife; both opposite to me like
declared enemies, as it were. The yellowish
paleness of poverty had yielded to fine
aristocratic pink in his little cheeks, which,
now becoming quite chubby, sat comfortable
on the stiff folds of the napkin. It worked
powerfully at its soup ; and now that it had
finished, set up the spoon like a scepter in
its little round fist on tho table. My wife
and I had exchanged a few Avoids, and now
again wc sat silent. Apparently on ac
count of this silence, its largo eyes began to
open wider and wider. They stared on me
stared at my wife with a surprised, nlmostr
frightened expression, as if they had a pre
sentiment that all was not right between us.
I confess that these eyes embarrassed me,
and that I had a feeling of relief when
Frederick entered with a dish. And I think
that my wife felt the same.
And the following days, there were the
same large, wondering eyes, like an appeal
ing question, staring into the pauses of our
conversation. It sounds ridiculous, but it
is nevertheless true ; avc Averc culprits before
the child, avo two grown persons! And by
degrees our com-ersation became more ani
mated. The occasional prattlings of the
little one were noticed and spoken about;
indeed, sometimes there Avas mutual laugh
ter at his attempts to speak.
Ah! how light, how bell-like pure her
laughter sounded ? Had I never then heard
that before? and Avhat Avas the matter Avith
nje, that I sometimes bent over my Avriting
desk listening as though I heard from a
distance these same silvery tones?
With the first sunny spring days, "It"
began to play in the garden, Avhich I could
overlook from my seat in my office. She
Avas generally Avith him. I could hear the
sound of his little feet on tho pebbles, and
then her footsteps. Now she Avould play
fully chase him, and a chorus of tAvittering
sparrows Avould join their merry notes with,
the merry laughter. Now she would catch
him and kiss his cheeks over and over.
Once I opened my window ; a Avarm, bal
samic air streamed around mo and a butterfly
fluttered in and lit on my inkstand. Just
then she came out of a green, vine-groAvn
boAvcr, she was dressed in a dazzling white
negligee, trimmed Avith costly lace ; all over
her streamed the golden sunshine, except
that her face Avas ovcrshadoAved by the
pink of her parasol. '
How slim she appeared! how graceful in
her movements! Had I been blind? Truly
the aunt and cousins Avcre right; she Avas in
reality beautiful ! A sweet smile transformed
her features; she was happy certainly in
this moment she Avas and her happiness
came from her child. Then a A-oice made it
self heard in my breast, which said very
plainly: "You are a monster!" I got up
and walked to the Avindow. "It is a beauti
ful day," called I. I knoAv how cold and
prosaic it must have sounded to her. It
came like a heaA-y cloud-shadoAV over a sunny
landscape. She answered something that I
did not understand; but the brightness Avas
gone from her little face. Then she took up
the child, Avho was stretching out his arms
to her, and kissed and caressed him before
my eyes.
There it Avas when tho first feeling of
jealousy Avas aroused in me; a jealousy truly
but what a strange jealousy, Avhich could
not make clear to itself Avho Avas its object!
If "It" said "mamma" to her, there came a
pain in the heart; and the caresses with
Avhich she overwhelmed him almost drove
me Avild. I was jealous of both ! It pained
me that I had no part in this Aveaving of
love; that I Avas not a third in the union. I
exerted myself to gain a part of their love.
I did it very clumsily. Tho child persevered
in a certain shyness, and she had I not
kept myself forcibly aAvay from her during
these long, long years?
One day at the dinner-table, after a skir
mish of Avords, came a great stillness be
tAvecn us, a stillness more painful than it
had ever been. I glanced down at liie floAV
ers on my plate of Saxon .porcelain, my dis
pleasure showing m my face; but 1 felt
plainly that "It" had its 'eyes fixed on me,
arid also her eyes! It Avas as if those four
eyes burned on my forehead. Then sounded
suddenly in the stillness: "Papa.!" and,
again, louder and more courageous: " Papa!"
I shuddered. "It" sat thero and stared,
now very much frightened, over at me,
Avonciering, perhaps, Avhether a storm would
be tafced by its "Papa." But her face now
was suffused Avith glowing redness, and her
half-open lips trembled slightly.
There came a flood of gladness over my
heart. Certainly no one but her had taught
him this " Papa." Why did I not spring up,
bound toward her, and with one word, one
embrace, strike out tho loneliness of these
last six years? One right Avord in this mo
ment, and all Avould have been well. It re
mained unspoken; I seemed to have lost all
poAver to act ; but on a certain page of my
ledger are still traces of the tears I shed in
auger at my oAvn stupidity.
There was no doubt about it; another
spirit had stepped in, Avith its little curly
head the spirit of Love; and that made mo
a stranger in my OAvn house. A precious
sunshino brightened tho rooms, oven when
the one in tho heavens avrs hidden by clouds.
Tho faces of the servants, and even inani
mate objects, streamed back their radiance.
But me, only, tho sunshine did not touch.
I felt myself always more and more un
happy in my loneliness, Jealousy grew in
me; it'gave me all sorts of foolish thoughts.
I wanted to rebel against the littlo autocrat,
but that Avould be ridiculous. I Avauted to
giA-e her the choice between him and me. I,
audacious one, I knew A-ery avcII which side
her heart would choose. At another time I
was ready to tnko stcp3 in order to find the
mother, and, with tho power of gold, force
her to take back her childbehind my Avife's
back. That Avould be cowardly.
I could no longer fix my mind on business,
I mistrusted oven myself. People asked
what Ayas tho matter Avith me. I feigned
illness.
The sunshine would not let itself bd ban
ished, and the spirit of love Avas stronger
than I. With his flaming sAvord he droA-o me
out. " I mtifc-t take a long journey, Martha."
My voice trembled as 1 said this. My Avife
must have noticed it: for something like
moist, shining pity trembled in her beautiful
eyes. At my taking leave, she held tho lit
tle one tOAvards me and asked, in soft, caress
ing tones: "Will you not say adieu to our
child?" I took up the little one, perhaps,
too roughly; at all events, he began to cry
aud resist my caresses. Then I put him
down and hastened aAvay.
I traveled in uncertainty through the
Avorld, and behold ! after the first few days
in addition to an ordinary traveling com
panion, bad humor, there camo another fel
low Avho told me plainly that I Avas a fool.
First it sounded like a Avhisper, then louder
and louder: "You aro a downright fool!"
Finally, I read it in tho newspaper before
me; it Avas traced on tho blue mountains;
tho locomotive shrieked it to mo.. Yes T
belieA'eit; Avhy did I not then and there
turn my face homeward? Well, the fool
must first travel it all before everything
Avould be right again.
At last, one day, with a violent 'beating
of tho heart, I again entered my dAvell
iug. Yrhat a solemn stillness reigned
there! I could not hear the sound of Avhis
pering voices ; my Avife came toward mo ; " It
is very sick, very sick," moaned she. "It
Avill surely die! " I tried to comfort her.
Only a short time, hoAvever, proved that her
fears Avere but too avcII grounded. During
the night avc both sat by the little bed ; she
there and 1 here. Each of us holding onp of
his little hands. Ah ! those feverish pulse
beats! every stroke sounding like an ap
peal: "Loa'o each other, lovo each other; be
good!" We felt eventually these throb
bings, and avo understood tho appeal. Our
eyes met full and earnest through the glit
tering tears, as in a first holy vow. Yvrords
Avould have seemed a sacrilege then.
Not long after avo laid our darling in the
Avarin spring earth.
When avc again sat doAvn at our table,
there Avas a stillness betAveen us ; but it Avas
not the same stillness as that Avhich the b"f
tle stranger had broken in upon i iv
"Papa." Even by tho Avail still -. ; iii
high-arm chair and on the littlt oaul be
fore it lay his spoon-scepter. v a i
reached her fine, Avhite hand over ; -i- "a' ,
and asked : " Did you also love it ' v
a little?" Her A-oice trembled.
"My Avife! my SAvcet, my o n wi.
called I. Then I fell at her fee end h "
her hand fast in mine. "IloA'othe ray, , .
O, my Avife ! "
After the first emotion had subsids-U
pointed to tho arm-chair: "The ! alco
camo to teach us love," Avhisperccl 3 . Jldf. t
Avhen it had finished its teachii
again to the angels," added she IL
tears.
One day tho physician stepped
Avife's room, Avith a smiling face. I
the little arm-chair as he passed
"Let it stand there; you Avill neec
WJ'
u;'h b 1
ut of i i
t twit
i nglMTS. '
Keally ? Was it possible? Had - .letl
such happiness?
As I held my Avifo close to my 1 rr, t 5 may
irrepressible joy, I could not forb- i . '-ud
down to her blushing little faci .v,:
" We Avill lovo it dearly, very dearly. Is it
not so?"
Fairy Stories.
" Do I believe In fairy stories? "
Darling, of courr.el do;
In giants so tall,
And Titanin .small ;
I believe in them all,
Don't you?
" "Was thero ever any I ted Hiding Hood? "
Oh, yes ; without a doubt.
There are wolves to-day
To lead you astray ;
"When they come in your way,
Look out !
"And Avns there really a Cinderella,
With haughty sisters?" Why, yes,
I've met with her since;
And, though proud ones may wince,
She'll marry the prince,
1 guesa.
Chicago Tribune
How 3Ii;ny Times.
How many times do I love thee, dear?
Tell me how many thoughts there bo
In the atmosphere
Of a new-fallen year,
Whose white and sable hours appear
Tho latest flake of eternity :
So many times do I Jove thee, dear.
How many times do I love, again?
Tell me how many beads there arc
Inn silver chain
Of tho evening rain,
Unraveled from tho tumbling main
And threading the eye of a yellow star:
So many times do I love again.
Clinnghitr Silica.
By Annie Fields.
Upon the noontide's pei feet blue
There bleep- a perfect clouil;
The lily's faultless form is hid
Within her leafy shroud.
Now droops (ho cloud Ins silver Aving,
Now fades the perfect blue;
The lily's form betrays a fault,
For lovers prove untrue.
Harper's Magazine for October.
Too UOIH'.ll io Sucocil.
" Sir, 1 have hero a little thing
Quite touching in its way,
That tells of rippling waters
And tho smell of new-mown hay :
The bashful maiden's witching smilo,
The lowing of the kine,
Tho meadows, spangled o'er with flowers,
The sunset most divine,
Aro also pictured by the uso
Of softly sounding words,
And over all there comes tho sweet,
Low twittering of tho birds."
'Twits then upspoke tho editor:
"Your scheme is good," he said:
" On tho rippling water racket
You aro really quite ahead.
But the spangled meadow business
And the blushing country maid
Have long Mnco been copyrighted,'
And therefore I am afraid
That your story will not answer;
But if you could only mako
The maiden sweep tho parlor
It will simply take the cako."
Tho poet man was much downcast,
The lustre left his eye;
Ho rose to go, and sadly said:
'I cannot tell a lie.1
Cliicago Tribune, Ibis
THE RISING GENERATION.
How Elbridge Gray Played "Little
Boy Blue."
By Mrs. M. L. Evans.
Grandfather Gray Avas making a bell, and
Elbridge Gray, his grtrndson, sat on a block
by tho door of tho log smithy .watching
him.
More properly speaking, Grandfather
Gray Avas brazing tho bell, for he had made
it the day before by hammering out from
Avrought iron a sheet of metal sufficient for
tho bell, riA'eting tho edges together into
the proper shape, and attaching a staple to
the inside from Avhich to hang tho clapper,
and another to the outside through Avhich
to pass a strap; then tho bell Avas ready for
the brazing Avhich grandfather thought nec
essary in order to give it a clear and musical
sound.
This part of the Avork Elbridge much
desired to see, and his grandfather had se
cured his release from certain chores, as
signed by his mother for the afternoon, by
saying that he needed the lad, though, in
truth, the only assistance that Elbridge
had been called upon to render Avas to ran
sack the house, barn and smithy for bits
of old copper to be used in the brazing pro
cess. To the scanty store thus collected Elbridge
had with much regret seen his grandfather
add three copper cents; for, though he
wanted the bell brazed, ho could not help
thinking that tho cents Avould do more good
in a certain small buckskin purse in com
pany Avith three others of the same family
Avhich constituted his sole earthly treasure;
but in his day it avos not customary for
boys to remonstrate Avith their grand
fathers, and he watched without a murmur
Avhilo the scraps of copper, including tho
cents, Avere disposed about the bell inside
and outside and fastened in place Avith a
Ayadding and binding of old rags. After
the ragd came an envelope of damp clay
covering the Avhole several inches thick:
then the mass Avas put upon the forge in
the midst of a charcoal fire which by means
of the bellows aw brought to a heat suffi
cient to melt the copper. When Grand
father Gray judged that the copper had
been all melted and spread orer the surface
of the iron he took the mass from the fire,
and Avhen the clay had someAvhat cooled,
cracked it, romoved it and tho charred rags,
and exposed a bright neAV bell Avhich, Avhen
tho clapper was fastened Avithin, rang to a
"1- :m. "A bell Avhich any sheep might bo
id to Avear," said Grandfather Gray as
tapped it admiringly; and Elbridge
' J. ght so too.
le bell Avas small and of rude Avork-
rr
r
th
ship, but it had taken the old smith tho
ter part of a day to make and braze it.
would suppose that it would have been
,pcr for him to haA-e bought a bell, and
.1, he could for a small sum have rmr-
iKu.ed a much more satisfactory article;
1" at this timo tho Grays Avero pioneer
-?aers on a farm in Illinois, and the near
r - settlement Avith its ono store was five
i P !S distant, and besides, this store Avhen
r " lied might have been thorouchlv
shed without the discovery of a bell of
description.
;lls, though of very common use, may
y be classed as luxuries; and Grand
2r Gray in common Avith most pioneers
ted tho use of luxuries; but in this case
ad made strong argument that a bell Avas
;essity; for his sou, Elbridgc's father, had
morning started a day's journey to buy
w cj
a
bring home a small flock of sheep from
.slant settlement. "And," quoth Grand
father Gray, " who ever heard of a flock of
sheep Avithou't a bell-Avether, or a bell-Avether
without a bell?"
"Well, it's about time Jonas was a-getting
back," said tho old gentleman, glancing at
the sun as it was near its setting. " We'll
go back to tho house and ho ready to bell
the Avether as soon as it comes."
They found Mr. Gray just arrived, and all
the family out admiring tho new posses
sions: live fine ewe3, and a decidedly vicious-looking
old ram, who avjis of course
destined to luwe tho honor of Avearing the
bell; but as to being proud of it he soon
proved grandfather a false prophet, for
every attempt to fasten tho strap about his
neck brought forth such hostile demonstra
tions that tho old genllcmau paused at
length in some perplexity just as Elbridge,
who had disappeared into tho house, re
turned Avith a deer-skin thong made into a
slip-noose.
"Here," said he, "let mo throw this over
his horns and tio his head down to that
sapling, then you can fasten the strap in a
minute;" and in his excitement, Avithout
stopping for permission, he tossed the im
provised lariat over the ram's horns, and in
a moment Avas holding him fast.
" Well done! " said grandfather admiringly
as he fastened tho strap ; and added, Avith a
twinkle in his eye, "Two heads are better
than one if one is a sheep's head.!'
" Why do people say that Avhen they mean
that one of the persons isn't very smart ? "
said Elbridge. "Jiasn't a sheep as much
sense as any other animal?" '
" No, it has less than anything that goes on
four legs," answered grandfather; "and you
will find it out if you watch this flock
closely."
And Elbridgo did find it out, but not by
elose Avatching.
Tho pasture in Avhich the sheep Avere to
graze was enclosed on tAvo sides by timber and
on the other Iavo by a corn-field ; along one
side next to tho timber ran a small stream
havintr at.the corner of the :iif.iirn n nnm.
dicular fall of se-cu or eight feet into a nar
row ravine. There had as yet been no fenco
built to separate the pasture from either the
timber or the corn-field, and it was neces
sary that some ono should Avatch tho sheep
to keep them from damaging the corn or
straying into tho timber. Elbridge Avas quite
pleased to learn that this Avas to bo his task ;
but he Avas not so pleased Avhen on the fol
loAving morning the family council decided
to kill two birds Avith one stono by having
him take tho hominy-mill to the pasture and
pound hominy Avhilo ho watched the sheep.
But Elbridge kneAV that protest Avas useless,
and besides, pounding hominy Avas his prin
cipal bnsiiiess, and he reflected that it Avould
bo pleasanter under the trees in tho pasturo
than in tho shed near the honse Avhero he
usually Avorkcd, and ho could occasionally
relieve the monotony by Avadiug in the
stream and by chasing the sheep. So Avhen
father drove.tho sheep through the clear-
ing to the pasture, carrying the hominy-mill,
ho followed after quite cheerfully, carrying
a sack of corn on his shoulder.
The hominy-mill, which Elbridge Avas soon
operating under a tree in the pasture, Avas
very simple affair: it consisted of a section
of oak log Avith a basin-like burnt hole in
ono end; into this the corn, Avhich had been
previously soaked in lye, Avas placed, and the
hulls beaten off Avith a Avooden pestle; the
corn Avas then Avashed and was ready for use.
Hominy thus made formed the staple article
of food in many a pioneer family.
When Elbridge returned home at the close
of his second day's compound employment
as miller and shepherd, ho found a stranger
in the house; this was nothing unusual, for
all settlers expected to entertain travellers,
and many stopped at tho Gray cabin ; but
this traveller proved to be a pedler, and this
Avas something unusal. After supper he
opened his pack and displayed many articles
of use and ornament. Elbridge's mother
and sister Janet found many things to ad
mire ; but the boy, after looking over every
thing in silence, was about turning away
thinking that pedlers carried nothing for
boys, Avhen the man of the pack took out a
book : "Here, my lad, is a picture-book thsrt
maybe you'd liko to look at."
It proved to be a story-book, a very primi-tiA-e
affair. I fear the young folks of to-day
would consider the stories A-ery dry reading
and tho pictures very rough and poor indeed ;
but to Elbridge, Avho Avas soon absorbed in
the book, they Avere miracles of interest and
art.
The boy, though acquainted with feAV
books, could read quite A-eil, thanks to home
instruction Avith Webster'sSpellfcr, the Bible
and psalm-book for text-books ; so all even
ing he read on and on, and when near bed
time, tho pedler, haA'ing returned most of his
goods to his pack, asked if he Avere "trying
to read the book through to save buying it,"
tho joke Avas entirely lost upon Elbridge; ho
heard nothing, and Avas at length rudely
aAvakened by his father abruptly taking tho
book from his hand and returning it to its
owner.
" Let me seo the book," said Grandfather
Gray, Avho had all evening been apparently
absorbed in his pipe and his story, but avIio
had as usual taken more interest than he
seemed in what the lad Avas interested in.
The pedler handed the book to him, and
he looked through it Avhile Elbridge stole to
his side for another longing look at the pic
tures. "Would you liko to have the book, lad?"
said grandfather, at length.
Like to have the book? Elbridge was
speechless with surprise. The idea of own
ing such a treasure had not entered his
mind ; but the look upon his face Avas suffi
cient answer.
"Hoav much do yon want for it?" said
Grandfather Gray to the pedler.
"Four bits," answered he, briskly.
Elbridgo could scarcely believe his eyes
Avhen he saw his grandfather take out a buck
skin pouch and count out the four bright
silver pieces into the pedlers hand; and
Avhen the old gentleman put the book into
his hands, saying, "You are a good, industri
ous lad and deserve it," he could only stam
mer his thanks and creep off to bed quite
dazed with his unexpected happiness.
h "Tb;o?riext 'morning there went with him to'
the pasture beside the sheep and the bag of
corn the Avonderful new story-book', and no
boy Avill bo surprised to learn that the grist
brought from the hominy-mill that night,
when Aveighed in tho balance, was found
sadly wanting. Tho reason for this being
soon surmised, ho Avas, "strictly forbidden to
carry the book to the pasture.
For this, howeA'er, ho cared but little, for
he had that day got from one of the stories
an idea which he hoped, Avith his grand
father's help, to-put into such practical form
that ho should henceforth be relieved from
the labor of pounding hominy, and have all
his time for reading and play.
nis inspiration Avas dnvwn from the charm
ing story of Edward and Elmer, two youths
more remarkable for ingenuity than for love
of hard Avork, who, having had the task given
them of doing the family churning, contrived,
by building a dam in a small stream and rig
ging up a Avater-Avhccl, to have tho churning
done by water power; and Elbridge argued
that the force which could be made to churn
butter could also be compelled to ponnd
hominy.
As has been said beTore, a stream ran
through the pasture with a perpendicular
fall of sever.il feet; this would do aAvay Avith
the necessity for building a dam, but for the
Avhcel he must depend upon his grandfather,
as also for all encouragement in his project.
His father and mother ho knew Avould re
gard it as sheer nonsense; but for Avhat
Grandfather Gray choso to do on the farm
or attho smithy there Avas neither question
nor remark.
So in the evening, Avhen grandfather sat
resting
and enjoying his pipe under the
great sycamore in front of tho house,
Elbridge took tho book, and, sitting doAvn
besido him, asked:
" Grandfather, shan't I read you a story
out of my neAV book?"
"Why, yes, of course," said the old gentle
man, looking pleased.
Then Elbridgo read to him about Elmer
and Edward and their wonderful Avater
Avheel, and'grandfather became so interested
that he nearly let his pipe go out.
"And now," said Elbridge abruptly, as ho
closed the book at the end of tho story,
" Avhy can't avo rig up a wheel at the fall in
tho pasturo that Avill pound hominy as Avell
as I cau? You seo, thero AYon't be any dam
to build there."
Grandfather opened his eyes A-ery Avide,
took his pipe from his mouth and Avhistled ;
then he laughed heartily.
" Wauls to set up a mill ! " said he. "Well
uoav, that isn't a bad idea. And Ahen yon
have pounded all Ave Avant for home use,
maybo you can pound for the neighbors and
take toll. Who knows but a Avater-Avheel
might be the beginning of tho lad's fortune?"
Then seeing that Eldridge looked troubled
at his taking tho matter so lightly, he added
kindly:
" Well, I'll go down and take a look at tho
creek in the morning, and see if I can put
in a Avheel and mako if work. It may bo
good for more than jionnding hominy if I
can."
And tho next morning, bright and early,
ho did go down and take a look at the stream,
and very soon after Avas at Avork in tho
smithy on tho Avheel that was to pound out
Elbridge's fortnno or misrbrtnne, as tho
case might be.
To begin Avith, ho sacrificed a stout oak
barrel, one of a number that ho had made
the previous Avinter; for Grandfather Gray
was what the vernacular calls a " Jack of aU
trades," and understood coopering as well a3
blacksmithing.
In the centre of each head of the barrel he
c.nvtn .iiiuiu, imuuu nuivuiicpiuneu. apoio
a.! for an axle; then in each end of every altr-r-
nate staAre he bored auger-holes, into Avhuh
he drove stout pegs, and to the pegs fastened
straight staves for paddles; lastly to the
axle he attached a crank Avith a connecting
rod and lever ; then the wheel Avas ready to
set up in the creek.
With Elbridge's help he carried the ma
chinery to the pasture, and then proceedt l
to cut two stout forked timbers which he
drove into the bed of the stream at the foot
of the fall, and a shorter one into the ground
jnst on the edge of the bank above. Then
tho axle of the Avheel Avas fitted into the
stakes below and the lever into the one aboe,
so that it Avould AA'ork smoothly and not fly
off; and noAV the Avater-wheel was rigged.
As the -water struck tho paddles the win-el
began to revolve, the crank and connecting
rod drove the lever up and doAvn, and the
pestle attached to the lever pounded aAvay
in mid-air. All that was noAV needed was a
small platform on Avhich to set the hominy
basin, and this it did not take Grandfather
Gray long to build. When it Avas finished
Elbridge had tho supreme satisfaction of
filling tho basin with corn and lying down
at full length on the grass to Avatch the
stream pound the hulls off for him.
In the evening before the millAvas stopped
grandfather invited all the family out to seo
it work. Mrs. Gray and Janet were much
pleased with it; the former thought it might
be used in doing the churning, and the latter
inquired if it could not be made to turn her
spinning-Avheel; but Elbridge's father wa3
not so favorably impressed. He even ven
tured to remark that father must have had
little to do, and that he had a mighty poor
opinion of labor-saving machines for boys,
and finished by quoting a certain lamented
divine on the relation between Satan and
idle hands. Probably Dr. Watts referred
solely to boys' hands; but, hoAvever that
may be, Elbridge and his grandfather were
both too much delighted Avith their achieve
ment to care for adverse criticism.
The next morning when Elbridge started
to the pasture he quietly put his book into
his pocket, arguing Avithin himself that since
he would not have to pound any more hom
iny tho interdiction on his taking the book
Avas remoA-ed. Trne he could have settled
this more satisfactorily by asking permission ;
but this, for reasons best known to himself,
he neglected to do.
After filling the basin with corn he started
the mill, and then betook himself Avith his
book to the shade of a tree some distance off
and was soon so absorbed in the story of
"Julius and his pet Rabbits," that he en
tirely forgot both sheep and hominy.
Now, if Elbridge had been a very observing
boy he would have noticed days before that
Avhen pouring corn into the basin or taking
hominy from it he usually had one appar
ently interested spectator the old bell
wether. This old feUow very well knew
the taste of com, and no doubt his mouth
often Avatered for it as he saw it coming out
of tho sack ; but wjten Elbridge was hand
ling it, of course it was out of tho question
for the sheep to get at it.
Thjg morning, however, having seen El
bridge pour the corn into tho basin and
leave it, he thought it was now his chance,
and, walking out upon the platform, he
coolly thrust his nose into the basin for a
mouthful, when hong! came the stout oak
pestle squarely upon the top of his head.
The Woav stunned him, he staggered forward
and toppled OA-erthe bank into the stream
belOAV, his bell sending out a frightened
clanging which Avould surely have aroused
Elbridge had he been hut one degree l&s
absorbed in his story.
The old ram had scarcely struck the water
Avhen the sheep behind him Avalked deliber
ately upon the platform, stuck her nose in
the basin, received a blow on the head and
Avent over tho bank precisely as the leader
had done, only more quietly; and, though
it scarcely seems credible that anything in
nature could be so foolish, every sheep in
the flock followed in turn, and landed,
stunned, in the stream below.
And Elbridge read on until the story of
"Julius and his pet Eabbits" was finished,
when he looked up in a half-bewildered
frame of mind, and lost some seconds in re
covering himself. Then he instantly missed
the sheep; they had strayed into the corn,
he thought, and hastily dropping his book
ho ran to tho part of tho field next tho
stream Avhere he had last seen the flock.
At the edge of the stream a SDlashing in tho
Avater attracted his attention, and glancing
over the bank he saw the ewes, some stand
ing in the Avater and some trying in a dazed
sort of Avay to climb up the bank. All of
the flock had partially recovered from the
effect of the bloAV and fall, exceptthe old
bell-Avether who had led them into mischief;
he, alas! Avas lying Avith his head under
Avater, and Avhen finally dragged out life
Avas extinct.
Just what punishment would have been
meted out to Elbridge if it had not been for
Grandfather Gray's protest and pleading, I
cannot say; but those Averc days Avhen Solo
mon Avas regarded as high authority upon
the use of the rod in such cases. As it Avas,
Elbridge, in tho opinion of the family, got
off very easily. The story-book Avent down
into the darkness at the bottom of a great
chest full of bed-clothes, and never saw tho
light again for a year, AA-hilo thewater-Avheel
camo doAvn and Avas carried back to tho
smithy the verj' next morning, Elbridge tak
ing up the pestle thus dropped and pounding
hominy as of old. A light punishment?
Elbridge for a long timo doubted Avhether ho
wonld not rather have taken a good sound
Avhipping. October Wide Aicake.
A Child's 3food.
Bg Juliet C. Marsh.
I want that rose tho wind took yesterday,
I want it more tlmn this ;
It had no thorn, it was tho best that grew.
I want my last night's kiss.
I want that butterfly with spotted wings
That brushed across my hand
Last night between the sunset and the dew
It camo from fuiry-land.
It would haA-e stayed, I guess, It wavered bo,
Where all those pansies bloom ;
They gave it wings to get nway from me,
I lost it in tho gloom.
And yesterday the bees on all the heads
Of clover swung so slow,
I saw them take their honey; but to-day
They only sting and go.
That star that always camo before tho moon,
Dropped out of hoaven last night;
I hunted where I saw it fall and found
A Avorm with yellow light.
I want the sun to go, and let tho dark
Hide everything away.
That was tho sweetest rose in all the world
The Avind took yesterday, Wida'Atidke.
"
r