Louie And I

lí i had been the leasi bil pn shouldn't have been surprised at ii all ; ir Í I had e wltty ; bui sucha llttlesimpleto i : I never In all my Hfe had th expectation "f lovers, or ol any sort of admitlng glancea : and I never had any. And .sometimos mot her us'd to gay she guessed II was just aswell; for ii She had had to divss two glrlB out (or tiicir pretty looks, as she did (mu, i would have beggared lier. Mother had only a Httle money, just barely enough to Hve on, and sume ol the principal golng every year ; but t wouldu't have 1 11 in human nature, having a daughter bo pretty as Louie, nut to want to have her to have the irsi tiiai would a 't 'íí her as beauty ; and. for my ]art. I never grudged l.oui ■ a or n ribbon. I couldn't have worn thein ii I had them ; tor I was far top prond t. try to do what Nature hadn't, or to pretend I thought such Thiiis became mê ; and I llked my jiriin dresses and plain coHars b for inyscif. But hen Louie was dressed in her inusiin tiil she looked like one of the old-taahloned blush roses, so white without and bo delieately (lushed within, her lovely yellow hak breakinii out in sunny curie all over her head, and she all radlant, ai yon may Bay, With her skin. her siuilcs. her teeth. her great blue, beaming eye - then I iised to like to look .-it her as 1 would look ;t any lovely picture; and she always turned from her est scène- the dear, Httle person- to give her Bweetesi smile to So when Dennla began all al once to come to our house, as if lie had just i Ixmio for the first time in hir, lift-, I was only dellghted. Forvery one ho knew hlm, loved and honored Dennis Reed, Who was the soul of all integrity : and II he wasn't a beauty hlmselt, h" was a atalwart on of Baul, and had the nlceat littlc place in the ri-üimi - a cottage np a I rlookftig the rlver, and with a wood behlnd lts orchard and across the rallway ent. to Keep oH thé easi wind- f the east wind could blow in ha; sunny nook wil gnrde:i spot made and blooming in ■ .i the rocka around it. Hut my livsi thought was none of that- only ih.it 1 liki-.i Dennis so much I llked i' have him teel how lovely Louie was ; I liked im have him comi hink (■f her a ■ong soul i I i be : and It plea n my 1 i nnd fio rlver. Nol (lint it i .:il; (o Dennis what I thought about it all. I doubt if in tho knew m Hint I exlsted, golng iiis happy way wlth liis hea 1 i:i the clouds, and and heart only for hls I So lio marrled her, and took her away : and m happier nes1 i liirds than that In lit i ! ■ among the rocke and flowefg; could nowhere have been found, were In my own heart, at the "f the happiness there. Bul tlu.i uother fel] Blek, and it took all my time to eare for her : and I could not go tip to Loule'a very often ; for I had everythlng to do at home, and was tlred out by alghtiall, and often tip hall the nlghi sides. Louie couldn't vcry well come down often ; and if si.c had come, abe wouldn't liavo known what to do. Poor mother ! Once, I remember Bhe said to me: -'I don't know luit it's more Batlsfactory to have one daughter pluin, than anythlng elae." And itmade my heart bound. And then I reproached myself tor my ness in earlng to have her say that oVer Loule's head, as ii werr ; but I remembered it long afterward, and sometióles 11 used to jjive me a throb of joy wben everythlng was dreary, and I eeemed alone in the world. For mother dled presently. And then it turned out that ihe had been living on hor little property more than wc dreamed, and Louie's outfit and hor own long illness and its bilis had used up her ïnnncy. And whon - everything was paid, there was only enough h it for me to hire ono room asa sort o( ref age when I carne home at nighi trom worklng at my trade ; for I had quite a knack at drescraaking. I did not pnt on mourninjc for I was glad that mother was out of pain. and I was glad that he had gone bcfore shr knew that all the property wu gonc and ghe, with her proud spirit, would liavc had to be dependeni . But Louie did- and oh ■what il beauty she was. with her black crapes falling around her, go waxen fair and ïosy and transparant ! Of course she didn't miss mother tbc wayl did. How could she, with Dennis waitlng on her ever.v wish ? And she didn't seein ti want anybody but DenniR, elther ; sol didn't eee a great deal of her, only wben Bhe had sornetbing ncw tu make up. or Bomething old alter over : and then, she and Dennis were out. mus: (,; the' time, strolling among the rocks or planting a ncw flower garden, or she was goIng to meet IiId coming from his work, or running Into the nexi neighbor'a aeróse the pasture, and I saw 0Bt nothing ol ber, except at trylng-on times. And I will confesa that trylng-on times veré trylng times; and no wonder. Por II yon had sucn a perfect little figure ai Loule liad. yon would want yönr dresa to look yon h.-nl been melted and poured into it. too. I used to wonder at Loule then, a llttle, eometlmes ; nol for not Blttlng at home sewlng and helping me on the work. because yon might as weil liave asked a hummlng bird to do tli.it ; lint for Bol taklng more interest in the lionse and keepIng thtngs trlg and tldy. And I tised t! lie afarid t lint, if I rere Dennis, and there were ho'es In my socks, and half the buttons off my clotlies : and my coat and liar nol bruehed, and I carne home and found nothing for dinner- nol even the cloth laid - and my wlfe oíf enjoytng herself somewhere ■Ise. and the dusi evcry wlu re eo tliat I c-ould write niv name. '-- shouldn't teel recompensed for all that, by having my wife stroll round hanglng on my arm. looking as pretty ís a new blown rose. And altlio the house musí often have b thoroughly uncomfortable to Dennis, he oever gave a k;ííii that it was 'i : and I carne to the conclusión that he dldn't really miss tiloso other tilines, and w.is s íiel with what he had. I nsed to go up to the Eden sometlmes, withoul being sent tor, and mond ii]) everythlng, and put the whole house straight : bui I conld not go A'ery often, on account of my work ; and. besides, í liad a sensntiou of Intruding where two people wantod each other. But at last the 1 me ; and then T had to tro. And 1 wild with dellght, and Insisted on having them laid on the pillow close to her cheek, and talked and lauj and eooed .■uid cried to them vrith Kliíteriiifí eyea and dazzllng color in lier face. and s.iid i; was all she wanted. "Hit your luis;).!: " I exclaimed. ■)!i : busbands are all v :u. ■]',ut I ] i : ■ ■ ! s " í I awfully good wlfe. ïou'd bave made Dennls e greal deal better wlfe dear, for the matter of that. Bul my little .■-.ons! Oh! 1 know I could mother !" She was in the dear little Innoceni soul, and one lialiies wem wlth ii"!1. I i ai the liule baby n ir I remembered that Bhe had said thon Bhe would hat ited ; because it troubled me thlnk tii, Dennis wouldn't be like any e man in the world h' he diiln't marry ■ : and the other wlfe would have the long Ufe with htm, and J.ouic would fade Into uat a beautlful dream ; and wiuui the ncxt lifc came, it would 6e ol the long-eontinulng time that wou! companlon, as ; would be alone il r wasn't for the baby, and she had said was enough. 01 course all thia was only a Bort ol Flash through my conusneeB, nol any delibérate fhought. Nol o :.v could have thought i anything ol the kind who saw Dennlg's gr lef . I!. was all beside liimI don't liko t teil you v.hat he said and (lid; I was half airaid - liiücs that a thunderbolt would fall and destroy hiin ; and then again I was ai'raid he would destroy himscli. I don't know how we ever contrived to get him to lot Ixiuic be placed in her casket, and I thought he would jump Into the rory grave itscif. Hut al 1,-ist that agonlzlng tinii - every moment of which knous how to give a frcsh stalt- was over, and the worst time (.ame. of the absence and ailèace, the wild, vain, bitter longlng. And Dennis couldn't look at the baby. "Take it awayl" he said. "It killed her !" 8o I took hiin nto niy mm room, and cuddled htm close to raj' heari every nlght, luid every mornlng he awoke me wlth his laughlng .'iiiii gurgling and crowIng, playlng wlth the shadowg ol the dancing leavea acroas the i ■■ 1. He had Loule's yellow hair and rasy cheeka and perfect reatares, her greal longtng blue eyee, and Dennls's black eyebrowv, and everj day he un-w dearer and dearer, and more Inexpreeibly dcar. and I said to mygelf, tliat nnicii as i mlgsed poor Loule, here had been made up to me all I bad (alled ol In my llfe ; lor thta child wam t.i take the place to me ol mother and Bister and linsband and alt (inctlier. And the dearer lic grew, the more angry I became wlth Dennla for his Indltterence ; and one day, when the boy was abont four months old, I said to Dennis 'I think yon liad better let old Naney come in ugain and do your choren, the way she used to do, and I wlll go a way and take the baby-" "Take the beby ?" "Certalnly," I said. "You can't bear the Bighi ol him, and I love him. And then if yon ever niarry again- " "I sliall liever inarry again," he said, the gloom Kettliiiji in liis eyes. 'I rton't belicvc yon will !" I exciaiincd. "I don't belleve there'a the roman liviss wno will ever take sucli ;ui (innatural, wicked tather, tor her husband ! Loule's own child, too, and the very Image ol her. I wonder whai siic'd thlnk ol yon !" And I gnatched the baby up out h' the eradle, and ran from the room, lesi 1 ■ hould break out cryln j beloi e hls The next afternoon when Dennla caini' In from li s work, he went and made htmsell -'ll nlce, and changed hls clothes, and came down t where I gtood in the niile door wilh the 1 In in y arme, looking ;t the gunset. And he Btooped to take the child ; and the Uttle darllng tnrned, wlth a low, frightened cry and hld his face in my neck. And then, all al once, the teara thal 1 hadn'1 Been Dennla cry In all iiiis time, gushed out, and he put hls anus around the child, who began to scream wlth terror; and a f hall turned and maintalned my own hold, he took him forclbly away from me. "Lel go !" he said, in hla low, halfgmothered tone. "He'a my child !" ■I suppose he is !" 1 erled. gome wicked form ol law, the cruel law thai men made [or men. But you don't deserve him. Yon helped him tu life, bul I Bhi uil! like to know how mucb Míe he would have now, If it liad reeted wil b yu 1" I never was si angry1. I tliou I would take my tilintes and jL' away tliat moment. Bul howcouldllei the baby? Mis Uttle sereams w torturlng me then. I Bat down on the door-stone, and flung my apron over my hcad, and put my thumbg in my ears, and wished the baby and I rere dead aloag with Loule. Perhaps i; waa :n hour afterward when 1 looked up, andthere was Dennla coming through tlie orchard with -■iiiy. and the boy was crowing and jumping and catching ;it the bending boughs, tben catching at his i'.itii. mout t ache, :;n:i rubbing his Uttle wet iiis all over Dsonie's chlrruping and Joyoufi ; and I couldn't hel) it. i ran to meet them. ''You gee," satd Dennis, as he let me have him back. ''blood la tiiieker than water, alter all." i ib : what a long journey I ihar baby had been on as I i him aiul COUld liariily h: k)S8ing him. "Come," said Dennis, laqghl "leave gomething oí him for me." It was the firsi time he liad laughInce t'iat ejijld v,-as born. Ar.'1. the . - a Journey Into the infinite depths of a i. We that, Den .nvi home early enough In tin1 afternooii, and i: geemed as ■■! to vay in the inornlng, and Sul he had the b.-iby in his arme ! umi ight. And in the evenings II 1 clotl ;iposiie. or where lv i v.-iü-k went on ; and be brouj all ei he talki il and Bang k liim, ai cd wiiii liiin ; and the baby began t look out for his eo tnuch as I (lid. And all that. o In my work about the house, tor I kept everythlng as fine aini orderly aa a honeycomb ; only, v.-iiii the baby to ben i and to, ! Bomei in:. 's had to sit np ni - to do it. "I Bhall cali liim 1. his mother," sald Dennis one night. "Do yon thlnk yon can bear ; I asked. "To hear blm called Louis 1 Yes. He - Louie over agaln," sald Dennis. And 1 couldn't teil you Uow pleaaant Ufe grew to be as w-e watched the child grow, unfolding likc a rosé. There was absolutely a sori f rlvalry bet ween us presently, as to who ■hould discover hls first tooth. When he took hls flrst step, it was between Dennls'g arms and mine, as we both sai on the tloor. And when he spoke His fii-st word, how we' llstened to see if it were Dennis'g name or mine. The day waant long cnough for us to wati-ii hia ilf.-i ïoviiness In. And I think Dennla was envious of me lor having hini nlghte ; but he couldn't help tliat. I ncvcr kIkiII forget, tMough, the nigln the baby bad the croup, and vre both hung over hlm, tearlng every breath would be the last and, when ease caine. linw we both broke down andcried together : and as we looked out oí the windOW and siuv tile ïirst flush of ilaun and the ïuoon and the Qiornlng star. gllttering out of t wüh au Ineffable brlghtnese, tliat star seemed to be Bhlnlng on BOme herald aiiel's ioivhoad. Bometlme went on; andlthoughi then it would not be easy to say how we eould be happier : for even the meinnry 01 I.onie was soitened int o somethlng tliat was hardly a grief to tis in our love of her boy, thougb aometlmea 1 used to wonder ii the little fellow tliat went Wlth her was as sweet as the one tliat stayed with us. J'.nt when the dear chiUl was about three years oíd, there carne a Bnake int o Eden. A Bnake? A wliole nest of thein ! It Kcemcd as if overy girl in the whole vlUage had just found out what a raro and channing personl was, and liow pleasent ii was. late aftcrnoons, up where I livcd, and how nlce it was to run up evenInga to Bee me. And Bometlmes Kennis would linye to go home with them then: .nhi Bometiniea he wouldn't, lmt just went out i hc other way, ind nc' r came home till they had gorre ; and, somehowj one thlng was almosi as unpleasani as the other, and I eouldn'1 gay why it worried me- I only knew it dld. AndI ueedtbtake ! go off bj mj aell and ery. i'iir. ol course, Booner r later, Dennis Dould marry one of those terrible girls : he conldn't help himself ; they wouldn't let hiin help hlmsell ; it woulil come about after awhlle, as naturally aa water runs down hill. And then there would be a stepmother for mv boy, and Heaven alone knew wKat would become ol htm. And what would become ol me ? And by t his I gave out completely. 1 Bbould have to go away. 1 should '■unís ao more. No more ol tliat dear voice and presence, and eb way Ol his. And all at once it carne ovr me in a flash of horror and ahorne wha1 was the mat u-r with me. and then I feit that, happen wiiat would, I really nu ay. Bul I couldn'1 go away and 1 the boy : and there 1 was. And I grew pale and could eat nothlng, and was stiller and stiller every day. I : as soon have talked ■ as ha vi' smiled. One day I had the Httle ii Uo-w p in his tnorning nap, whlch he had iot quite outgrown, although it was setting to be short and fitlul ; and. thinking tlia; Dennis was there lo gee, or knowing he was. and thinking nothlng, I went out by myself, down the field ly the rallroad eut ; ■ aere was an apple t ree there wbere I gathered the wind-fa lis, andl liked, tOO, to .sit on the ban!; and ser the train flash by In the eut. I had apron t'ull ol apples, and, as 1 came back. stood loiteridg a nioineut or so on the bank, hearing a train coming, and liking all the rush oar and rat (Ie that seemed to snatch me out of my ■'■■'. a i if 11 toM t .i tomewhere, Bome dlstam in where my trouble mighi forgotten ; and all al once another 'i i'.a I oí t he approaching traiB caughi my ear, a glad, Bhoutlng and crying. 1 turned and ed to right and left. a little conl, for il was the chlld's And, turning bad; suddenly, 1 sa-,v hiin ; and thi i bank, in the very center of the railway track, stood the little tel who had crepi from his bed and ran ;r, and had l).', :i b iguili d down ■ by Bome blossoms he saw there- th -v of the track waving hls little hands and ■■ Coming train. '1 I emed ; hut in lime 1 was down there, and was ihild when my toot and 1 feil with him in my ■. and thunder was in my eaiv ■■■ !ut breath in my face, and I knew tha1 was the end. No : i! was onlj end. Whi-n I knew au.vi . I was lylng on the baak ín Dennls's arma : (or he had c boundlng alter the . both out uf danger aa engine, like a dragon, whizzed and roared and tkundered by, and he was holding me as II he woi Iel me go. Andhe never has 1 i me go. '"Oh !" heerled, "1 found out In thai second what Ufe would be without you, dear; Bomething I couldn't bear i day." And I only clnng to lihn. too ashamed hlm see my face, too tired and weak io lift it. And so 11 tg tha1 I am the second wiiv. and the boy'a mother. And I Buppose everybody was surprlaed : imt npbody, is i told you. was hall as inueli surprJsed as [.-The Independent.