Mother: A Story

lazing Sunday was precipitated upon them

Mother, and was off for a day's sail, was dividing his attention between Robert and his watch. Rebecca, daintily busy with the special cup and plate that were one of her little affectations, was all ready for the day, except as to dress, wearing a thin little kimono over her blue ribbons and starched embroideries. Mother was putting up a little lunch for Bruce. Confusion reigned. The younger boy

azily for letters, under the trees outside the post-office door. Otherwise the main street was deserted

t, glancing up sharply, saw, almost with a sensation of sickness, the big, ungainly figure, the beaming smile, and the shock of dark hair tha

if only he could spare them time for no more than a flyi

of you!" Margaret said. "Have you

howing me the colored supplement of the paper. I didn't have any word from you, Miss Paget," he went on, "so I took the

been glad to use violence on the stubborn, serene little figure. When he was finally dislodged, she sat down, still flushed from her walk and the nervousness Doctor Tenison's arrival caused her, and tried to bring the conversation into a normal channel. But an interruption occurred in the arrival of Harry and Julie in the runabout; the little boys swarmed down t

coming gingham, was putting up a cold supper for the younger boys, who, having duly attended to their religious duties, were to take a long afternoon tramp, with a possible interval of fishing. She buttered each slice of the great loaf before she cut it, and lifted it carefully on the knife before beginning the next slice. An opened pot of

deliciously, a mountain of mashed potato-corn on the cob, and an enormous heavy salad

wls," she asked; "and mayn't we have bla

, "No, no, Ted! You can't have all that cake. Half that!" and to Blanche herself, "Don't leave the door open when you go in, Blanche; I just drove all the flies out of t

other did not hear it. She buckled the strap of the lunch-box, straighten

hazard between her hair and forehead, she added affectionately: "You're more than

Maudie had joined them on the porch now, and had been urged to

's ear. Mrs. Paget immediately sent her own fresh napkin to the guest. The incident, or something in their murmured conversation, gave Rebecca and Maudie "the giggles." There seemed an exhausting amount of passing and repassing of plates. The room was hot, the supply of ice insufficient. Mr. Paget dwelt on his favorite grievance-"the old man isn't n

oking interestedly from one face to the other, sympathetic, alert, an

lar Sunday treats, the boys felt called upon to cheer. Julie asked her mother in an audible undertone if she "ought" to eat cake. Docto

mother said, when the meal was over, "

rgaret said, in an indifferent tone, but she co

ng a big apron about Julie's ruffled frock, preparatory to an attack upon the demoralized kitchen.

t said carelessly,

shing. But when Mrs. Paget had gone downstairs, Julie came very simply and charmingly over to her sister, and standing close besi

r tell

ed down at th

ou sor

of maturity in her manner now, and it was all the more impressive for that. "Why, Mark," said she, "it's-it's the most wonderful thing that eve

rred, kissed

ung-you're such a bab

f it's a girl? Not for Mother, for it's so confusing to have two Julias, but for you! B

ose-jointed figure, and to send an occasional side glance to John Tenison's earnest face, which wore its pleasantest expression now. Ah, well, it would be all over at five o'clock, she said wearily to herself, and she could go home and lie down with her aching head in a darkened room, and try not to think what to-day might have

o find Doctor Tenison glanc

'clock, was it?" he s

nkly. Then, as the horrible poss

as that!" he said

ing despair, struggl

quite naturally. "There's a seven-six, but it stops everywhere, and a ten-

five more hours of the struggle! "But perhaps that's an imposition," he said

ding any one there! No, we'll take that little walk I told you of, and Mother will give us something to eat later.-P

ng of adventure and comradeship again. Things couldn't be any worse than they had been at noon, anyway. The experience had been

her thin gown from contact with the tangled, uncut grass; they had to disturb a flock of nibbling sheep to cross to the crumbling wall. Leaning on the uneven stones that formed it, they looked down at the

ey found on the side porch only Rebecca, enchant

age to Margaret that required dimples, widened eyes, compressed lips, and

, experiencing the most pleasant sens

dimpling mysteriously with additional information. She gave Margaret an eloquent side gl

presided over blue bowls of berries, and the choicest of Mother's preserved fruits. Some one had found time to put fresh parsley about the Canton platter of co

when the sisters went into the kit

ying to make a nice impression, and to have things go smoothly, and we were all acting like Indians, and everything so confused at dinner, and hot and noisy! So, later, when Paul and I and the o

ther was his sweetest self, delightfully reminiscent of his boyhood, and his visit to the White House in Lincoln's day, with "my uncle, the judge." But it was to her mother's face that Margaret's eyes returned most often, she wanted-she was vaguely conscious that she wanted-to get away from the voices and

uting joyously together, Mr. Paget one broad twinkle, Mrs. Paget radiantly refl

y the moon sent silver shafts through the dark foliage of the trees. Litt

the steps with her head against her mother's knee, found it ver

ou cry,

u weep n

voice to Margaret's sweet and steady one. The others hummed a little. John Tenison, sitting watching the

er boys, returning full of the day's great deeds, spread themselves comfortably over the lower steps. Before long all their happy voices rose together, on "Believe m

gestive of fish, cordially into his; Rebecca promised to mail him a certain discussed variety of fern the very next day; Bruce's voice sounded all hea

down our way again?"

ble to keep his eyes from moving to

sent, then," she said

"It's been an inestimable privilege to meet

ught this merely very charming politeness. But her heart sang, a

something to thank God for, a mother like that; it's a privilege to know her. I've been watching her all day, and I've been wondering what she gets out of it,-that was what puzzled me; but now, just now, I've found out! This

but Margaret

ole splendid philosophy into her nursery-launches sound little bodies and minds that have their first growth cleanly and purely about her knees. Responsibility,-that's what these other women say they are afraid of! But it seems to me there's no responsibility like that of decreeing that young lives simply shall not be. Why, what good is learning, or elegance of manner, or painfully acquired fineness of speech, and taste and point of view, if

venient support, she laid her arms suddenly upon the rosevine that cover

aid, aghast. He laid his hand on the sha

t different from other women; I'm just as selfish and bad and mean a

ips, and both his big arms were about her. "You know I love you, don't you Margaret?" he said hoarse

re was a roaring in her ears. She was conscious of a wild desire to answer him, to say one hundredth part of all she fe

" he said more gently. "You l

er night, with the great branches of the trees moving a little overhead, and garden scents

fright left her eyes, and happy tears fi

icious odors came from garden beds and recently watered lawns. She moved through the confusion that always attended the settling down of the Pagets for

m the very first. His old aunt suspected it, and his chum suspected it, and he had thought Margaret knew it. And beside him in that brilliant career that she had followed so wistfully in her dreams, Margaret saw herself, his wife. Young and clever and good to look upon,-yes, she was free to-night to adm

would date from to-night,-Margaret was thrilling already to their delights. "For better or worse," the old words came to her with a new meaning. There would be no worse, she said to herself with sudden conviction,-how could there be? Poverty, privation, sickness might come,-but to bear them wit

hild, the little perfect promise of the days to come. How marvellous-how marvellous it was! The little imperative, helpless third person, bringing to radiant youth and irresponsibility the terrors of danger and anguish, and the great final joy, to share

and thinking. There was no one in the world with whom she would change places to-night! Margaret found herself thinking of one woman of her

ain? She had met brilliant women, rich women, courted women-but where among them was one whose face had ever shone as her mother's shone to-day? The overdressed, idle dowagers; the matrons, with their too-gay frocks, their too-full days, their too-rich food; the girls, all crudeness, artifice, all scheming openly for their own advantage,

the last candy cane. And how her face would beam, as she sat at the breakfast-table, enjoying her belated coffee, after the cold walk to church, and responding warmly to the onslaught of kisses and bugs that added fresh color to her cold, rosy cheeks! What a mother she was,-Margaret remembered her making them all help her clear up the Christmas disorder of tissue paper and ribbons; then came the inevitable bed making, then tippets and overshoes

!" Margaret said; "and

ly to be renewed again and again, are the secret of happiness. For another world, perhaps, leisure and beauty and luxury-but in this one, "Who loses his life

orter, her old brave little associate of school-teaching days, was always bright, why Mary Page, plodding home from the long day a

t away in an hour, and leave no one the worse. Suppose her own summons came; there would be a little flurry throughout the great establishment, legal matters to settle, notes of thanks to be written for flowers. Margaret could imagine Victoria and Harriet, awed but otherwise unaffected, home from school in midweek, and to be sent back before the next Monday.

shoulders and trembling hands, she saw Julie and Beck, red eyed, white-cheeked, in fresh black,-she seemed to hear the low-toned voices that would break over and over again so cruelly into sobs. What could they do-

ith every deepening experience, her children grew to love her better, turned to her more and more! There would be Christmases as sweet as the old ones, if not so gay; there would come a day-Margaret's whole being thrilled to the thought-when lit

achts and country houses, these things were to be bought in all their perfection by the highest bidder, and always would be. But love and character and service, home and the wonderful char

orrow, she would show her mother that her daughter was not all unworthy of her. To-morrow, she thought, she would go and see Julie. Dear old Ju, whose heart was so full of the little Margaret! Margaret had a sudden tender memory of the days when Theodore and Duncan and Rob were all babies in turn. Her m

bad been the only ones-! Yes, came the sudden thought, but it wouldn't hav

cation, they kept from the world-not only the troublesome new baby, with his tears and his illnesses, his merciless exactions, his endless claim on mind and body and spirit-but perhaps th

he two-and how many thousands of women didn't have that!-she, Margaret, a pronounced and separate entity, travelled, ambitious, and to be th

she could do what Mother did, just take the nearest duty and

her thoughts raced on, and she could not shut her eyes. She turned and pressed her face resolutely into the pill

ere was a gentle

whispered. "Ca

ht about her mother, as the

ught I heard you sigh! I got up to lock the stairway door; Baby's gotten a trick of walking

to her mother's ear. "Mother-" she stamm

" she added tenderly; and then, after a silence, "He is very fine, Mark, so unaffected, so gentle and nice w

pting the term, or trying to settle down, when we'd have to move in July. And, Mother, I'm going to write Mrs. Carr-Boldt,-she can get a thousand girls to take my place, her niece is dying to do it!-and I'm going to take my old school here for the term. Mr. Forbes spoke to me about it after church this morning; t

ned convulsively about her, and

right hair falling over her shoulder. "You said your prayers on Mark last nig