BY THE WAYSIDE 
bride. This made them more in danger 
than their more plainly dressed neigh¬ 
bors. 
They worked in the fields with much 
fear and trembling and they were always 
on the lookout for harm. Occasionally 
they would hear an unusual tread or rustle 
of leaves; they would hie themselves to 
to some place of hiding till the danger 
was passed. So they toiled on many 
happy and contented days in spite of 
this one great trouble, and they often 
sang merrily at their work and the 
woods rang joyfully with their music 
for they were sweet singers. And when¬ 
ever they were not afraid one could 
hear their sprightly notes faraway. 
In the course of time there were four 
sweet little darlings given to them. They 
were the exact counterparts of both their 
parents, for every one said that husband 
and wife resembled each other very 
much. 
The little children grew and thrived 
and the parents were proud of them and 
loved them very much. But as they 
had as yet been unable to lay by any of 
the world’s goods, they were still both 
compelled to work in the fields, and it 
was necessary that they should labor 
more now that they had others than 
themselves to care for. But it was not 
irksome for it was a labor of love ! They 
were happy to do the extra work and 
felt fully repaid when they could sit 
with their little ones in the evening 
and listen to their childish prattle. 
They were kept very busy during the 
day in order that their dear ones should 
have the comforts of life and they were 
obliged to leave them alone in the home 
while they went bread-winning, but they 
often returned during the course of the 
day to see that all was well, and to bring 
them some little dainty which parents 
are wont to indulge their children in. 
19 
The children were always much pleased 
to have them come as they were often 
very lonely during the long summer 
days, and they eagerly watched for their 
coming. 
One fatal morning the parents bade 
their children a more affectionate good¬ 
bye than usual, the father thinking how 
the children were growing and how fine 
and healthy they were looking; the little 
ones loving their father, if possible, more 
than ever; the mother with a secret mis¬ 
giving that something was going to hap¬ 
pen to rob them of their great happiness. 
The parents went to their task of earn¬ 
ing a livelihood, talking on their way of 
the future and of the bright prospects of 
their dear ones at home, the mother stat¬ 
ing her intentions, as soon as they had 
some leisure, of giving them some lessons 
in the many arts that she so w T ell knew. 
Now and then they would join in 
a glad song for it wa.- a bright June 
morning and everything seemed happy 
with no thought of evil. Indeed it 
seemed there could be no evil in such 
pleasant surroundings. 
During the forenoon the mother had 
made frequent visits to the home to see 
that no harm had come to the dear ones. 
The father laughingly said he thought it 
his turn to make the next visit, and 
started toward the home calling back to 
his wdfe a favorite tune, in which she 
joined, when snap from a rifle and he 
fell, never more to rise, with only a faint 
good-by gasped to his wife who escaped 
from sight just in time to save her life. 
And from behind the bushes she saw the 
body of her husband carried away with 
other victims to be stripped ot their 
clothing. 
Sorrowfully she went homeward for 
she had no heart to work any more that 
(Continued on page 24.) 
