24 
B Y THE WA YSIDE 
The Orphans. 
(Continued from page 19.) 
dav, although she realized that a double 
burden rested on her shoulders now. 
Eagerly the children looked for their 
father and missed his merry song that he 
was in the habit of greeting them with. 
And when the mother related the cir¬ 
cumstance and they realized that he was 
no more their grief knew no bounds. 
Sadly and patiently the mother toiled 
through the long days to supply the 
place of both parents, but they must deny 
themselves of many luxuries that they 
were accustomed to. But she hoped it 
would not be long until she would have 
help as her children were becoming quite 
large and often during the long twilight 
evenings she would talk to them and 
try to teach them how to earn their own 
living, but as yet she dare not trust them 
from their home, and they, having learned 
from the fate of the dear father, were in 
constant fear concerning the mother. 
And alas, one day she failed to come 
home. She had seen the same evil-doers 
that destroyed her companion lurking 
near the little home that contained all 
that was dear to her. And with the true 
instinct of a mother’s love, willing to 
give her own life for her children, (but it 
would have been far better for them had 
she not made the sacrifice) she began to 
sing, though her heart was breaking with 
sorrow and terror, and wander further 
and further from her treasures. The 
robbers were deceived by her as to the 
location of the home. They followed 
her far into the thicket and soon she was 
breathing her last. Her body was 
crowded in a large receptacle which con¬ 
tained many more victims. 
The children wondered why mamma 
had not made her frequent visits to them 
as was her custom and finallv when she 
J 
did not come at noon time they began to 
fear the worst. There were four little 
hungry babies when night came, and 
they had cried for her till the fount of 
tears were dry and four little hungry 
frightened children huddled together to 
keep warm, for she had always warmed 
the house for them through the long 
chilly nights. 
They finally fell asleep only to awake 
in the morning with heavy hearts and 
hungry bodies. All day in the hot sun 
they watched and waited, with the pangs 
of hunger and fear gnawing their lives 
awav. When night came again there 
was no sleep, but they tossed on their 
bed in an agony that cannot be expressed 
in words. Day after day this scene was 
repeated only they were each day grow¬ 
ing weaker and their cries fainter. They 
could no longer climb up and look out of 
the home, but lay in a little withered 
quivering mass. Finally one by one 
their little heads drooped and with a 
few faint gasps for mamma, papa, bread 
and water the little sparks of life flick¬ 
ered out. 
All this.misery, and for what? 
Just because some fashionable milliner 
wished a few Golden Oriole’s wings for 
black and orange were the prevailing col¬ 
ors that year and she was sure to have 
a ready sale for them. Hence some 
men (?) saw a chance to make a few dol¬ 
lars as they could get a good price for 
birds’ wings, regardless of the misery 
which it might cause. 
Since our last issue an Audubon so¬ 
ciety has been formed at Belmont, Wis., 
with fifty-three members and Mr. 0. N. 
Jones principal. 
