THE LITTLE ONES' CORNER. Among the Forget me nots. (Specially Written for the "Free Lance" Christmas Number.)

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 181, 19 December 1903, Page 28 (Supplement)

THE LITTLE ONES' CORNER. Among the Forget me nots. (Specially Written for the "Free Lance" Christmas Number.)

By Ethel Thompson, Mangatera, Dannevirke.

SHE was found among the foiget-me-nots. At the. time she was only a tiny, fragile oroatuio of about eight or nine months old. It was one summer morning, when Mr. Leslie was taking his customary stroll, that he found her. He was passing a bank of blooming forget-me-nots, and, stooping to pick a spray for his wife, he stiartdd back with an exclamation ot surprise. In the midst of them was a small bundle of white lace, out ot which two blue eyes, exactly the same shade as the forget-me-nots, were solemnly regarding him. He recovered hnnealf , after a minute or two, and, kneeling down, gathered tho child awkwardly in his arms. Hurriedly he retraced his steps to the house. "Evie!" he called, "come and see what I have brought you. In answer to his call, Evelyn Leslie came quickly into the room, and, when she saw the child in his arms, stopped short with a gasp of astonishment. "Where did you get it?" "Whoso w it?" "What is its name?" she queried breathlessly. . .. "One question at a time, Evie, tfasu answered, laughingly, greatly enjoying her surprise. He explained where and how he had found the little maad, and, when he had finished, Evelyn gently took her from him. "Basil," she involuntarily ■"it is an angel from heaven." Searching inquiries were made, but no information about her was forthcoming. There was no mark ot any kind on her clothes to give them any clue At length Mr. and Mrs. Leslie resolved, to call her Forget-me-not, as she was found among them, and also "because the name seemed to suit her. Oear little child' The Leslies were quite wrapt up in her. They had no children of thedr own, althousrh both were very fond cf them. As little Forgeb-me-not grew older, she muzzled ©very one who knew her by her strange ways. She had a very dreamy and

imaginative nature. Only to Mr. and Mrs. Leslie did She sJiow any affection, although every one was very kind to her. She Mas gentle m her dealings withi birds and animals, but she> never made pets of them. It seems very strange, \ery improbable, but it is the truth for all that. What she cared for most in the w hole wide world weie forget-me-nots. At three yeans old she would wand en- away by herself, and whan searched for would b^ found lying peacefully among them as on the day when she was discovered. "Mamma," she said sadly one day," "where are my little sisters going? They are all dying quite away." She hiad ai strange idea, which was unwisely fosteired by Mr. Leslie, that she was the sister of the' Forget-me-nots. "Why, dear," Evelyn replied, "they fade away at a certain time every year, the same as other flowers." "Then, why don't I fade away, too. I'm a little Forget-me-not, mamma, aren't I?" "Yes, darling, but you're a human forget-me-not, while they are only flower forget-me-nots." At this the little creature was greatly distressed, and sobbed out, "I am I am ai flower forget-me-not, for pa,pa said so, and I 'specti I shall go> away with them soon." Mrs. Leslie tried to soothe her, )~ut in vain. She cried bitterly until atlast, tired out by the violence of her grief, she dropped asleep. People were fond of saying that the little child was more like an, angel than a human, beiner, and indeed, there was a good deal of truth in. this statement. Dressed always in white, with her golden hair falling in thick waves round her shoulders, and, gliding; about in her sweet, dreamy way, she did seem to belong to a purer world thain this work-a-day one of ours. She became very sad when the for-get-me-nots died, and was more full of strange fancies than; ever

Time passed on, and she daily grew sadder over the loss of her flowers It \\ as of no avail to tell her they would boon come again. One morning, Mr. Leslie camei in, has face beaming with smiles. "Come here, little daughter, and see what I have got." With a startled cry she sprang forward, and took a lovely spray of foirge<t-me-nots from him. Instead of being delighted, at the offering, she sank weeping, to the floor. After a while she said, brokenly "Papa, oh, only see vihat you have done. You have picked them as soon as they have come again, and noA\ they are all dying." Mr. Leslie grew angry, and said, '"You are altogether too unreasonable,

child. Floweis Mere made to be picked." "Oh, dada, but not these, for they are my sisters. Promise never to pdak them again," she wailed. "All right, my child, but it does not matter, tor there are lots more there." Forget-me-not gave him a look of unutterable sadness, as she said, "You oan never understand." That night Evelyn and Basil talked the matter over. "It is very strange," she said. "Perhaps, Basil, she inherited this liking; from her parents. They may have been very fond of these little flowers." "Very probable," Basil agreed. "But it is strange she calls them her sisters." Evelyn gave him a searching glance as she said "That is your fault, Basil. Don't you remember how you used to fill her head with all sorts of notions about her being the sister of the for-get-me-nots ?" A light broke in upon Basil. He exlaimed "Oh, I had qiite forgotten. I wish I had not been so foolish." That year, while the forget>me-nots were in Bower, their namesake spent all her daylight hours among them. She would not suffer one to be plucked. One day she said to Evelyn • "Will the for-get-me-noitsi leave me this year, too?" Mrs. Leslie, dreading to see her as sad again as she was last year, said : "They will only go for a holiday to the bush far a time." The little creature said no more, but her pale face brightened, as she turned away. Mrs. Leslie congratulated herself upon the success of her ruse, for ail through the following week the child ~was very happy. But, alas I a day came when she could not be found. She was not on the bank where the forget-me-nots had a little while before been blooming, but where now they were all dying and dead. A fruitless search was made round about "Oh, what shall I do?" cried Evelyn frantically. "What is it, wifey?" Basil anxiously queried. "I told our darling they had all gone to the bush for a holiday, and I fear she has gone to find them." Mr. Leslie hastily organised 1 a search party. The bush was about three hundred yards from the house. All night long they searched in different directions with lanterns. Basil returned home at daybreak tired, and discouraged. His wife met him with the words ready on her tongue "Eavo you found her, Basil?" but, seeing by has dejected manner that the poor little girl was still missing, she turned as pale as death, and would have fallen had not Basil caught her in has arms. When consciousness returned, he was bending over her, all his own fatigue and sorrow forgotten in his anxiety : "Oh, Evie 1 , do you feel better now? Don't reproach yourself so, it wog not your fault. You did it for the best." "Basil," she said wearily, "if any harm has come to Forget-me-not I believe I shall go mad." As she said this, he lost all control of himself. He was utterly unnerved by the loss of Forget-me-not, and Evelyn's words gave the finishing touch to his grief. His tired frame shook • with sobs. His wife, too weak to move, reproached herself bitterly for her thoughtless words. It was awful to lie there and listen to the sobbing of a man — and that man, her husband. When he had regained the mastery of himself he lifted his white, agonised face, and said- "Please, don't talk like

that again, Evie. It is very v, rong of you." "I will not ; oh, forgive me for it ! ' she answered, her sensitive face flushing painfully. He leant forward, and gently kissed her. "Do you know, wifey, that we have come to the conclusion that someone has stolen our little darling, for we searched until we could search no longer, and I'm sure did it thoroughly." Evelyn, noting how utterly tired he was said, "You need a good sleep, Basil, arid do not worry about Forget-me-not, for I am sure God will oare for her, wherever she be." She still felt weak and Piddv, but she rose from the sofa, and insisted on Basil having a long rest. It was in vain, he protested that he could not sleep. She was firm, and, after making him comfortable, went out, and quietly closed the door. Some instinct told her that Forget-me-not had not been stolen, but was still in the bush, and she determined to go and seek her. Very quietly she> left the house, so that Basil would not hear her, and made her way to the bush. For nearly three hours she searched unsuccessfully. Then, giving way to despair, she oried out "Forget-me-not, where are you ? Why don't you answer?" But nothing was heard save the sweet singing of the birds in the trees, which seemed to mock her misery She sank to the ground in despair Dry, gasping sobs shook her from head to foot, but no tears came to her relief. Suddenly with a cry. she SDrang up. She had touched something soft bv her side. Instinct told her what it was, even before she looked. It was the little missing girlie, lying, w lute and still, with her two arms stretched round a group of nearly dead forget-me-nots. Evelyn knelt, a vague fear gnawing at her heart. She chafed Forget-me-not's hands and feet, and poured a little brandy, with which, she. had thoughtfully provided herself, down her throat. After a time she fancied she saw a movement of the eyelids, and so rubbed with renewed energy. Soon Forget-me-not feebly opened her eyes, and smiled. A little mare brandy enabled her to speak, although only in a faint whisper.

" I looked for them, but only found these, and they aie dymg too " She \va& too weak to say moic, and closed her eyes wearily. Just then Mis. Leslie heard a loud "Hallo!" which sounded quite nean She knew the tone at once to be that of her husband's, and she heaved a sigh of relief. She shouted as loudly as she could, "Basil, Basil," but her voice was too weak fco make itself hoard. Again came the ciy of "Hallo 1" and Evelyn could now hear the sound of aoproaching footsteps. Even now she could not answer, but, lemember, she had had neither food nor sleep for nearly two days. She looked yearningly in the direction of the sounds, and theie presently emerged from among the trees her husband with four other men. For on,© minute they stood still, gazing in incredulous surprise at Evelyn and Forget-me-not. Then, Basil, in a voice trembling with emotion, said "I thank thee, Loird, for lestoring to mo my two darlings." Kneeling down by his wife's side, the men looking on silently, he softly whispered "My precious girlie'" Slowly the heavy hdsi unclosed, and the child's beautiful eyes gazed dreamily at the group. "My sisters are calling me'" she murmured ' Forget-me-not." One moment there was silence, broken by one of the men saying huskily "She js dead!" Evelyn burst into hysteiical weeping, and Basil, whose face was full of anguish, gently closed Forget-me-not's flowery eyes. On her grave was erected a tombstone of white marble, on which was written these three pathetic little w curds "Forget-me-not," and underneath, "Thy will be done " A week after the funeral, Evelyn became alarmingly ill, and the doctois crave but little hopo of her lecovery. The crisis passed, however and <she slowly, very slowly, began to lecover. This illness w as, in a way, beneficial to Mr. Leslie, for it prevented his thoughts from dwelling: too much on Forget-me-not's death, and thus stopped him from becoming melancholy which he would inevitably have done. Mrs Leslie, too, did not feel her loss quite so much after her recovery, although her heart was still very sore Neither of them was tie same after this sad event.

Mr. Leslie became much graver than formerly, while Evelyn's face always after bore the stam of deep sorrow. She never quate forgave herself for tie deception she had practised on little For-get-me-not, in telling her the flowers had gone to the bush. Two years afterwards, a letter, bearing a foreign post-mark and written in a strange, cramped hand was handed ta Mr. Leslie. It ran as follows . — "My Dear Sir, — As I lie here on my dying bed I am dictating this letter, which will clear up the mystery surrounding the little child that you found so long ago. This child was mine. Ab the time you found her she was exactly ten months old. Her mother, whom I simply idolised, was a strange young creature, among other thing® being passionately fond of forget-me-nots. She insisted on our child being called Forget-me-not, and, all unknowingly, you gave her her right name. When she was eight months old, my wife died suddenly. I missed her; oh, how much Got! only knows. I decided to go abroad, for the quiet life at home was) maddening: to me. I had heard of the kindness of you and your wife, and thought it an excellent plan to place Forget-me-not where I did, knowing she would soon be discovered. "Since then. I have always been travelling about until laid low by this illness, from which they tell me I shall not recover. I had only one hope, and that was to see Forget-me-not, so now that she is dead I have no longer any wish to live. Indeed, I welcome death, for it has been terribly lonely since my sweet wife died. lam sorry that I so neglected my little daugnler for her sake. But, after all, she has been better off with you. I am sending my marriage certificate herein, to prove the truth of my statement. "With my undying gratitude to your wife and yourself, I remain, yours ever, "H. Jules Palmor.>" This letter explained everything to the Leslies. "What a coincidence, dear Basil, that we called her Forget-me-not!" Evelyn whispered, as she and her husband stood over the little grave the following evening. Such a pretty little grave it was. Foro-et-me-nots grew wild over it, and forced their way through the neat white palings that surrounded, it. "Yes, very," he answered, musingly, "she came to us when they were blooming, and left us at the time they did." "Basil, her history would make a pretty story, it is so pure and strange." "So it would, Evie ; shall we both try it some day ?" This, then, is the story of their darling, written as they wrote it, and I hope it will be appreciated by all those who happen to read it.