What a horror brooded over that spring -- that so beautiful spring ! It was a time of wonder and marvel ; of the soft touch of silver rain on greening fields ; of the incredible delicacy of young leaves ; of blossom on the land and blossom in the sunset . The whole world bloomed in a flush and tremor of maiden loveliness , instinct with all the evasive , fleeting charm of spring and girlhood and young morning . And almost every night of this wonderful time the dream-child called his mother , and we roved the gray shore in quest of him . In the day she was herself ; but , when the night fell , she was restless and uneasy until she heard the call . Then follow it she would , even through storm and darkness . It was then , she said , that the cry sounded loudest and nearest , as if her pretty boy were frightened by the tempest . What wild , terrible rovings we had , she straining forward , eager to overtake the dream-child ; I , sick at heart , following , guiding , protecting , as best I could ; then afterwards leading her gently home , heart-broken because she could not reach the child . I bore my burden in secret , determining that gossip should not busy itself with my wife 's condition so long as I could keep it from becoming known . We had no near relatives -- none with any right to share any trouble -- and whoso accepteth human love must bind it to his soul with pain . I thought , however , that I should have medical advice , and I took our old doctor into my confidence . He looked grave when he heard my story . I did not like his expression nor his few guarded remarks . He said he thought human aid would avail little ; she might come all right in time ; humor her , as far as possible , watch over her , protect her . He needed not to tell me THAT . The spring went out and summer came in -- and the horror deepened and darkened . I knew that suspicions were being whispered from lip to lip . We had been seen on our nightly quests . Men and women began to look at us pityingly when we went abroad . One day , on a dull , drowsy afternoon , the dream-child called .
I knew then XXXXX the end was near ; the end had been near in the old grandmother 's case sixty years before when the dream-child called in the day .
because from in into of over that through until with