Page:Iracéma, the honey-lips (1886).djvu/112

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IRAÇÉMA.

Suddenly, between the branches of the trees, his eyes beheld sitting at the Wigwam-door Iraçéma with her boy in her lap, and the dog playing about them. His heart carried him there with a bound, and his whole soul rushed to his lips—

"Iraçéma !"

The broken-hearted wife and mother could only open her eyes on hearing the beloved voice. Only with a great effort she can raise the babe in her arms and present it to the father, who gazes at it with ecstatic love.

"Receive the son of thy blood. Thou hast arrived in time; already my breasts have no nourishment for him."

Placing the child in the paternal arms, the unhappy mother fainted away, like the Jetyca[1] with its uprooted bulb. The husband then saw how pain and sorrow had withered her form; but beauty still dwelt there, like perfume in the fallen flower of the Manacá.[2]

Iraçéma rose no more from the hammock where the afflicted arms of Martim had placed her. The husband, whose love was born anew with paternal joy, surrounded her with caresses, which filled her soul with its former happiness. But they could not bring her back to life. The stamen of her flower was broken for ever.

"Let the body of thy wife sleep at the foot of the palm-tree which thou lovedst. When the breeze of the sea shall sigh amongst its leaves, Iraçéma will think it is thy voice whispering through her hair."

Her lip became silent for ever; the last spark faded away from the darkening eyes.

Poty supported his brother in his great sorrow.

Martim felt how precious in misfortune is a true

  1. ↑ Jetyca, a tree which gives gum.
  2. ↑ Manacá, a flower well known in Pará. They also call by this name the most beautiful girl in a tribe, or anything of pleasure connected with a feast.
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