s: And let each angry impulse that may start,


s: And, rocked within the cradle of the heart,


s: Of Summer's passion:  In the sluggish stream


s: The panting cattle lave their lazy feet,


s: Long since the winds have died, and in the sky


s: There lives no cloud to hint of Nature's grief;


s: The thresher lies deserted, like some old


s: The yearning cry of some bewildered bird


s: With liquid laughter, and with rippling calls


s: Of piping lips and thrilling echoes sent


s: And through the hazy veil the atmosphere


s: Has draped about the gleaming face of Day,


s: The dusty highway, like a cloud of dawn,


s: Trails o'er the hillside, and the passer-by,


s: And down across the valley's drooping sweep,


s: Withdrawn to farthest limit of the glade,


s: The forest stands in silence, drinking deep


s: Till, throbbing on and on, the pulse of heat


s: And Day sinks into slumber, cool and sweet,


s: DIED--Early morning of September 5, 1876, and


s: in the gleaming dawn of "name and fame,"


s: For the thoughts that come in the shadows


s: Till the click of the clock was answered


s: Thou bear'st the stranger to his friends;


s: And, where thy breathings roll and rise,


s: Sat crooning by the roadside of the year,


s: So, Autumn, in thy strangeness, thou art here


s: To read dark fortunes for us from the book


s: Of fate; thou flingest in the crinkled brook


s: The trembling maple's gold, and frosty-clear


s: Thy mocking laughter thrills the atmosphere,


s: And drifting on its current calls the rook


s: To other lands.  As one who wades, alone,


s: Deep in the dusk, and hears the minor talk


s: In some wierd way compelling him to stalk


s: The paths of childhood over,--so I moan,


s: And like a troubled sleeper, groping, walk.


s: The frightened herds of clouds across the sky


s: Trample the sunshine down, and chase the day


s: And somber twilight.  Far, and faint, and high


s: The wild goose trails his harrow, with a cry


s: Of his last hope, and lays him down to die.


s: The children, riotous from school, grow bold


s: And quarrel with the wind, whose angry gust


s: Plucks off the summer hat, and flaps the fold


s: Of many a crimson cloak, and twirls the dust


s: In spiral shapes grotesque, and dims the gold


s: Of gleaming tresses with the blur of rust.


s: Muffles the world.  The moaning of the wind


s: Within sprouts into flame and lights the mind


s: And powerless to greet the ones that press


s: Old kisses there.  The baby beats its drum,


s: He smiles in his heart, though his deep, sad eyes


s: As he finds the answer he seeks confessed


s: In glowing features, and heaving breast.


s: Of the Coquette's art and the Serpent's trick,--


s: She someway feels she would like to fling


s: And the upraised eyes are moist and mild


s: As the prayerful eyes of a drowsy child.


s: And prate of "peace" till one might think


s: His long hair back, and laughed and sung


s: While from his flying quill there dripped


s: Looked out through tears to see him die.


s: Have searched in vain; each lesson conned


s: Who seeks his childhood's home once more,


s: The harp of the minstrel has never a tone


s: As sad as the song in his bosom to-night,


s: For the magical touch of his fingers alone


s: Can not waken the echoes that breathe it aright;


s: But oh! as the smile of the moon may impart


s: Let the light of the melody fall on the heart,


s: And cadence his grief into musical rhyme.


s: The faces have faded, the eyes have grown dim


s: That once were his passionate love and his pride;


s: And alas! all the smiles that once blossomed for him


s: Have fallen away as the flowers have died.


s: The hands that entwined him the laureate's wreath


s: And crowned him with fame in the long, long ago,


s: Like the laurels are withered and folded beneath


s: The grass and the stubble--the frost and the snow.


s: Then sigh, if thou wilt, as the whispering strings


s: Strive ever in vain for the utterance clear,


s: And think of the sorrowful spirit that sings,


s: For the harp of the minstrel has never a tone


s: As sad as the song in his bosom tonight,


s: And the magical touch of his fingers alone


s: Can not waken the echoes that breathe it aright.


s: How slight a thing may set one's fancy drifting


s: Upon the dead sea of the Past!--A view--


s: In some wood's-pasture of the Long Ago--


s: A wilted apple that the worm had spurned,--


s: Yet hidden in the taste were happy hints


s: And so my heart, like some enraptured lute,


s: God's blessing must be resting on the fruit--


s: A splintered mast, with knarl and strand


s: Yet all the more the song of love. . . .


s: In the sea's smile--meant but for her!--


s: I thought of firm earth, home and friends--


s: I thought of everything but--Fame. . . .


s: And fraught with sobs--the more profound


s: We hear when strong men weep. . . .  I leant


s: He said,--" 'twas sweet--O passing sweet!--


s: Her clothes were coarse, but her health was fine,


s: And the sweet song died of a strange disease,


s: Stopped his horse in the shade and threw


s: His fine-cut out, while the blushing Maud


s: "He was dry as a fish," he said with a wink,


s: "And kind o' thought that a good square drink


s: Would brace him up."  So the cup was filled


s: With the crystal wine that old spring spilled;


s: And she gave it him with a sun-browned hand.


s: "Thanks," said the judge in accents bland;


s: "A thousand thanks! for a sweeter draught,


s: From a fairer hand"--but there he laughed.


s: And the sweet girl stood in the sun that day,


s: And my throne is the muddy and moss-grown log


s: And the blacksnakes slide in the slimy tide


s: And a voice, god wot, that is equaled not


s: She tells me the tale of the world outright,


s: For she knows you all, from the time you crawl,


s: The Storm swoops down, and he blows--and blows,--


s: While the rushes drown in the watery frown


s: And I can see through the sky--the sky--


s: To your Sovereign lord all hail--all hail!--


s: Let the moon swing low, and the high stars trail


s: And the wide world sing:  Long live the King,


s: The prayers a mother breathed with sighs


s: But face and form and prayers have fled--


s: Through dead'ning pasture-lands, and tripped


s: Still delving, till the lengthened chain,


s: Trees that hold their tempting treasures


s: The Crankadox leaned o'er the edge of the moon


s: Where the Gryxabodill madly whistled a tune


s: The quavering shriek of the Fly-up-the-creek


s: To the Queen of the Wunks as she powdered her cheek


s: The Gool closed his ear on the voice of the Grig,


s: As he marked the Baldekin adjusting his wing


s: And the air it grew chill as the Gryxabodill


s: Raised his dank, dripping fins to the skies,


s: And plead with the Plunk for the use of her bill


s: The ghost of the Zhack flitted by in a trance,


s: As he heard the loud hooves of the Hooken advance


s: And the Crankadox cried, as he lay down and died,


s: While the Queen of the Wunks drifted over the tide


s: I drink thy breath in sips of rare perfume,


s: The shifting shuttle of the Summer's loom


s: And weaves a damask-work of gleam and gloom


s: Before thy listless feet.  The lily blows


s: A bugle-call of fragrance o'er the glade;


s: And, wheeling into ranks, with plume and spear,


s: While, faint and far away, yet pure and clear,


s: A voice calls out of alien lands of shade:--


s: All hail the Peerless Goddess of the Year!


s: O' the size you are--fer I'd pictured you


s: With other folks--like his health was bad,


s: And gittin' along with the school, you see,


s: But shucks!  It made him worse and worse


s: He warn't as strict as he ought to been,


s: And all o' the scholards great and small


s: Didn' you, Charley?--But we p'omised Belle


s: An' crossed our heart to never to tell--


s: 'At "Bob puts foolishnuss into our head!"--


s: "Yes; an' yer PA'S head wuz soft as that,


s: An' it's that way yet!"--An' Pa grabs his hat


s: An' says, "Yes, childern, she's right about Pa--


s: 'Cause that's the reason he married yer Ma!"


s: An' PA says 'at "you're soft as puddun!"--


s: Didn' he, Charley?--An' when Belle'll play


s: Don't you, Charley?--Nen you has WINGS--


s: Don't you, Charley?--An' nen you can FLY--


s: Ist fly-an' EVER'thing! . . . I Wisht I'D die!


s: But its last gleams of gold have slipped


s: Of those dear hands that combed my hair.


s: Though the reeds touch him and tickle his teeth--


s: Pluck at the leaves of his laureate-wreath,


s: He sinks to the dregs in the dead o' the night,


s: As he gathers the stars in a nest of delight


s: The Zhederrill peers from his watery mine


s: As he twinkles his eyes in a whisper of shine


s: The Morning is born like a baby of gold,


s: And rallies the Cheest for the horrible cold


s: The Gryke blots his tears with a scrap of his grief,


s: As he twunkers a tune on a Tiljicum leaf


s: For the sake of guilty conscience, and the heart that ticks the


s: Of the clockworks of my nature, I desire to say that I'm


s: A weak and sinful creature, as regards my daily walk


s: The last five years and better.  It ain't worth while to talk--


s: I've been too mean to tell it!  I've been so hard, you see,


s: And full of pride, and--onry--now there's the word for me--


s: Just onry--and to show you, I'll give my history


s: With vital points in question, and I think you'll all agree.


s: I was always stiff and stubborn since I could recollect,


s: And had an awful temper, and never would reflect;


s: And always into trouble--I remember once at school


s: The teacher tried to flog me, and I reversed that rule.


s: O I was bad I tell you!  And it's a funny move


s: That a fellow wild as I was could ever fall in love;


s: And it's a funny notion that an animal like me,


s: Under a girl's weak fingers was as tame as tame could be!


s: But it's so, and sets me thinking of the easy way she had


s: Of cooling down my temper--though I'd be fighting mad.


s: "My Lion Queen" I called her--when a spell of mine occurred


s: She'd come in a den of feelings and quell them with a word.


s: I'll tell you how she loved me--and what her people thought:


s: When I asked to marry Annie they said "they reckoned not--


s: That I cut too many didoes and monkey-shines to suit


s: Their idea of a son-in-law, and I could go, to boot!"


s: I tell you that thing riled me!  Why, I felt my face turn white,


s: And my teeth shut like a steel trap, and the fingers of my right


s: Hand pained me with their pressure--all the rest's a mystery


s: Till I heard my Annie saying--"I'm going, too, you see."


s: We were coming through the gateway, and she wavered for a spell


s: When she heard her mother crying and her raving father yell


s: That she wa'n't no child of his'n--like an actor in a play


s: We saw at Independence, coming through the other day.


s: Well! that's the way we started.  And for days and weeks and


s: And even years we journeyed on, regretting never once


s: Of starting out together upon the path of life--


s: Akind o' sort o' husband, but a mighty loving wife,--


s: And the cutest little baby--little Grace--I see her now


s: A-standin' on the pig-pen as her mother milked the cow--


s: And I can hear her shouting--as I stood unloading straw,--


s: "I'm ain't as big as papa, but I'm biggerest'n ma."


s: Now folks that never married don't seem to understand


s: That a little baby's language is the sweetest ever planned--


s: Why, I tell you it's pure music, and I'll just go on to say


s: That I sometimes have a notion that the angels talk that way!


s: There's a chapter in this story I'd be happy to destroy;


s: I could burn it up before you with a mighty sight of joy;


s: But I'll go ahead and give it--not in detail, no, my friend,


s: For it takes five years of reading before you find the end.


s: My Annie's folks relented--at least, in some degree;


s: They sent one time for Annie, but they didn't send for me.


s: The old man wrote the message with a heart as hot and dry


s: As a furnace--"Annie Mullen, come and see your mother die."


s: I saw the slur intended--why I fancied I could see


s: The old man shoot the insult like a poison dart at me;


s: And in that heat of passion I swore an inward oath


s: That if Annie pleased her father she could never please us both.


s: I watched her--dark and sullen--as she hurried on her shawl;


s: I watched her--calm and cruel, though I saw her tear-drops fall;


s: I watched her--cold and heartless, though I heard her moaning,


s: For mercy from high Heaven--and I smiled throughout it all.


s: Why even when she kissed me, and her tears were on my brow,


s: As she murmured, "George, forgive me--I must go to mother now!"


s: Such hate there was within me that I answered not at all,


s: But calm, and cold and cruel, I smiled throughout it all.


s: But a shadow in the doorway caught my eye, and then the face


s: Full of innocence and sunshine of little baby Grace.


s: And I snatched her up and kissed her, and I softened through and


s: For a minute when she told me "I must kiss her muvver too."


s: I remember, at the starting, how I tried to freeze again


s: As I watched them slowly driving down the little crooked lane--


s: When Annie shouted something that ended in a cry,


s: And how I tried to whistle and it fizzled in a sigh.


s: I remember running after, with a glimmer in my sight--


s: Pretending I'd discovered that the traces wasn't right;


s: And the last that I remember, as they disappeared from view,


s: Was little Grace a-calling, "I see papa!  Howdy-do!"


s: And left alone to ponder, I again took up my hate


s: For the old man who would chuckle that I was desolate;


s: And I mouthed my wrongs in mutters till my pride called up the


s: His last insult had given me--until I smiled again


s: Till the wild beast in my nature was raging in the den--


s: With no one now to quell it, and I wrote a letter then


s: Full of hissing things, and heated with so hot a heat of hate


s: That my pen flashed out black lightning at a most terrific rate.


s: I wrote that "she had wronged me when she went away from me--


s: Though to see her dying mother 'twas her father's victory,


s: And a woman that could waver when her husband's pride was rent


s: Was no longer worthy of it."  And I shut the house and went.


s: To tell of my long exile would be of little good--


s: Though I couldn't half-way tell it, and I wouldn't if I could!


s: I could tell of California--of a wild and vicious life;


s: Of trackless plains, and mountains, and the Indian's


s: I could tell of gloomy forests howling wild with threats of


s: I could tell of fiery deserts that have scorched me with their


s: I could tell of wretched outcasts by the hundreds, great and


s: And could claim the nasty honor of the greatest of them all.


s: I could tell of toil and hardship; and of sickness and disease,


s: And hollow-eyed starvation, but I tell you, friend, that these


s: Are trifles in comparison with what a fellow feels


s: With that bloodhound, Remorsefulness, forever at his heels.


s: I remember--worn and weary of the long, long years of care,


s: When the frost of time was making early harvest of my hair--


s: I remember, wrecked and hopeless of a rest beneath the sky,


s: My resolve to quit the country, and to seek the East, and die.


s: I remember my long journey, like a dull, oppressive dream,


s: Across the empty prairies till I caught the distant gleam


s: Of a city in the beauty of its broad and shining stream


s: On whose bosom, flocked together, float the mighty swans of


s: I remember drifting with them till I found myself again


s: In the rush and roar and rattle of the engine and the train;


s: And when from my surroundings something spoke of child and wife,


s: It seemed the train was rumbling through a tunnel in my life.


s: Then I remember something--like a sudden burst of light--


s: That don't exactly tell it, but I couldn't tell it right--


s: A something clinging to me with its arms around my neck--


s: A little girl, for instance--or an angel, I expect--


s: For she kissed me, cried and called me "her dear papa," and I


s: My heart was pure virgin gold, and just about to melt--


s: And so it did--it melted in a mist of gleaming rain


s: When she took my hand and whispered, "My mama's on the train."


s: There's some things I can dwell on, and get off pretty well,


s: But the balance of this story I know I couldn't tell;


s: So I ain't going to try it, for to tell the reason why--


s: I'm so chicken-hearted lately I'd be certain 'most to cry.


s: Pure, white rose-leaves washed with dew.


s: Say something to me!  I've waited so long--


s: Over a silence that glowers and frowns,--


s: Slips in the dews of my sorrow and wounds


s: Let the sweet words, like the notes of a bell,


s: Say something to me!  I kneel and I plead,


s: If my poor heart from this silence were freed,


s: In the glad morning, and twitter and sing,


s: But the pang of her laugh went cutting clear


s: And flashing up, with the blush that flushed


s: Came a bitter threat that his white lips hushed


s: And again her laugh, like a knell that tolled,


s: "Why, John," she said, "you have taken cold


s: And then he turned, and with teeth tight clenched,


s: That his love for her from his heart he wrenched


s: And then she called him "a ghoul all red


s: "You are old, Father William, and though one would think


s: Yet the end of your nose is red as a pink;


s: "You see," Father William replied, "in my youth--


s: It worried me so to keep up with the truth


s: "You are old," said the youth, "and I grieve to detect


s: Yet I'm willing to give you full time to reflect.


s: "Alas," said the sage, "I was tempted to choose


s: And the grief, when I think that she didn't refuse,


s: "You are old, Father William," the young man said,


s: Yet you sleep with your feet at the head of the bed;


s: "In my youth," said the sage, "I was told it was true,


s: That the world turned around in the night;


s: I cherished the lesson, my boy, and I knew


s: That at morning my feet would be right."


s: "You are old," said the youth, "and it grieved me to note,


s: That 'full as a goose' had been chalked on your coat;


s: "My boy," said the sage, "I have answered you fair,


s: While you stuck to the point in dispute,


s: But this is a personal matter, and there


s: And I hear these things in the whisperings


s: And the daylight's glare is frozen there


s: Chasing the flakes that the Polar shakes


s: Or hunting the trace of the track he makes


s: As he turned to glare from the slippery stair


s: Till I grew so strong that I strayed ere long


s: I heard the thaws in the ice-crag's jaws


s: And the angry crash of the waves that dash


s: Where the splintered masts of the ice-wrecks flash,


s: And I spread my wings for a flight as free


s: When his thoughts are wild and his heart beguiled


s: And I kissed their flag with a welcome lip,


s: That the sailors quaffed their grog and laughed


s: Of the warm sunshine and the tender sky--


s: And tranquil, lies like a child whose eyes


s: And I smoothed the wings and the plumage rare


s: And I lashed the waves to a wild unrest,


s: Till the daylight slept; and I wailed and wept


s: For I heard the boom of a gun strike doom;


s: And I held my breath at the shriek of death


s: I journeyed on, when the night was gone,


s: And I followed a path that a stream had drawn


s: I passed o'er lakes where the sunshine shakes


s: On the glittering shield of the wave that breaks


s: And the trader sails where the mist unveils


s: Adown deep glades where the forest shades


s: Where only the foot of the wild beast wades,


s: As the blacksnakes glide through the reeds and hide


s: And I turned and fled from the place of dread


s: "In the city's heart is rest," I said,--


s: The bells went wild, and the black smoke piled


s: Till I gathered them, like flocks defiled,


s: While the holocaust's red tresses tossed


s: Ye shapes that writhe in the slag and moan


s: While afar I hear, with a chill of fear,


s: The warm pulse of the nation has grown chill;


s: The muffled heart of Freedom, like a knell,


s: Throbs solemnly for one whose earthly will


s: Whose glowing reason towered above the sea


s: And led the Ship of State, unscathed and free,


s: When Treason, rabid-mouthed, and fanged with steel,


s: Lay growling o'er the bones of fallen braves,


s: And War, with all his train of horrors, leapt


s: Throughout it all his brave and kingly mind


s: Kept loyal vigil o'er the patriot's vow,


s: And Peace--all pallid from the battle-field


s: When first again it hovered o'er the land


s: And found his voice above it like a shield,


s: O throne of State and gilded Senate halls--


s: Though thousands throng your aisles and galleries--


s: How empty are ye! and what silence falls


s: And yet, though great the loss to us appears,


s: Though hushed the voice, through all the coming years


s: It tossed its head at the wooing breeze;


s: And vaunt of his hives, as a proud old king


s: And twanged his wings through the roundelay


s: Till quenched was the flame of love in him,


s: And I said:  I will cull my own sweet rose--


s: The priceless worth of the flower that knows


s: That hides in the leaves in wait for me!


s: But time passed by in a strange disguise,


s: "Where is the rose that waits for thee?"


s: I would sit and sing the whole day long;


s: I would fill my lungs with the strongest brine,


s: And yank 'em around till they yanked me,


s: To the pea-green groves on the coast of day,


s: But the waves would twang like a wet guitar


s: Low thunder and thrum in the darkness grum--


s: We would shriek aloud in the dismal dales--


s: Shriek at each other and squawk and squeal,


s: They would pelt me with oysters and wiggletails,


s: Laughing and clapping their hands at me,


s: I'd snatch them bald in my devilish glee,


s: And the tears, like the rain of morning,


s: I had fed the fire and stirred it, till the sparkles in delight


s: Snapped their saucy little fingers at the chill December night;


s: And in dressing-gown and slippers, I had tilted back "my


s: The old split-bottomed rocker--and was musing all alone.


s: I could hear the hungry Winter prowling round the outer door,


s: And the tread of muffled footsteps on the white piazza floor;


s: But the sounds came to me only as the murmur of a stream


s: That mingled with the current of a lazy-flowing dream.


s: Like a fragrant incense rising, curled the smoke of my cigar,


s: With the lamplight gleaming through it like a mist-enfolded


s: And as I gazed, the vapor like a curtain rolled away,


s: With a sound of bells that tinkled, and the clatter of a sleigh.


s: And in a vision, painted like a picture in the air,


s: I saw the elfish figure of a man with frosty hair--


s: A quaint old man that chuckled with a laugh as he appeared,


s: And with ruddy cheeks like embers in the ashes of his beard.


s: He poised himself grotesquely, in an attitude of mirth,


s: On a damask-covered hassock that was sitting on the hearth;


s: And at a magic signal of his stubby little thumb,


s: I saw the fireplace changing to a bright proscenium.


s: And looking there, I marveled as I saw a mimic stage


s: Alive with little actors of a very tender age;


s: And some so very tiny that they tottered as they walked,


s: And lisped and purled and gurgled like the brooklets, when they


s: And their faces were like lilies, and their eyes like purest dew,


s: And they each had little burdens, and a little tale to tell


s: Of fairy lore, and giants, and delights delectable.


s: And they mixed and intermingled, weaving melody with joy,


s: Till the magic circle clustered round a blooming baby-boy;


s: And they threw aside their treasures in an ecstacy of glee,


s: And bent, with dazzled faces and with parted lips, to see.


s: 'Twas a wondrous little fellow, with a dainty double-chin,


s: And chubby cheeks, and dimples for the smiles to blossom in;


s: And he looked as ripe and rosy, on his bed of straw and reeds,


s: As a mellow little pippin that had tumbled in the weeds.


s: And I saw the happy mother, and a group surrounding her


s: That knelt with costly presents of frankincense and myrrh;


s: And I thrilled with awe and wonder, as a murmur on the air


s: Came drifting o'er the hearing in a melody of prayer:--


s: 'By the splendor in the heavens, and the hush upon the sea,


s: And the majesty of silence reigning over Galilee,--


s: We feel Thy kingly presence, and we humbly bow the knee


s: And lift our hearts and voices in gratefulness to Thee.


s: Thy messenger has spoken, and our doubts have fled and gone


s: As the dark and spectral shadows of the night before the dawn;


s: And, in the kindly shelter of the light around us drawn,


s: We would nestle down forever in the breast we lean upon.


s: You have given us a shepherd--You have given us a guide,


s: And the light of Heaven grew dimmer when You sent him from Your


s: But he comes to lead Thy children where the gates will open wide


s: To welcome his returning when his works are glorified.


s: By the splendor in the heavens, and the hush upon the sea,


s: And lift our hearts and voices in gratefulness to Thee.'


s: Then the vision, slowly failing, with the words of the refrain,


s: Fell swooning in the moonlight through the frosty window-pane;


s: And I heard the clock proclaiming, like an eager sentinel


s: Who brings the world good tidings,--"It is Christmas--all is


s: "I have twankled the strings of the twinkering rain;


s: But my sky-rocket hopes, hanging over the past,


s: Must fuzzle and fazzle and fizzle at last!"


s: I had waded far out in a drizzling dream,


s: That wavered and wagged in a singular way


s: As he wound himself up and proceeded to say,--


s: "I have trimmed all my corns with the blade of the moon;


s: I have ripped up the rainbow and raveled the ends


s: When the sun and myself were particular friends."


s: And pausing again, and producing a sponge


s: That he struggled in vain to disguise,--


s: For a sigh that he breathed, as I over him leant,


s: Was haunted and hot with a peppermint scent.


s: And I'm going"--he said as he turned to adjust


s: A fuse in his bosom,--"I'm going to--BUST!"


s: I shrieked and awoke with the sullen che-boom


s: But my guest of the night never saw the display,


s: He had fuzzled and fazzled and fizzled away!


s: The bells that lift their yawning throats


s: And lolling tongues with wrangling cries


s: With hearts of love beneath their heels,


s: Who stares with eyes that never smiled--


s: Where none have learned to kneel in prayer.


s: Go, close your coffers like your hearts,


s: And catch through mists of pitying tears


s: And writhes, and clasps his hands, and kneels,


s: With brightest hope and faith, and filled


s: Would tincture death's myrrh-bitter stream


s: That seemed, beneath her strange control,


s: To trill a song that called her "Dream."


s: And patched with scraps of sound that seemed


s: Where warm winds loll on the shady deeps,


s: The great wild wave of the breaker weeps


s: Where the lily leans o'er an amber stream


s: That flows like a rill of wasted wine,--


s: Where the palm-trees, lifting their shields of green,


s: Whose splintering vengeance falls between


s: Where the stars drip down from the skies above


s: The harp has fallen from the master's hand;


s: Mute is the music, voiceless are the strings,


s: Save such faint discord as the wild wind flings


s: In sad aeolian murmurs through the land.


s: Flowed o'er the world in clearest utterings,


s: Now, in receding current, sobs and sings


s: * * O, eyes where glorious prophecies belong,


s: And kingly spirit, proud, and pure, and strong;


s: O, pallid minstrel with the laureled brow,


s: And lips so long attuned to sacred song,


s: How sweet must be the Heavenly anthem now!


s: Heigh-ho!  Babyhood!  Tell me where you linger!


s: Let's toddle home again, for we have gone astray;


s: Take this eager hand of mine and lead me by the finger


s: Back to the lotus-lands of the far-away!


s: Turn back the leaves of life.--Don't read the story.--


s: Let's find the pictures, and fancy all the rest;


s: We can fill the written pages with a brighter glory


s: Than old Time, the story-teller, at his very best.


s: Turn to the brook where the honeysuckle tipping


s: O'er its vase of perfume spills it on the breeze,


s: And the bee and humming-bird in ecstacy are sipping


s: From the fairy flagons of the blooming locust-trees.


s: Turn to the lane where we used to "teeter-totter,"


s: Printing little foot-palms in the mellow mold--


s: Laughing at the lazy cattle wading in the water


s: Where the ripples dimple round the buttercups of gold;


s: Where the dusky turtle lies basking on the gravel


s: Of the sunny sand-bar in the middle tide,


s: And the ghostly dragon-fly pauses in his travel


s: To rest like a blossom where the water-lily died.


s: Heigh-ho!  Babyhood!  Tell me where you linger!


s: Let's toddle home again, for we have gone astray;


s: Take this eager hand of mine and lead me by the finger


s: Back to the lotus-lands of the far-away!


s: Through the fogs of wrong--a sail appears,


s: Do you see them there--as long, long since--


s: Do you see them there as their chieftain prints


s: And lifts his voice through the wintry blast


s: Though the skies are dark and the coast is bleak,


s: And the dawn that springs from the darkness there


s: Is the morning light of an answered prayer.


s: And gives to the soul that sweet release


s: To quench the flame of a freeman's will!


s: When the untilled tracts of the barren land


s: To stay the strength of the stranger's toil.


s: When the trembling hands upraised in prayer


s: Had only the strength to hold them there.


s: When the storm bent down from the skies and gave


s: A shroud of snow for the Pilgrim's grave.


s: While the wild deer stood in the stream and drank.


s: And the birds sang out so loud and good,


s: And pure and sweet that the woodman stood


s: And to shape the words of the tongue unknown


s: And the gracious breath of the atmosphere


s: A holy quiet reigned, save where the hand


s: Of labor sent a murmur through the land,


s: A nest of cabins, where the smoke upcurled


s: Till stars, thick-scattered in the garden-land


s: As skulking from the covert of the night


s: With serpent cunning and a fiend's delight,


s: With murderous spirit, and a yell of hate


s: The voice of Hell might tremble to translate:


s: And baby-lips were dabbled with the stain


s: And peaceful homes and fortunes ruined--lost


s: Yet on and on, through years of gloom and strife,


s: Our country struggled into stronger life;


s: Till colonies, like footprints in the sand,


s: Marked Freedom's pathway winding through the land--


s: Before the storm we hatched in Boston Bay,--


s: But footprints where the path of war begun


s: For he who "dared to lead where others dared


s: To follow" found the promise there declared


s: Oh, there were times when every patriot breast


s: In tones that swelled in volume till the sound


s: Of lusty war itself was well-nigh drowned.


s: Oh, those were times when happy eyes with tears


s: Brimmed o'er as all the misty doubts and fears


s: Were washed away, and Hope with gracious mien,


s: Reigned from her throne again a sovereign queen.


s: When flowers were blushing at the summer's kiss,


s: And when the sky was cloudless as the face


s: Of some sweet infant in its angel grace,--


s: There came a sound of music, thrown afloat


s: Of Independence Bell:  A sound so sweet,


s: The clamoring throngs of people in the streets


s: Were stilled as at the solemn voice of prayer,


s: And heads were bowed, and lips were moving there


s: That made no sound--until the spell had passed,


s: And then, as when all sudden comes the blast


s: Of some tornado, came the cheer on cheer


s: Of every eager voice, while far and near


s: Set glorious rumors floating, till the ear


s: Of every listening patriot tingled clear,


s: And thrilled with joy and jubilee to hear.


s: Till sorrow's voice shall catch the tone


s: While, high above them, gleaming bright,


s: Are filled with sunshine, and thy praise


s: The paths of peace, whose flowery fringe


s: That thrills the worlds that throng to see


s: Played with hearts like jugglers' balls.--


s: Including Poems and Prose Sketches, many


s: All who knew Mr. Clark intimately, casually,


s: or by sight alone, smiled always, meeting


s: him, and thought, "What an odd man he is!"  Not


s: that there was anything extremely or ridiculously


s: obtrusive in Mr. Clark's peculiarities either of


s: feature, dress, or deportment, by which a graded


s: estimate of his really quaint character might aptly be


s: given; but rather, perhaps, it was the curious


s: combination of all these things that had gained


s: for Mr. Clark the transient celebrity of being a


s: And Mr. Clark, of all the odd inhabitants of the


s: busy metropolis in which he lived, seemed least


s: conscious of the fact of his local prominence.  True


s: it was that when familiarly addressed as "Clark,


s: old boy," by sportive individuals he never recollected


s: having seen before, he would oftentimes stare


s: blankly in return, and with evident embarrassment;


s: but as these actions may have been attributable to


s: weak eyes, or to the confusion consequent upon


s: being publicly recognized by the quondam associates


s: of bacchanalian hours, the suggestive facts only


s: served to throw his eccentricities in new relief.


s: And in the minds of many, that Mr. Clark was somewhat given to


s: doubt; for, although in no way, and at no time,


s: derelict in the rigid duties imposed upon him as


s: an accountant in a wholesale liquor house on South


s: John Street, a grand majority of friends had long


s: ago conceded that a certain puffiness of flesh and


s: a soiled-like pallor of complexion were in nowise


s: the legitimate result of over-application simply in


s: the counting-room of the establishment in which he


s: found employment; but as to the complicity of Mr.


s: Clark's direct associates in this belief, it is only


s: justice to the gentleman to state that by them


s: he was held above all such suspicion, from the


s: gray-haired senior of the firm, down to the pink-


s: nosed porter of the warerooms, who, upon every


s: available occasion, would point out the eccentric


s: Mr. Clark as "the on'y man in the biznez 'at never


s: sunk a 'thief' er drunk a drop o' 'goods' o' any


s: approached on the subject, would quietly assert that


s: never, under any circumstances, had the taste of


s: intoxicating liquors passed his lips, though at such


s: asseverations it was a noticeable fact that Mr.


s: Clark's complexion invariably grew more sultry


s: than its wont, and that his eyes, forever moist, grew


s: dewier, and that his lips and tongue would seem


s: covertly entering upon some lush conspiracy, which


s: in its incipiency he would be forced to smother with


s: his hastily drawn handkerchief.  Then the eccentric


s: Mr. Clark would laugh nervously, and pouncing


s: on some subject so vividly unlike the one just


s: preceding it as to daze the listener, he would ripple


s: ahead with a tide of eloquence that positively


s: overflowed and washed away all remembrance of the


s: In point of age Mr. Clark might have been thirty,


s: thirty-five, or even forty years, were one to venture


s: an opinion solely by outward appearance and under


s: certain circumstances and surroundings.  As, for


s: example, when a dozen years ago the writer of this


s: sketch rode twenty miles in a freight-caboose with


s: Mr. Clark as the only other passenger, he seemed


s: in age at first not less than thirty-five; but on


s: opening a conversation with him, in which he joined


s: with wonderful vivacity, a nearer view, and a


s: prolonged and studious one as well, revealed the rather


s: curious fact that, at the very limit of all allowable


s: supposition, his age could not possibly have exceeded


s: What it was in the man that struck me as


s: eccentric at that time I have never been wholly


s: able to define, but I recall accurately the most


s: trivial occurrences of our meeting and the very


s: subject-matter of our conversation.  I even remember


s: the very words in which he declined a drink


s: from my traveling-flask--for "It's a raw day," I


s: said, by way of gratuitous excuse for offering it.


s: "Yes," he said, smilingly motioning the temptation


s: aside; "it is a raw day; but you're rather young in


s: years to be doctoring the weather--at least you'd


s: better change the treatment--they'll all be raw days


s: for you after a while!"  I confess that I even


s: felt an inward pity for the man as I laughingly


s: drained his health and returned the flask to my


s: valise.  But when I asked him, ten minutes later,


s: the nature of the business in which he was engaged,


s: and he handed me, in response and without comment,


s: the card of a wholesale liquor house, with


s: his own name in crimson letters struck diagonally


s: across the surface, I winked naively to myself and


s: thought "Ah-ha!"  And as if reading my very


s: musings, he said:  "Why, certainly, I carry a full


s: line of samples; but, my dear young friend, don't


s: imagine for a minute that I refuse your brand on


s: that account.  You can rest assured that I have


s: nothing better in my cases.  Whisky is whisky


s: wherever it is found, and there is no 'best'


s: Truly, I thought, this is an odd source for the


s: emanation of temperance sentiments--then said


s: aloud:  "And yet you engage in a business you


s: dislike!  Traffic in an article that you yourself


s: "Might there not be such a thing," he said


s: quietly, "as inheriting a business--the same as


s: inheriting an appetite?  However, one advances by


s: gradations:  I shall SELL no more.  This is my last


s: trip on the road in that capacity:  I am coming in


s: now to take charge of the firm's books.  Would be


s: glad to have you call on me any time you're in the


s: city.  Good-by."  And, as he swung off the slowly


s: moving train, now entering the city, and I stood


s: watching him from the open door of the caboose


s: as he rapidly walked down a suburban street, I


s: was positive his gait was anything but steady--that


s: the step--the figure--the whole air of the man was


s: that of one then laboring under the effects of


s: I have always liked peculiar people; no matter


s: where I met them, no matter who they were; if


s: once impressed with an eccentricity of character


s: which I have reason to believe purely unaffected, I


s: never quite forget the person, name or place of


s: our first meeting, or where the interesting party


s: may be found again.  And so it was in the customary


s: order of things that, during hasty visits to the


s: city, I often called on the eccentric Mr. Clark, and,


s: as he had promised on our first acquaintance, he


s: seemed always glad to see and welcome me in his


s: new office.  The more I knew of him the more I


s: liked him, but I think I never fully understood him.


s: No one seemed to know him quite so well as that.


s: Once I had a little private talk regarding him with


s: the senior partner of the firm for which he worked.


s: Mr. Clark, just prior to my call, had gone to lunch--


s: would be back in half an hour.  Would I wait there


s: in the office until his return?  Certainly.  And the


s: chatty senior entertained me:--Queer fellow--Mr.


s: Clark!--as his father was before him.  Used to be


s: a member of the firm--his father; in fact, founded


s: the business--made a fortune at it--failed, for an


s: unfortunate reason, and went "up the flume."  Paid


s: every dollar that he owed, however, sacrificing the


s: very home that sheltered his wife and children--


s: but never rallied.  He had quite a family, then?


s: Oh, yes; had a family--not a large one, but a


s: bright one--only they all seemed more or less


s: unfortunate.  The father was unfortunate--very; and


s: died so, leaving his wife and two boys--the older


s: son much like the father--splendid business


s: capacities, but lacked will--couldn't resist some things


s: --even weaker than the father in that regard, and


s: But the younger brother--our Mr. Clark--


s: remained, and he was sterling--"straight goods" in


s: all respects.  Lived with his mother--was her


s: sole support.  A proud woman, Mrs. Clark--


s: a proud woman, with a broken spirit--withdrawn


s: so for years and years.  The Clarks, as had been


s: mentioned, were all peculiar--even the younger Mr.


s: Clark, our friend, I had doubtless noticed was an


s: odd genius, but he had stamina--something solid


s: about him, for all his eccentricities--could be relied


s: on.  Had been with the house there since a boy


s: of twelve--took him for the father's sake; had never


s: missed a day's time in any line of work that ever


s: had been given in his charge--was weakly-looking,


s: too.  Had worked his way from the cellar up--from


s: the least pay to the highest--had saved enough to


s: buy and pay for a comfortable house for his mother


s: and himself, and, still a lad, maintained the


s: expense of companion, attendant and maid servant for


s: the mother.  Yet, with all this burden on his


s: shoulders, the boy had worried through some way, with


s: a jolly smile and a good word for every one.  "A


s: boy, sir," the enthusiastic senior concluded--"a boy,


s: sir, that never was a boy, and never had a taste of


s: genuine boyhood in his life--no more than he ever


s: took a taste of whisky, and you couldn't get that


s: At this juncture Mr. Clark himself appeared, and


s: in a particularly happy frame of mind.  For an


s: hour the delighted senior and myself sat laughing at


s: the fellow's quaint conceits and witty sayings, the


s: conversation at last breaking up with an abrupt


s: proposition from Mr. Clark that I remain in the


s: city overnight and accompany him to the theater,


s: an invitation I rather eagerly accepted.  Mr. Clark,


s: thanking me, and pivoting himself around on his


s: high stool, with a mechanical "Good afternoon!"


s: was at once submerged in his books, while the senior,


s: following me out and stepping into a carriage that


s: stood waiting for him at the curb, waved me adieu,


s: and was driven away.  I turned my steps up the


s: street, but remembering that my friend had fixed no


s: place to meet me in the evening, I stepped back into


s: the storeroom and again pushed open the glass door


s: Mr. Clark still sat on the high stool at his desk,


s: his back toward the door, and his ledger spread out


s: "Mr. Clark!" I called again, in an elevated key.


s: I paused a moment, then went over to him, letting


s: Still no response.  I only felt the shoulder heave,


s: as with a long-drawn quavering sigh, then heard the


s: regular though labored breathing of a weary man


s: I had not the heart to waken him; but lifting the


s: still moistened pen from his unconscious fingers, I


s: wrote where I might be found at eight that evening,


s: folded and addressed the note, and laying it on


s: the open page before him, turned quietly away.


s: "Poor man!" I mused compassionately, with a


s: touch of youthful sentiment affecting me.--"Poor


s: man!  Working himself into his very grave, and


s: with never a sign or murmur of complaint--worn


s: and weighed down with the burden of his work, and


s: yet with a nobleness of spirit and resolve that still


s: conceals behind glad smiles and laughing words


s: the cares that lie so heavily upon him!"


s: The long afternoon went by at last, and evening


s: came; and, as promptly as my note requested, the


s: jovial Mr. Clark appeared, laughing heartily, as


s: we walked off down the street, at my explanation


s: of the reason I had written my desires instead of


s: verbally addressing him; and laughing still louder


s: when I told him of my fears that he was overworking


s: "there's no occasion for anxiety on that account.--


s: But the fact is, old man," he went on, half apologetically,


s: "the fact is, I haven't been so overworked,


s: of late, as over-wakeful.  There's something in the


s: night I think, that does it.  Do you know that the


s: night is a great mystery to me--a great mystery!


s: And it seems to be growing on me all the time.


s: There's the trouble.  The night to me is like some


s: vast incomprehensible being.  When I write the


s: name 'night' I instinctively write it with a capital.


s: And I like my night deep, and dark, and swarthy,


s: don't you know.  Now some like clear and starry


s: nights, but they're too pale for me--too weak and


s: fragile altogether!  They're popular with the


s: masses, of course, these blue-eyed, golden-haired,


s: 'moonlight-on-the-lake' nights; but, somehow, I


s: don't 'stand in' with them.  My favorite night is


s: the pronounced brunette--the darker the better.  To-


s: night is one of my kind, and she's growing more


s: and more like it all the time.  If it were not for


s: depriving you of the theater, I'd rather just drift


s: off now in the deepening gloom till swallowed up


s: in it--lost utterly.  Come with me, anyhow!"


s: "Gladly," I answered, catching something of his


s: own enthusiasm; "I myself prefer it to the play."


s: "I heartily congratulate you on your taste," he


s: said, diving violently for my hand and wringing it.


s: "Oh, it's going to be grimly glorious!--a depth of


s: darkness one can wade out into, and knead in his


s: hands like dough!"  And he laughed, himself, at


s: And so we walked--for hours.  Our talk--or,


s: rather, my friend's talk--lulled and soothed at last


s: into a calmer flow, almost solemn in its tone, and


s: yet fretted with an occasional wildness of utterance


s: Half consciously I had been led by my companion,


s: who for an hour had been drawing closer to me


s: as we walked.  His arm, thrust through my own,


s: clung almost affectionately.  We were now in some


s: strange suburb of the city, evidently, too, in a low


s: quarter, for from the windows of such business


s: rooms and shops as bore any evidence of respectability


s: the lights had been turned out and the doors


s: locked for the night.  Only a gruesome green light


s: was blazing in a little drug-store just opposite,


s: while at our left, as we turned the corner, a tumble-


s: down saloon sent out on the night a mingled


s: sound of clicking billiard-balls, discordant voices,


s: the harsher rasping of a violin, together with the


s: "I must leave you here for a minute," said my


s: friend, abruptly breaking a long silence, and loosening


s: my arm.  "The druggist over there is a patron


s: of our house, and I am reminded of a little business


s: I have with him.  He is about closing, too, and


s: I'll see him now, as I may not be down this way


s: again soon.  No; you wait here for me--right here,"


s: and he playfully but firmly pushed me back, ran


s: across the street, and entered the store.  Through


s: the open door I saw him shake hands with the man


s: who stood behind the counter, and stand talking


s: in the same position for some minutes--both still


s: clasping hands, as it seemed; but as I mechanically


s: bent with closer scrutiny, the druggist seemed to be


s: examining the hand of Mr. Clark and working at


s: it, as though picking at a splinter in the palm--I


s: I could not quite determine what was being done,


s: for a glass show-case blurred an otherwise clear


s: view of the arms of both from the elbows down.


s: Then they came forward, Mr. Clark arranging his


s: cuffs, and the druggist wrapping up some minute


s: article he took from an upper show-case, and handing


s: it to my friend, who placed it in the pocket of


s: his vest and turned away.  At this moment my


s: attention was withdrawn by an extra tumult of jeers


s: and harsh laughter in the saloon, from the door of


s: which, even as my friend turned from the door


s: opposite, a drunken woman reeled, and staggering


s: round the corner as my friend came up, fell


s: violently forward on the pavement, not ten steps in


s: our advance.  Instinctively, we both sprang to her


s: aid, and bending over the senseless figure, peered


s: curiously at the bruised and bleeding features.  My


s: friend was trembling with excitement.  He clutched


s: wildly at the limp form, trying, but vainly, to lift the


s: woman to her feet.  "Why don't you take hold of


s: her?" he whispered hoarsely.  "Help me with her--


s: quick! quick!  Lift her up!"  I obeyed without a


s: word, though with a shudder of aversion as a drop


s: "Now draw her arm about your shoulder--this


s: way--and hold it so!  And now your other arm


s: around her waist--quick, man, quick, as you yourself


s: will want God's arm about you when you fail!


s: Now, come!"  And with no other word we hurried


s: with our burden up the empty darkness of the


s: I was utterly bewildered with it all, but something


s: kept me silent.  And so we hurried on, and on, and


s: on, our course directed by my now wholly reticent


s: companion.  Where he was going, what his purpose


s: was, I could not but vaguely surmise.  I only recognized


s: that his intentions were humane, which fact


s: was emphasized by the extreme caution he took to


s: avoid the two or three late pedestrians that passed


s: us on our way as we stood crowded in concealment


s: --once behind a low shed, once in an entry-way;


s: and once, at the distant rattle of a police whistle,


s: we hurried through the blackness of a narrow alley


s: into the silent street beyond.  And on up this we


s: passed, until at last we paused at the gateway of a


s: cottage on our left.  On to the door of that we went,


s: my friend first violently jerking the bell, then opening


s: the door with a night-key, and with me lifting


s: the still senseless woman through the hall into a


s: dimly lighted room upon the right, and laying her


s: upon a clean white bed that glimmered in the corner.


s: He reached and turned the gas on in a flaring jet,


s: and as he did so, "This is my home," he whispered,


s: "and this woman is--my mother!"  He flung himself


s: upon his knees beside her as he spoke.  He laid


s: his quivering lips against the white hair and the


s: ruddy wound upon the brow; then dappled with his


s: kisses the pale face, and stroked and petted and


s: caressed the faded hands.  "O God!" he moaned, "if


s: The steps of some one coming down the stairs


s: aroused him.  He stepped quickly to the door, and


s: threw it open.  It was a woman servant.  He


s: simply pointed to the form upon the bed.


s: "Oh, sir!" exclaimed the frightened woman,


s: "what has happened?  What has happened to my


s: "She sent me away, sir.  I never dreamed that


s: she was going out again.  She told me she was very


s: sleepy and wanted to retire, and I helped her to


s: undress before I went.  But she ain't bad hurt, is


s: she?" she continued, stooping over the still figure


s: and tenderly smoothing back the disheveled hair.


s: --"It's only the cheek bruised and the forehead cut


s: a little--it's the blood that makes it look like a bad


s: hurt.  See, when I bathe it, it is not a bad hurt, sir.


s: She's just been--she's just worn out, poor thing--


s: He made no answer to the woman's speech, but


s: turned toward me.  "Five doors from here," he


s: said, "and to your left as you go out, you will find


s: the residence of Dr. Worrel.  Go to him for me, and


s: tell him he is wanted here at once.  Tell him my


s: mother is much worse.  He will understand.  I


s: would go myself, but must see about arranging for


s: your comfort upon your return, for you will not


s: leave me till broad daylight--you must not!"  I


s: bowed in silent acceptance of his wishes, and turned


s: Fortunately, the doctor was at home, and


s: returned at once with me to my friend, where, after a


s: careful examination of his patient, he assured the


s: anxious son that the wounds were only slight, and


s: that her unconscious condition was simply "the result


s: of over-stimulation, perhaps," as he delicately


s: put it.  She would doubtless waken in her usual


s: rational state--an occurrence really more to be


s: feared than desired, since her peculiar sensitiveness


s: might feel too keenly the unfortunate happening.


s: "Anyway," he continued, "I will call early in the


s: morning, and, in the event of her awakening before


s: that time, I will leave a sedative with Mary, with


s: directions she will attend to.  She will remain here


s: at her side.  And as to yourself, Mr. Clark," the


s: doctor went on in an anxious tone, as he marked the


s: haggard face and hollow eyes, "I insist that you


s: retire.  You must rest, sir--worrying for the past


s: week as you have been doing is telling on you


s: painfully.  You need rest--and you must take it."


s: "And I will," said Mr. Clark submissively.


s: Stooping again, he clasped the sleeping face between


s: his hands and kissed it tenderly.  "Good night!"  I


s: heard him whisper--"good night-good night!"  He


s: turned, and motioning for me to follow, opened the


s: door--"Doctor, good night!  Good night, Mary!"


s: He led the way to his own room up-stairs.  "And


s: now, my friend," he said, as he waved me to an easy


s: chair, "I have but two other favors to ask of you:


s: The first is, that you talk to me, or read to me, or


s: tell me fairy tales, or riddles--anything, so that you


s: keep it up incessantly, and never leave off till you


s: find me fast asleep.  Then in the next room you


s: will find a comfortable bed.  Leave me sleeping


s: here, and you sleep there.  And the second favor,"


s: he continued, with a slow smile and an affected air


s: of great deliberation--"oh, well, I'll not ask the


s: second favor of you now.  I'll keep it for you till


s: to-morrow."  And as he turned laughingly away and


s: paced three or four times across the room, in his


s: step, his gait, the general carriage of the figure, I


s: was curiously reminded of the time, years before,


s: that I had watched him from the door of the caboose,


s: as he walked up the suburban street till the


s: movement of the train had hidden him from view.


s: "Well, what will you do?" he asked, as he wheeled


s: a cozy-cushioned lounge close beside my chair, and


s: removing his coat, flung himself languidly down.--


s: "I will read," I said, as I picked up a book to


s: "Hold just a minute, then," he said, drawing a


s: card and pencil from his vest.--"I may want to


s: jot down a note or two.--Now, go ahead."


s: I had been reading in a low voice steadily for


s: perhaps an hour, my companion never stirring from


s: his first position, but although my eyes were never


s: lifted from the book, I knew by the occasional sound


s: of his pencil that he had not yet dropped asleep.


s: And so, without a pause, I read monotonously on.


s: At last he turned heavily.  I paused.  With his eyes


s: closed he groped his hand across my knees and


s: grasped my own.  "Go on with the reading," he


s: said drowsily--"Guess I'm going to sleep now--but


s: you go right on with the story.--Good night!"  His


s: hand fumbled lingeringly a moment, then was withdrawn


s: and folded with the other on his breast.


s: I read on in a lower tone an hour longer, then


s: paused again to look at my companion.  He was


s: sleeping heavily, and although the features in their


s: repose appeared unusually pale, a wholesome perspiration,


s: as it seemed, pervaded all the face, while the


s: breathing, though labored, was regular.  I bent


s: above him to lower the pillow for his head, and the


s: movement half aroused him, as I thought at first,


s: for he muttered something as though impatiently;


s: but listening to catch his mutterings, I knew that


s: he was dreaming.  "It's what killed father," I heard


s: him say.  "And it's what killed Tom," he went on,


s: in a smothered voice; "killed both--killed both!  It


s: shan't kill me; I swear it.  I could bottle it--case


s: after case--and never touch a drop.  If you never


s: take the first drink, you'll never want it.  Mother


s: taught me that.  What made her ever take the first?


s: Mother! mother!  When I get to be a man, I'll


s: buy her all the fine things she used to have when


s: father was alive.  Maybe I can buy back the old


s: home, with the roses up the walk and the sunshine


s: And so the sleeper murmured on.  Sometimes


s: the voice was thick and discordant, sometimes low


s: and clear and tuneful as a child's.  "Never touch


s: whisky!" he went on, almost harshly.  "Never--


s: never!  Drop in the street first.  I did.  The doctor


s: will come then, and he knows what you want.  Not


s: whisky.--Medicine; the kind that makes you warm


s: again--makes you want to live; but don't ever dare


s: touch whisky.  Let other people drink it if they


s: want it.  Sell it to them; they'll get it anyhow; but


s: don't you touch it!  It killed your father, it killed


s: Tom, and--oh!--mother! mother! mother!"  Tears


s: actually teemed from underneath the sleeper's lids,


s: and glittered down the pallid and distorted features.


s: "There's a medicine that's good for you when you


s: want whisky," he went on.--"When you are weak,


s: and everybody else is strong--and always when the


s: flagstones give way beneath your feet, and the long


s: street undulates and wavers as you walk; why,


s: that's a sign for you to take that medicine--and


s: take it quick!  Oh, it will warm you till the little


s: pale blue streaks in your white hands will bulge out


s: again with tingling blood, and it will start up from


s: its stagnant pools and leap from vein to vein till it


s: reaches your being's furthest height and droops and


s: falls and folds down over icy brow and face like a


s: soft veil moistened with pure warmth.  Ah! it is


s: I heard a moaning in the room below, and then


s: steps on the stairs, and a tapping at the door.  It


s: was Mary.  Mrs. Clark had awakened and was


s: crying for her son.  "But we must not waken him," I


s: said.  "Give Mrs. Clark the medicine the doctor left


s: "But she won't take it, sir.  She won't do


s: anything at all for me--and if Mr. Clark could only


s: come to her, for just a minute, she would--"


s: The woman's speech was broken by a shrill cry


s: in the hall, and then the thud of naked feet on the


s: stairway.  "I want my boy--my boy!" wailed the


s: "Go to your mistress--quick," I said sternly,


s: pushing the maid from the room.--"Take her back;


s: I will come down to your assistance in a moment."


s: Then I turned hastily to see if the sleeper had been


s: disturbed by the woman's cries; but all was peaceful


s: with him yet; and so, throwing a coverlet over


s: him, I drew the door to silently and went below.


s: I found the wretched mother in an almost frenzied


s: state, and her increasing violence alarmed


s: me so that I thought it best to summon the physician


s: again; and bidding the servant not to leave


s: her for an instant, I hurried for the help so badly


s: needed.  This time the doctor was long delayed,


s: although he joined me with all possible haste, and


s: with all speed accompanied me back to the unhappy


s: home.  Entering the door, our ears were greeted


s: with a shriek that came piercing down the hall till


s: the very echoes shuddered as with fear.  It was the


s: patient's voice shrilling from the sleeper's room up


s: stairs:--"O God!  My boy! my boy!  I want my


s: boy, and he will not waken for me!"  An instant


s: The woman in her frenzy had broken from the


s: servant to find her son.  And she had found him.


s: She had wound her arms about him, and had


s: dragged his still sleeping form upon the floor.  He


s: would not waken, even though she gripped him to


s: her heart and shrieked her very soul out in his ears.


s: He would not waken.  The face, though whiter


s: than her own, betokened only utter rest and peace.


s: We drew her, limp and voiceless, from his side.


s: "We are too late," the doctor whispered, lifting with


s: his finger one of the closed lids, and letting it drop


s: to again.--"See here!"  He had been feeling at the


s: wrist; and, as he spoke, he slipped the sleeve up,


s: bared the sleeper's arm.  From the wrist to elbow it


s: was livid purple, and pitted and scarred with minute


s: wounds--some scarcely scaled as yet with clotted


s: "In heaven's name, what does it all mean?" I


s: hypodermic.  And here," he exclaimed, lifting the other


s: hand--"here is a folded card with your name at the


s: I snatched it from him, and I read, written in


s: "I like to hear your voice.  It sounds kind.  It is


s: like a far-off tune.  To drop asleep, though, as I


s: am doing now, is sweeter music--but read on.--I


s: have taken something to make me sleep, and by


s: mistake I have taken too much; but you will read


s: right on.  Now, mind you, this is not suicide, as


s: God listens to the whisper of this pencil as I write!


s: I did it by mistake.  For years and years I have


s: taken the same thing.  This time I took too much--


s: much more than I meant to--but I am glad.  This


s: is the second favor I would ask:  Go to my employers


s: to-morrow, show them this handwriting, and


s: say I know for my sake they will take charge of


s: my affairs and administer all my estate in the best


s: way suited to my mother's needs.  Good-by, my


s: friend--I can only say 'good night' to you when I


s: shall take your hand an instant later and turn away


s: Through tears I read it all, and ending with his


s: name in full, I turned and looked down on the face


s: of this man that I had learned to love, and the


s: full measure of his needed rest was with him; and


s: the rainy day that glowered and drabbled at the


s: eastern window of the room was as drearily stared


s: back at by a hopeless woman's dull demented eyes.


s: But a few miles from the city here, and on the


s: sloping banks of the stream noted more for its


s: plenitude of "chubs" and "shiners" than the gamier


s: two- and four-pound bass for which, in season, so


s: many credulous anglers flock and lie in wait, stands


s: a country residence, so convenient to the stream,


s: and so inviting in its pleasant exterior and


s: comfortable surroundings--barn, dairy, and spring-


s: house--that the weary, sunburned, and disheartened


s: fisherman, out from the dusty town for a day of


s: recreation, is often wont to seek its hospitality.


s: The house in style of architecture is something of


s: a departure from the typical farmhouse, being


s: designed and fashioned with no regard to symmetry


s: or proportion, but rather, as is suggested, built to


s: conform to the matter-of-fact and most sensible


s: ideas of its owner, who, if it pleased him, would


s: have small windows where large ones ought to be,


s: and vice versa, whether they balanced properly to


s: the eye or not.  And chimneys--he would have as


s: many as he wanted, and no two alike, in either


s: height or size.  And if he wanted the front of the


s: house turned from all possible view, as though


s: abashed at any chance of public scrutiny, why, that


s: was his affair and not the public's; and, with like


s: perversity, if he chose to thrust his kitchen under the public's


s: dignified public do but reel in his dead minnow,


s: shoulder his fishing-rod, clamber over the back


s: fence of the old farmhouse and inquire within, or


s: jog back to the city, inwardly anathematizing that


s: particular locality or the whole rural district


s: in general.  That is just the way that farmhouse


s: looked to the writer of this sketch one week ago--


s: so individual it seemed--so liberal, and yet so


s: independent.  It wasn't even weather-boarded, but,


s: instead, was covered smoothly with cement,


s: as though the plasterers had come while the folks


s: were visiting, and so, unable to get at the interior,


s: I am more than glad that I was hungry enough,


s: and weary enough, and wise enough to take the


s: house at its first suggestion; for, putting away my


s: fishing-tackle for the morning, at least, I went up


s: the sloping bank, crossed the dusty road, and


s: Not even a growling dog to intimate that I was


s: trespassing.  All was open--gracious-looking--pastoral.


s: The sward beneath my feet was velvet-like


s: in elasticity, and the scarce visible path I followed


s: through it led promptly to the open kitchen door.


s: From within I heard a woman singing some old


s: ballad in an undertone, while at the threshold a


s: trim, white-spurred rooster stood poised on one foot,


s: curving his glossy neck and cocking his wattled


s: head as though to catch the meaning of the words.


s: I paused.  It was a scene I felt restrained from


s: breaking in upon, nor would I have, but for the


s: sound of a strong male voice coming around the


s: Turning, I saw a rough-looking but kindly


s: featured man of sixty-five, evidently the owner of the


s: I returned his salutation with some confusion


s: and much deference.  "I must really beg your pardon


s: for this intrusion," I began, "but I have been


s: tiring myself out fishing, and your home here looked


s: so pleasant--and I felt so thirsty--and--"


s: "Want a drink, I reckon," said the old man,


s: turning abruptly toward the kitchen door, then pausing


s: as suddenly, with a backward motion of his thumb


s: --"jest follow the path here down to the little


s: brick--that's the spring--and you'll find 'at you've


s: come to the right place fer drinkin'-worter!  Hold


s: on a minute tel I get you a tumbler--there's nothin'


s: "Then don't trouble yourself any further," I


s: said, heartily, "for I'd rather drink from a tin cup


s: "And so'd I," said the old man, reflectively,


s: turning mechanically, and following me down the path.


s: " 'Druther drink out of a tin--er jest a fruit-can


s: with the top knocked off--er--er--er a gourd," he


s: added in a zestful, reminiscent tone of voice, that


s: so heightened my impatient thirst that I reached


s: "Well-sir!" exclaimed my host, in evident


s: delight, as I stood dipping my nose in the second


s: cupful of the cool, revivifying liquid, and peering in a


s: congratulatory kind of way at the blurred and rubicund


s: reflection of my features in the bottom of the


s: cup, "well-sir, blame-don! ef it don't do a feller


s: good to see you enjoyin' of it thataway!  But don't


s: you drink too much o' the worter!--'cause there's


s: some sweet milk over there in one o' them crocks,


s: maybe; and ef you'll jest, kind o' keerful-like, lift


s: off the led of that third one, say, over there to


s: yer left, and dip you out a tinful er two o' that,


s: w'y, it'll do you good to drink it, and it'll do me


s: good to see you at it--  But hold up!--hold up!"


s: he called, abruptly, as, nowise loath, I bent above


s: the vessel designated.  "Hold yer hosses fer a second!


s: If I was at first surprised and confused, meeting


s: the master of the house, I was wholly startled and


s: chagrined in my present position before its mistress.


s: But as I arose, and stammered, in my confusion,


s: some incoherent apology, I was again reassured and


s: put at greater ease by the comprehensive and


s: forgiving smile the woman gave me, as I yielded her


s: my place, and, with lifted hat, awaited her further


s: "I came just in time, sir," she said, half


s: laughingly, as with strong, bare arms she reached across


s: the gurgling trough and replaced the lid that I had


s: partially removed.--"I came just in time, I see, to


s: prevent father from having you dip into the morning's-


s: milk, which, of course, has scarcely a veil of


s: cream over the face of it as yet.  But men, as you


s: are doubtless willing to admit," she went on jocularly,


s: "don't know about these things.  You must


s: pardon father, as much for his well-meaning ignorance


s: of such matters, as for this cup of cream,


s: which I am sure you will better relish."


s: She arose, still smiling, with her eyes turned


s: frankly on my own.  And I must be excused when


s: I confess that as I bowed my thanks, taking the


s: proffered cup and lifting it to my lips, I stared


s: with an uncommon interest and pleasure at the


s: She was a woman of certainly not less than forty


s: years of age.  But the figure, and the rounded grace


s: and fulness of it, together with the features and the


s: eyes, completed as fine a specimen of physical and


s: mental health as ever it has been my fortune to


s: meet; there was something so full of purpose and


s: resolve--something so wholesome, too, about the


s: character--something so womanly--I might almost


s: say manly, and would, but for the petty prejudice


s: maybe occasioned by the trivial fact of a locket


s: having dropped from her bosom as she knelt; and


s: that trinket still dangles in my memory even as it


s: then dangled and dropped back to its concealment


s: in her breast as she arose.  But her face, by no


s: means handsome in the common sense of the word,


s: was marked with a breadth and strength of outline


s: and expression that approached the heroic--a face


s: that once seen is forever fixed in memory--a personage


s: once met one must know more of.  And so it


s: was, that an hour later, as I strolled with the old


s: man about his farm, looking, to all intents, with the


s: profoundest interest at his Devonshires, Shorthorns,


s: Jerseys, and the like, I lured from him something


s: of an outline of his daughter's history.


s: "There're no better girl 'n Marthy!" he said,


s: mechanically answering some ingenious allusion to


s: her worth.  "And yit," he went on reflectively,


s: stooping from his seat in the barn door and with


s: his open jack-knife picking up a little chip with the


s: point of the blade--"and yit--you wouldn't believe


s: it--but Marthy was the oldest o' three daughters,


s: and hed--I may say--hed more advantages o' marryin'--


s: and yit, as I was jest goin' to say, she's the


s: very one 'at didn't marry.  Hed every advantage--


s: Marthy did.  W'y, we even hed her educated--her


s: mother was a-livin' then--and we was well enough


s: fixed to afford the educatin' of her, mother allus


s: contended--and we was--besides, it was Marthy's


s: notion, too, and you know how women is thataway


s: when they git their head set.  So we sent Marthy


s: down to Indianop'lus, and got her books and put


s: her in school there, and paid fer her keepin' and


s: ever'thing; and she jest--well, you may say, lived


s: there stiddy fer better'n four year.  O' course


s: she'd git back ever' once-an-a-while, but her visits


s: was allus, some-way-another, onsatisfactory-like,


s: 'cause, you see, Marthy was allus my favorite, and


s: I'd allus laughed and told her 'at the other girls


s: could git marrid ef they wanted, but SHE was goin'


s: to be the 'nest-egg' of our family, and 'slong as I


s: lived I wanted her at home with me.  And she'd


s: laugh and contend 'at she'd as li'f be an old maid as


s: not, and never expected to marry, ner didn't want


s: "But she had me sceart onc't, though!  Come


s: out from the city one time, durin' the army, with


s: a peart-lookin' young feller in blue clothes and gilt


s: straps on his shoulders.  Young lieutenant he was


s: --name o' Morris.  Was layin' in camp there in the


s: city som'er's.  I disremember which camp it was


s: now adzackly--but anyway, it 'peared like he had


s: plenty o' time to go and come, fer from that time


s: on he kep' on a-comin'--ever' time Marthy 'ud


s: come home, he'd come, too; and I got to noticin' 'at


s: Marthy come home a good 'eal more'n she used to


s: afore Morris first brought her.  And blame' ef the


s: thing didn't git to worryin' me!  And onc't I spoke


s: to mother about it, and told her ef I thought the


s: feller wanted to marry Marthy I'd jest stop his


s: comin' right then and there.  But mother she sort o'


s: smiled and said somepin' 'bout men a-never seein'


s: through nothin'; and when I ast her what she meant,


s: w'y, she ups and tells me 'at Morris didn't keer


s: nothin' fer Marthy, ner Marthy fer Morris, and


s: then went on to tell me that Morris was kind o'


s: aidgin' up to'rds Annie--she was next to Marthy,


s: you know, in p'int of years and experience, but


s: ever'body allus said 'at Annie was the purtiest one


s: o' the whole three of 'em.  And so when mother


s: told me 'at the signs p'inted to'rds Annie, w'y, of course, I


s: hedn't no particular objections to that,


s: 'cause Morris was of good fambly enough it turned


s: out, and, in fact, was as stirrin' a young feller as


s: ever I' want fer a son-in-law, and so I hed nothin'


s: more to say--ner they wasn't no occasion to say


s: nothin', 'cause right along about then I begin to


s: notice 'at Marthy quit comin' home so much, and


s: "Tel finally, one time he was out here all by


s: hisself, 'long about dusk, come out here where


s: I was feedin', and ast me, all at onct, and in


s: a straightfor'ard way, ef he couldn't marry


s: Annie; and, some-way-another, blame' ef it didn't


s: make me happy as him when I told him yes!


s: You see that thing proved, pine-blank, 'at he wasn't


s: a-fishin' round fer Marthy.  Well-sir, as luck would


s: hev it, Marthy got home about a half-hour later,


s: and I'll give you my word I was never so glad to


s: see the girl in my life!  It was foolish in me, I


s: reckon, but when I see her drivin' up the lane--


s: it was purt' nigh dark then, but I could see her


s: through the open winder from where I was sittin'


s: at the supper-table, and so I jest quietly excused


s: myself, p'lite-like, as a feller will, you know, when


s: they's comp'ny round, and slipped off and met her


s: jest as she was about to git out to open the barn


s: gate.  'Hold up, Marthy,' says I; 'set right where


s: you air; I'll open the gate fer you, and I'll do


s: anything else fer you in the world 'at you want me to!'


s: " 'W'y, what's pleased YOU so?' she says,


s: laughin', as she druv through slow-like and a-ticklin' my nose


s: with the cracker of the buggy-whip.--'What's


s: " 'Guess,' says I, jerkin' the gate to, and turnin' to


s: " 'The new peanner's come?' says she, eager-like.


s: " 'Yer new peanner's come,' says I, 'but that's


s: " 'Strawberries fer supper,' says I; 'but that


s: "Jest then Morris's hoss whinnied in the barn,


s: and she glanced up quick and smilin' and says,


s: " 'Somebody come to see ME?' she says, anxious-like.


s: " 'No,' says I, 'and I'm glad of it--fer this one


s: 'at's come wants to git married, and o' course I


s: wouldn't harber in my house no young feller 'at


s: was a-layin' round fer a chance to steal away the


s: "Marthy had riz up in the buggy by this time,


s: but as I helt up my hands to her, she sort o' drawed


s: back a minute, and says, all serious-like and kind o'


s: "I nodded.  'Yes,' says I, 'and what's more, I've


s: give my consent, and mother's give hern--the thing's


s: all settled.  Come, jump out and run in and be


s: happy with the rest of us!' and I helt out my hands


s: ag'in, but she didn't 'pear to take no heed.  She was kind o'


s: time er two like as ef she couldn't speak plain.


s: " 'Who--who's the man,' I says, a-gittin' kind o'


s: out o' patience with the girl.--'W'y, you know who


s: it is, o' course.--It's Morris,' says I.  'Come, jump


s: down!  Don't you see I'm waitin' fer ye?'


s: " 'Then take me,' she says; and blame-don! ef


s: the girl didn't keel right over in my arms as limber


s: as a rag!  Clean fainted away!  Honest!  Jest the


s: excitement, I reckon, o' breakin' it to her so suddent-


s: like--'cause she liked Annie, I've sometimes


s: thought, better'n even she did her own mother.


s: Didn't go half so hard with her when her other


s: sister married.  Yes-sir!" said the old man, by way


s: of sweeping conclusion, as he rose to his feet--


s: "Marthy's the on'y one of 'em 'at never married--


s: both the others is gone--Morris went all through


s: the army and got back safe and sound--'s livin' in


s: Idyho, and doin' fust-rate.  Sends me a letter ever'


s: now and then.  Got three little chunks o' grandchildren


s: of 'em.  You see, I'm a-gittin' to be quite a middle-


s: aged man--in fact, a very middle-aged man, you


s: might say.  Sence mother died, which has be'n--


s: lem-me-see--mother's be'n dead som'er's in the


s: neighberhood o' ten years.--Sence mother died I've


s: be'n a-gittin' more and more o' MARTHY'S notion--


s: that is,--you couldn't ever hire ME to marry nobody!


s: and them has allus be'n and still is the 'Nest-egg's'


s: views!  Listen!  That's her a-callin' fer us now. You must sort


s: Marthy you'd promised to take dinner with us to-


s: day, and it 'ud never do to disappoint her now.


s: Come on."  And ah! it would have made the soul


s: of you either rapturously glad or madly envious to


s: I am always thinking that I never tasted coffee


s: till that day; I am always thinking of the crisp and


s: steaming rolls, ored over with the molten gold


s: that hinted of the clover-fields, and the bees that


s: had not yet permitted the honey of the bloom and


s: the white blood of the stalk to be divorced; I am


s: thinking that the young and tender pullet we happy


s: three discussed was a near and dear relative of the


s: gay patrician rooster that I first caught peering so


s: inquisitively in at the kitchen door; and I am


s: always--always thinking of "The Nest-egg."


s: His advent in our little country town was at


s: once abrupt and novel.  Why he came, when


s: he came, or how he came, we boys never knew.  My


s: first remembrance of him is of his sudden appearance


s: in the midst of a game of "Ant'ny-over," in


s: which a dozen boys besides myself were most


s: enthusiastically engaged.  The scene of the exciting


s: contest was the center of the main street of the


s: town, the elevation over which we tossed the ball


s: being the skeleton remains of a grand triumphal


s: arch, left as a sort of cadaverous reminder of some


s: recent political demonstration.  Although I recall


s: the boy's external appearance upon that occasion


s: with some vagueness, I vividly remember that his


s: trousers were much too large and long, and that


s: his heavy, flapping coat was buttonless, and very


s: badly worn and damaged at the sleeves and elbows.


s: I remember, too, with even more distinctness, the


s: hat he wore; it was a high, silk, bell-crowned hat--


s: a man's hat and a veritable "plug"--not a new and


s: shiny "plug," by any means, but still of dignity and


s: gloss enough to furnish a noticeable contrast to the


s: other appurtenances of its wearer's wardrobe.  In


s: fact, it was through this latter article of dress that the


s: general attention of the crowd came at last to


s: be drawn particularly to its unfortunate possessor,


s: who, evidently directed by an old-time instinct, had


s: mechanically thrust the inverted "castor" under a


s: falling ball, and the ball, being made of yarn


s: wrapped tightly over a green walnut, and dropping


s: from an uncommon height, had gone through the


s: Naturally enough much merriment was occasioned


s: by the singular mishap, and the victim of


s: the odd occurrence seemed himself inclined to join


s: in the boisterous laughter and make the most of


s: his ridiculous misfortune.  He pulled the hat back


s: over his tousled head, and with the flapping crown


s: of it still clinging by one frayed hinge, he capered


s: through a grotesquely executed jig that made the


s: "Wo! what a hat!" cried Billy Kinzey, derisively,


s: and with a palpably rancorous twinge of envy in


s: his heart; for Billy was the bad boy of our town,


s: and would doubtless have enjoyed the strange boy's


s: sudden notoriety in thus being able to convert


s: disaster into positive fun.  "Wo! what a hat!"


s: reiterated Billy, making a feint to knock it from the


s: boy's head as the still capering figure pirouetted


s: The boy's eye caught the motion, and he whirled


s: suddenly in a backward course and danced past his


s: reviler again, this time much nearer than before.


s: "Better try it," he said, in a low, half-laughing


s: tone that no one heard but Billy and myself.  He


s: was out of range in an instant, still laughing as he


s: "Durn him!" said Billy, with stifling anger,


s: clutching his fist and leaving one knuckle protruding


s: in a very wicked-looking manner.--"Durn him!  He


s: better not sass me!  He's afeard to come past here


s: ag'in and say that!  I'll knock his durn ole stove-


s: "You will, hey?" queried a revolving voice, as


s: the boy twirled past again--this time so near that


s: Billy felt his taunting breath blown in his face.


s: "Yes, I 'will, hey'!" said Billy, viciously; and


s: with a side-sweeping, flat-handed lick that sounded


s: like striking a rusty sheet of tin, the crownless


s: "plug" went spinning into the gutter, while, as


s: suddenly, the assaulted little stranger, with a peculiarly


s: pallid smile about his lips and an electric glitter


s: in his eye, adroitly flung his left hand forward,


s: smiting his insulter such a blow in the region of the


s: brow that the unguarded Billy went tumbling


s: backward, his plucky assailant prancing wildly


s: "Oh! come and see me!" snarled the strange boy,


s: in a contemptuous tone, cocking his fists up in a


s: scientific manner, and dropping into a stoop-


s: shouldered swagger that would have driven envy into


s: the heart of a bullying hack-driver.  "Git the bloke


s: on his pins!" he sneered, turning to the crowd.--


s: "S'pose I'm goin' to hit a man w'en he's down?"


s: But his antagonist needed no such assistance.


s: Stung with his unlooked-for downfall, bleeding


s: from the first blow ever given him by mortal boy,


s: and goaded to absolute frenzy by the taunts of his


s: swaggering enemy, Billy sprang to his feet, and a


s: moment later had succeeded in closing with the


s: boy in a rough-and-tumble fight, in which his


s: adversary was at a disadvantage, being considerably


s: smaller, hampered, too, with his loose, unbuttoned


s: coat and baggy trousers.  But, for all that, he did


s: some very efficient work in the way of a deft and


s: telling blow or two upon the nose of his overpowering


s: foe, who sat astride his wriggling body, but


s: "Durn you!" said Billy, with his hand gripping


s: "Holler nothin'!" gurgled the boy, with his eyes


s: "Oh, let him up, Billy," called a compassionate


s: "Holler 'nough and I will," said Billy, in a tragic


s: whisper in the boy's ear.  "Durn ye! holler 'Calf-rope!' "


s: The boy only shook his head, trembled convulsively,


s: let fall his eyelids, and lay limp and, to all


s: The startled Billy loosed his hold, rose half-way


s: to his feet, then fiercely pounced again at his rival.


s: But it was too late.--The ruse had succeeded,


s: "You fight like a dog!" said the strange boy, in


s: a tone of infinite contempt--"and you AIR a dog!


s: Put up yer props like a man and come at me, and


s: I'll meller yer head till yer mother won't know


s: This time, as Billy started forward at the


s: challenge, I regret to say that in his passion he snatched


s: up from the street a broken buggy-spoke, before


s: which warlike weapon the strange boy was forced


s: warily to retreat.  Step by step he gave way, and


s: step by step his threatening foe advanced.  I think,


s: perhaps, part of the strange boy's purpose in thus


s: retreating was to arm himself with one of the "ax-


s: handles" that protruded from a churn standing in


s: front of a grocery, toward which he slowly backed


s: across the sidewalk.  However that may be, it is


s: evident he took no note of an open cellar-way that


s: lay behind him, over the brink of which he deliberately


s: backed, throwing up his hands as he disappeared.


s: We heard a heavy fall, but heard no cry.  Some


s: loungers in the grocery, attracted by the clamor of


s: the throng without, came to the door inquiringly;


s: one man, learning what had happened, peered down


s: the stairway of the cellar, and called to ask the boy


s: if he was hurt, which query was answered an instant


s: later by the appearance of the boy himself, his face


s: far whiter than his shirt, and his lips trembling,


s: "Guess I broke my arm ag'in," he said, briefly, as


s: the man leaned over and helped him up the steps,


s: the boy sweeping his keen eyes searchingly over the


s: faces of the crowd.  "It's the RIGHT arm, though,"


s: he continued, glancing at the injured member dangling


s: helplessly at his side--"THIS-'UN'S all right yet!"


s: and as he spoke he jerked from the man's assistance,


s: wheeled round, and an instant later, as a


s: buggy-spoke went hurtling through the air, he


s: slapped the bewildered face of Billy with his open


s: Then the man caught him, and drew him back,


s: and the crowd closed in between the combatants,


s: following, as the boy with the broken arm was


s: hurried down street to the doctor's office, where the


s: door was immediately closed on the rabble and all


s: the mystery within--not an utter mystery, either,


s: for three or four enterprising and sagacious boys


s: slipped off from the crowd that thronged in front,


s: and climbing by a roundabout way and over a high


s: board fence into the back yard, secretly posted


s: themselves at the blinded window in the rear of the little


s: one-roomed office and breathlessly awaited news


s: "They got him laid out on the settee," whispered


s: a venturous boy who had leaned a board against


s: the window-sill and climbed into a position


s: commanding the enviable advantage of a broken window-


s: pane.  "I kin see him through a hole in the


s: "They got his coat off, and his sleeve rolled up,"


s: whispered the boy, in continuation--"and the doctor's


s: a-givin' him some medicine in a tumbler.  Now


s: he's a-pullin' his arm.  Gee-mun-nee!  I kin hear the


s: "Hain't he a-cryin'?" queried a milk-faced boy,


s: with very large blue eyes and fine white hair, and


s: a grieved expression as he spoke.--"Hain't he


s: "Well, he hain't!" said the boy in the window,


s: "I heerd him thist tell 'em 'at it wasn't the first


s: time his arm was broke.  Now keep still!" and


s: the boy in the window again bent his ear to the


s: "He says both his arm's be'n broke," continued


s: the boy in the window--"says this-'un 'at's broke


s: now's be'n broke two times 'fore this time."


s: "Dog-gone! hain't he a funny feller!" said the


s: milk-faced boy, with his big eyes lifted wistfully


s: "He says onc't his pap broke his arm w'en he was


s: whippin' him," whispered the boy in the window.


s: "Bet his pa's a wicked man!" said the milk-faced


s: boy, in a dreamy, speculative way--"s'pect he's a


s: "Keep still," said the boy at the window; "they're


s: tryin' to git him to tell his pap's name and his, and


s: he won't do it, 'cause he says his pap comes and


s: steals him ever' time he finds out where he is."


s: The milk-faced boy drew a long, quavering


s: breath and gazed suspiciously round the high board


s: "He says his pap used to keep a liberty-stable


s: in Zeeny--in Ohio som'er's,--but he daresn't stay


s: round THERE no more, 'cause he broke up there, and


s: had to skedaddle er they'd clean him out!  He says


s: he hain't got no mother, ner no brothers, ner no


s: sisters, ner no nothin'--on'y," the boy in the window


s: added, with a very dry and painful swallow, "he


s: says he hain't got nothin' on'y thist the clothes on


s: "Yes, and I bet," broke in the milk-faced boy,


s: abruptly, with his thin lips compressed, and his


s: big eyes fixed on space--"yes, and I bet he kin lick


s: At this juncture, some one inside coming to raise


s: the window, the boy at the broken pane leaped to


s: the ground, and, flocking at his heels, his frightened


s: comrades bobbed one by one over the horizon of the


s: So it was the hero of this sketch came to be


s: The Boy from Zeeny, though evidently predisposed


s: to novel and disastrous happenings, for once,


s: at least, had come upon a streak of better fortune;


s: for the doctor, it appeared, had someway taken a


s: fancy to him, and had offered him an asylum at


s: his own home and hearth--the compensation stipulated,


s: and suggested by the boy himself, being a


s: conscientious and efficient service in the doctor's


s: stable.  Even with his broken arm splinted and


s: bandaged and supported in a sling, The Boy from


s: Zeeny could daily be seen loping the doctor's spirited


s: horse up the back alley from the stable to the office,


s: with the utter confidence and careless grace


s: of a Bedouin.  When, at last, the injured arm was


s: wholly well again, the daring feats of horsemanship


s: of which the boy was capable were listened to with


s: incredulity by the "good" boys of the village school,


s: who never played "hooky" on long summer afternoons,


s: and, in consequence, never had a chance of


s: witnessing The Boy from Zeeny loping up to the


s: "swimmin'-hole," a mile from town, barebacked,


s: with nothing but a halter, and his face turned


s: toward the horse's tail.  In fact The Boy from


s: Zeeny displayed such a versatility of accomplishments,


s: and those, too, of a character but faintly


s: represented in the average boy of the country town,


s: that, for all the admiration their possessor evoked,


s: an equal envy was aroused in many a youthful


s: "The boys in this town's down on you!" said


s: a cross-eyed, freckled-faced boy, one day, to The


s: The Boy from Zeeny was sitting in the alley


s: window of the hayloft of the doctor's stable, and


s: the cross-eyed boy had paused below, and, with his


s: noward-looking eyes upturned, stood waiting the


s: "What do I care for the boys in this town?" said


s: "The boys in this town," repeated the cross-eyed


s: boy, with a slow, prophetic flourish of his head--


s: "the boys in this town says 'cause you come from


s: Zeeny and blacked Billy Kinzey's eye, 'at you think


s: you're goin' to run things round here!  And you'll


s: find out you ain't the bosst o' this town!" and the


s: cross-eyed boy shook his head again with dire foreboding.


s: "Looky here, Cocky!" said The Boy from Zeeny,


s: trying to focus a direct gaze on the boy's delusive


s: eyes, "w'y don't you talk straight out from the


s: shoulder?  I reckon 'the boys in this town,' as you


s: call 'em, didn't send YOU round here to tell me what


s: THEY was goin' to do!  But ef you want to take it


s: up fer 'em, and got any sand to back you, jest say it,


s: and I'll come down there and knock them durn


s: "Yes, you will!" muttered the cross-eyed boy,


s: with dubious articulation, glancing uneasily up the


s: "What?" growled The Boy from Zeeny, thrusting


s: one dangling leg farther out the window, supporting


s: his weight by the palms of his hands, and poised as


s: though about to spring--"what 'id you say?"


s: "Didn't say nothin'," said the cross-eyed boy,


s: feebly; and then, as a sudden and most bewildering


s: smile lighted up his defective eyes, he exclaimed:


s: "Oh, I tell you what le's do!  Le's me and you


s: git up a show in your stable, and don't let none o'


s: the other boys be in it!  I kin turn a handspring


s: like you, and purt' nigh walk on my hands; and


s: you kin p'form on the slack-rope--and spraddle


s: out like the 'inja-rubber man'--and hold a pitch-


s: fork on yer chin-and stand up on a horse 'ithout


s: a-holdin'--and--and--Oh! ever'thing!"  And as the


s: cross-eyed boy breathlessly concluded this list of


s: strong attractions, he had The Boy from Zeeny so


s: thoroughly inoculated with the enterprise that he


s: warmly closed with the proposition, and the preparations


s: and the practise for the show were at once


s: Three hours later, an extremely cross-eyed boy,


s: with the freckles of his face thrown into vivid relief


s: by an intense pallor, rushed pantingly into the


s: doctor's office with the fateful intelligence that The


s: Boy from Zeeny had "fell and broke his arm ag'in."


s: And this time, as it seemed, the hapless boy had


s: surpassed the seriousness of all former fractures,


s: this last being of a compound nature, and very


s: painful in the setting, and tedious in recovery; the


s: recovery, too, being anything but perfect, since it


s: left the movement of the elbow somewhat restricted,


s: and threw the little fellow's arm into an unnatural


s: position, with the palm of the hand turned forward


s: as he walked.  But for all that, the use of it was,


s: Doubtless it was through such interludes from


s: rough service as these accidents afforded that The


s: Boy from Zeeny had acquired the meager education


s: he possessed.  The doctor's wife, who had from the


s: first been kind to him, grew to like him very much.


s: Through her gentle and considerate interest he was


s: stimulated to study by the occasional present of a


s: simple volume.  Oftentimes the good woman would


s: devote an hour to his instruction in the mysteries of


s: Nor was The Boy from Zeeny a dull pupil, nor


s: was he an ungrateful one.  He was quick to learn,


s: and never prouder than when a mastered lesson


s: gained for him the approbation of his patient instructor.


s: The history of The Boy from Zeeny, such as had


s: been gathered by the doctor and his wife, was


s: corroborative in outline with the brief hint of it


s: communicated to the curious listeners at the rear


s: window of the doctor's office on the memorable day


s: of the boy's first appearance in the town.  He was


s: without family, save a harsh, unfeeling father, who,


s: from every evidence, must have neglected and


s: abused the child most shamefully, the circumstantial


s: proof of this fact being evidenced in the boy's


s: frank acknowledgment that he had repeatedly "run


s: away" from him, and his still firm resolve to keep


s: his name a secret, lest he might thereby be traced


s: to his present security and fall once more into the


s: Certain it was that the feelings of all who knew


s: the lad's story showed hearty sympathy with him,


s: and when one morning it was rumored that The Boy


s: from Zeeny had mysteriously disappeared, and the


s: rumor rapidly developed into an unquestionable


s: fact, there was a universal sense of regret in the


s: little town, which in turn resolved itself into positive


s: indignation when it was learned from the doctor


s: that an explanation, printed in red keel on the


s: back of a fragment of circus-poster, had been


s: found folded and tucked away an the buckle-strap


s: of his horse's bridle.  The somewhat remarkable


s: communication, in sprawling capitals, ran thus:


s: It was a curious bit of composition--uncouth,


s: assuredly, and marred, maybe, with an unpardonable


s: profanity--but it served.  In the silence and gloom


s: of the old stable, the doctor's fingers trembled as


s: he read, and the good wife's eyes, peering anxiously


s: above his heaving shoulder, filled and overflowed


s: I wish that it were in the veracious sequence of


s: this simple history to give this wayward boy back


s: to the hearts that loved him, and that still in memory


s: enshrine him with affectionate regard; but the


s: hapless lad--the little ragged twelve-year-old that


s: wandered out of nowhere into town, and wandered


s: into nowhere out again--never returned.  Yet we


s: who knew him in those old days--we who were


s: children with him, and, in spite of boyish jealousy


s: and petty bickerings, admired the gallant spirit of


s: the lad--are continually meeting with reminders of


s: him; the last instance of which, in my own experience,


s: For years I have been a wanderer from the dear


s: old town of my nativity, but through all my


s: wanderings a gracious fate has always kept me somewhere


s: in its pleasant neighborhood, and, in consequence,


s: I often pay brief visits to the scenes of my


s: long-vanished boyhood.  It was during such a visit,


s: but a few short years ago, that remembrances of


s: my lost youth were most forcibly recalled by the


s: progress of the county fair, which institution I


s: was permitted to attend through the kindness of an


s: old chum who drove me over in his buggy.


s: Although it was not the day for racing, we found


s: the track surrounded by a dense crowd of clamorous


s: "What does it mean?" I asked my friend, as he


s: guided his horse in and out among the trees toward


s: "It's Professor Andrus, I suspect," he answered,


s: rising in the buggy as he spoke, and peering eagerly


s: above the heads of the surging multitude.


s: "And who's Professor Andrus?" I asked, striking


s: a match against the tire of the now stationary buggy-


s: wheel, and lighting the stump of my cigar.


s: "Why, haven't you heard of the famous Professor?"


s: he answered, laughingly--immediately adding


s: in a serious tone:  "Professor Andrus is the famous


s: 'horse-tamer' who has been driving the country


s: absolutely wild here for two or three days.  Stand up


s: here where you can see!" he went on, excitedly.


s: "Yonder he comes!  Isn't that splendid?"


s: Across the sea of heads, and facing toward us


s: down the track, I caught sight of a glossy span of


s: horses that in their perfect beauty of symmetry,


s: high heads and tossing manes looked as though


s: they were just prancing out of some Arabian dream.


s: The animals seemed nude of rein or harness, save


s: together with a slender trace at either side connecting


s: with a jaunty little phaeton whose glittering


s: wheels slivered the sunshine into splinters as they


s: spun.  Upon the narrow seat of the airy vehicle sat


s: the driver.  No lines were wound about his hands