The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-06-28
WE TWO.

sound much to strangers, but Id like to.
tell you about 1t, if you have time to lis
ten, for they've all forgotten Robbery
down here, except me; they're poor folks,
you see, and things Drift out of folks
heads when poverty drifts in.
Bobberyf yes, sir, that was his name
leastways the name we gave him down
here. AS to father or mother, we never
had any, l think; never had anyone in the
wide world to belong to, except our two
selves-BObbery and me. was the eld-
est, two long years older than him; but
then was blind, you see, so the two years
didn't count for much, and Robbery got
ahead Of me after the time when the long
days OF pain slipped into long nights, and
God shut me out of the world; not that /
grumble, sir-1've given over that; and
Bobbery was always such good lad to
me, that perhaps 1 didn't miss SO much,
after all.
I grew to fancy things, and made be.
iieve saw q great deal, particularly after
Robbery took to working at his trsde-
shoeblack, sir; and sometimes, when, l
became accustomed to being always in the
dark, went out with Robbery, and held
the money that he made.
Well, not much, perhaps, but enough
for us two, and the little room we had
down at KingstOwn, over against the river;
only Robbery was an extravagant lad-not
in drink, Sir-we were always sober lot
but in orange.
They were almost his ruin, sir--those
oranges. He used to come up stairs suck
ing them softly, SO that might not hear,
and thinking to deceive me; but some
how snelt oranges. and it always made me
sharper to catch Robbery whistling little
tunes to himself on the way up, just to
put me off.
He made deal of me, did Robbery
along of being blind you see-and SO did
the neighbOrs; but 1 was rare proud of
him. You don't know what it is, sir, to
sit alone in the dark all day, and then;
on sudden, to hear fellow call out :
Here we are again! Come down and
feel the sun set, and we'll count the cop
pers!" 1t would make you love anyone,
sir. who had u voice like that, let alone a
fellow like Robbery.
Perhaps you didn't happen to be in
Kingstown, sir, last spring, wher the
floods had risen, and the land was under
water for miles round. Robbery used to
wade a little going down to his work, but
he rather liked it, he said; and he used
to tuck up his trousers, and call back to
me and laugh as the water crept round
his feet; and he said folks wouldn't want
their boots blacked, he feared, for the
water would soon take off the polish.
used to sit on the window-sill to feel
the sun, and if l listened very hard l
could hear the ripple-ripple of the shall
low water at every step that Robbery
made, and it had a pleasant sound, and
made kind of company feeling; but
when he was out of hearing, and it still
kept ripping up against our walls, the
company feeling went away and left me
lonely, and sometimes l thought the
water hateful because it lay for so very
long between me and Robbery.
Well. once I was sitting alone on
the window-sill, and the day was very
quiet-s0 quiet that l did not even hear
the little ripping waves-and in the quiet
grew frightened at last; and in the
quiet stretched out my hands across the
sill, to feel my way down. telt some.
thing that made me shiver and draw back
out of the sunlight-that made my whole
dark life grow suddenly beautiful and
precious thing-I felt the water ripping
almost up to the level of the sill, and /
was quite alone, and Robbery would
never know.
/ did not call out, or 20 mad witt,
fright, as thought at first might do
only crept away, in my everlasting dark
ness, from the warm sunlight, and sat
down on the bed where Robbery and l
slept together, and put my hands over my
ears, to shut out the roar of the waters.
How long sat there don't know, but
| I think it must have been hours. for felt
the sunlight slanting on my face, and the
water rushing round me before / moved
again. was hungry, too; but when
tried to get down and reach the cupboard,
the water took me of my feet, and crept
back to the bed, and on to the shelves of
the dresser, to be out of the way. said
my prayers two or three times, and said
some prayers for Robbery, too, for knew
day, where had died all alone, and in
things looked from our window, with the
water sweeping. up to the very sill, and
the red sunset lying on it-and beyond,
the clock; and thought it was better
for me to die than Robbery, after all,
for he could see, while IL had
no pleasure in my life. And yet wanted
to live: wanted to hear Bobbery's voice
again; wanted the waters to go down,
and somebody to remember me at last
for was afraid.
Well, sir, God answers our prayers
sometimes in way that is terribly just
1t takes US long time to find out that
everything is very good. think, but we
come to learn it at last-and learn, too, to
leave our prayers as well as the answers
to God. Somebody did remember me al
last, and came back-somcbody whose
laughing voice across the waters was
nearer every Enthusiastically whose
hands were on my shoulder, whose eyes
felt, were on my face-somebOdy who
had never forgotten me-Bobbery
"Bobbcry! Bobbery!' I cried, and
stretched out my arms to him.
Robbery said: I" came over in a tub
only think! such lark but. as climbed
in ut the window our tub drifted away, and
how we're to get over can't tell"
You must think of something" said.
Robbery, it was long day"
"Why, of course it was" Robbery an
swered, 'without me. Come along, the
rivers rising like fury"
is it very wide!" asked.
"Oh, not more'n q good stretch from
here to the dry land-but deep; over six
feet, l should say-ani rising"
"But the bed, Robbery" said, "and
the other things?"
"Well, We must just leave them until
it's all right again"
"Will it ever he all right" asked.
"Why, yes, of course" said Robbery.
He was such splendid chap, sir. was
Robbery, and 40 clever! He took the two
chairs that were drifting about the room,
and tied them close together, and then
we waded across to the window, and stood
upon the sill.
II think it's jolly good fun" said Bob
berry. eff you could only see how your
boats bobbing up and down in front here!
Get in quick, or I can't hold her. Here
port her helm, or something! Are you all
right"
It's splendid, said; "come along. /"
But when Robbery put his foot on to
the unsteady raft, she went down on one
side with plunge. Never mind" he
said; you've just got to push yourself
ashore with this pole, as straight as you
can 90, and I'll follow"
l swear to you, sir. thought that it
waa trIle ar never v0u1d have left ROh