Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-12-20

water. A little breeze sprang up, and
tiny wavelets. silver bright, Tapped up
and up, over the stones to her feet.
20 river, dear river!' she said, leaning
towards it, "last night in my dreams 20
spake to me, pitied me, and was sorry for
my boy. Can't ye spake agin now?"
The wavelets rose higher, and mur-
INJURED and whispered in the wind; and
as she listened, the silvery, inarticulate
sound resolved themselves into words.
Child, the river said softly, the
sweet spirit that lives beneath my waves
and in the woods and trees there,
brought you to me in your sleep, and
we tried to comfort you"
"Why did yo' not bring my brother.
too, and comfort him?" the girl said
" He's sore in need"
" He would not sleep the river said
" But take him some Of my water to
drink, and he will sleep, and you will
both come to me in your dreams, and |
will cure him and make him well. :"
"Ah, yo' wull?" cried the girl-a
beautiful light and brilliant smile wax
ing her face into wonderful beauty
T" [ wull go to him at once't Where be
the spirits who talked 50 kind to me
last night?"
"Oh," said the river-and it seemed to
smile and ripple all over in the moon
light" you will see them again when
you come with your brother in your
dream"
The girl refilled her jug, nodded
brightly to the river and hastened
home, with feet winged with hope and
love. She found her brother awake
and gasping for breath. Harry, Har-
ry!; she said tenderly, leaning over him,
and raising him in her arms. See! I've
brought you some water all fresh and
pure out of the river
His faded eyes frightened, and he ca
gerly drank it, and then, with a smile,
lay back on her breast. That's fine
an NICE he said. How dds go SO
far? Thou's good lass to go for me. J"
"Yo' dinna miss me while | were
gone; did yo', Harry
The boy looked up at her with low
ing smile and tear-illed eyes: l allus
miss yo', little sister, when yo's not wi
me-" She bent over him and passion
ately kissed his pale lips.
" An now," she said, "yo' must go to
sleep; an I'll go, too; an yo'll wake up
right an fine an well to-morrer, an yo'll
never be sick no more
"Wull | no?' said the boy. smiling
up at her eager face. You looks love
ly to-night-Gke an angel he said; and
added after minute, still smiling: 1
can sleep now. You must lie down by
me-so; an now, kiss me, little sister.
The moon streamed in on them as
they lay, clasped in one another's arms,
fast asleep their lips almost touching,
and the brown and gold of their hair
shining in the light.
Harry woke first in dreamland, to find
himself sitting on the bank of the river
in the moonlight, waiting for his sister;
and as he waited, all nature seemed to
wait just to welcome him. The trees
that waved their stately arms and sill
vered foliage above him, whispered:
" Welcome! welcome!,' The little pol
lard willows down by the water all nod
ded and spoke to him some CHEEKY word !;
the sleepy flowers who sat swaying and
nodding on their stalks, opened their
brilliant eyes to smile at him; and even
the long, graceful grasses and rushes
rustled and bent and bowed towards
him, and did all they could to express
their good will. The very frogs stop
ped croaking to look kindly at the sick
boy, with their bright eyes; and the
crickets ceased rubbing their legs for a
minute.
"Oh, how good it do feel to be here!'
he sighed, and fairly laughed for joy;
and all nature seemed to take up the
echo and laugh, too, for company; and
the frogs and the crickets creaked and
chirruped louder than ever; and the
bats took up the falsetto parts in the
chorus; and the nightingale sang a solo
that thrilled him with its beauty.
His sister came then, wandering
along by the river, bright and happy,
and sat down by him. Harry she
said, kissing his thin cheek, "yo' wull
get all well agin now; wull not yo'?'
And the river answered, tossing a
tiny wreath Of shining spray onto her
lap: "Yes, yes; he'will.
Harry" said the girl, clasping her
hands together, and looking up at the
blue dome overhead, where the stars
were shining and twinkling-" | feel so
happy now, that it seems somehow |
c'ud die just for nothin' but joy. Be
yo not happy, too?' and she laid her
soft cheek against her brothers.
" 1t be all just so sweet an glorious,
sister, that | cannot find the words to
put it into-I can only feel it here"
and he clasped his hands to his heart.
Get up, get up, sang the river, and
come with me.
So they gotup and followed the twist
ings and bendings Of the stream hand in
hand. The girl noticed that at every
step his walk became lighter and more
buoyant; and his eyes seemed to have
caught the radiance of the stars. As
for her, she went bounding and dancing
along by his side. very impersonation
of youth and health and happiness. In
their joyous progress they were new
er left alone. From behind every tree
they passed, and from the tender heart
of every flower, and up from the silver
water beamcd the CHEEKY faces of dryad
and hamadryad, elf and water nymph,
and every face had blessing in it. AS
for the river itself. it chartered and
prattled and laughed all the way There
never was such talkative river. Its
spirits were so high that every time the
wind murmured and rustled a kindly
wish through the trees, it curved and
coqueted and dashed up arrowy silvery
pointed darts of water all around and
about the boy and girl.
At last, after wandering for long
happy while beneath the stars, they
came to lovely moss and Aower-car
peted dell in the wood overarched by
branching trees, whose foliage made a
wonderful lacy pattern against the gold
spangled blue above, and in whose lap
the river lay, clear, deep, emerald
pool, on whose translucent surface
bloomed numberless water lilies, open
tonight against their custom, to do
them honor, and whose pure white bios
SONS, with their snowy, moon-brighten-
ed petals and golden eyes. rose immac-
ulately perfect from the noisome impur-
tiles beneath, and sat queen-like among
a tangled network of long, pink stalks
and shining, green, plate-like leaves.
The brother and sister stood still by
the waters brink, feeling hushcd and
awed by the great calm beauty of the
place As they stood there silent, the
boy so thin and fragile and spiritually
fair, with the new radiant light, as of
anothar world Shin;pr in his hlua avaS