River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-12-05

pling water A little breeze sprang up
and tiny wavelets, silver bright, Tapped
up and up over the stones to her feet
40 river, dear riverI' she said, leaning
towards it, "last night in my dreams yo
spake to me, pitied me, and was sorry
for my boy. Can't ye spake agin now ]"
The wavlets rose higher, and murmured
and whispered in the wind; and as she
list ned, 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 "a me in your sleep, and We tried to
comfort you"
"Why did yo not bring my brother too
and comfort himg' 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, 70 wull2" cried the girl--a beau
tiful light and brilliant smile waking her
face into wonderful beauty. Il wull
go to him at once't. Where be the spirits
who talked so kind to me last nightf'
oh said the river-and it seemed to
smile and ripple all over in the moon
light----''vou will see them again when
you come with your brother in your
dream"
The girl refilled her jug, nodded bright
ly to the river and FASTENED home with
feet winged with hope and love. She
found her brother awake and gasping for
breath "Harry, Harry" she said tender
ly leaning over him, and raising him on
her arms. "Seet I've brought you some
water all fresh and pure out offs river. !"
His faded eyes brightcned, and he ca
gerlY drank it, and then with smile lay
back on her breas. "That's fine an
nice" ne said. .How dds so so tar2"
Thou's a good lass to go for me-"
"Yo dinna miss me while l were gone:
did 20, Harryf"
The boy looked up at her with loving
smile and tear-tilled eyes: Il ailus miss
70, little sister, when yo's not wi me-
She bent over him and passionately
kissed his pale lips.
AN now" she said, ''vo mum 90 to
sleep; an I'll go too; an yoll wake up
right an fine an wei to morrer, an yo1l
new be sick 40 more,
"Wull | no.; said the boy, smiling up
at her eager face. "YOu looks lovely to-
an angel" he sand; and add
cd after a minute, still smiling: Il can
sleep now. You nun lie down by me
go; 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 aud 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 be waited, all nature seemed to
wait Just to welcome him. The trees that
waved their stately arms and silvered
foliage above him, whispered: "Wel-
willows down by the water all nodded
and spoke TO him some CHEEKY word; the
sleepy flowers who sat swaying and nod
ding on their stalks. opened their bril-
liant eyes to smile at him; and even the
long graceful grasses and rushes rustled
and ben. and bowed towards him, and did
all they could to express their good will
The very frogs stopped croaking to look
kindly at the sick boy, with their bright
eyes; and the crickets ceased rubbing
their legs for minute.
"Oh, how good it do feel to be herel"
he sighed, and fairly laughed for JOY
and all nature seemed TO take up tue
echo and laugh too for company and the
al, 10 IolHt
ruped louder than ever; and the bats
took up the falsetto parts in the chorus
and the nightingale sang q 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 we'll agin
now; wull not yo?'
And the river answered. tossing tiny
wreath of shining spray on to her lap:
YES, yes; he willr
Harry said the girl, clasping her
hands t'gether, and looking up at the
blue dome overhead, where the stars
were shining and twinkling-"I feel so
happy now, that it seems somehow c'ud
die Just for nothin' but JOY. BE yo not
happy tooW and she laid her soft cheek
against her brothers.
at be all just so sweet an glorious, sis
ter, that cannot find the words to put it
into 4 can ony feel it here;" and he
clasped his hands to his heart.
"Get up, get up, sang the river, land
come with me-
they got up and f,lowed the twist
ings and bendngs OF the stream hand IN
nand The girl noiiccd that at every step
his walk became lighter aud more buoy
ant; warm tiugc flushed into his pallid
cheeks; 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 youth
and health and happiness. In their JOY
Gus progress they were never LETT alone.
From behind every tree they passed, and
from the tender heart of every flower, and
up from the silver water beamed the
CHEEKY faces of dryad and hamadryad, elf
and water lymph, and every face had
blessing in it. As for the river itself, ii
chartered and prattled and laughed all
The way There never was such laxative
every river It's spirits were 81 high that
Time the wind murmured and rust ed
1 kindly wish through the trees, it curved
and coquettcd and dashed up arrowy
sil-ery pointed darts of water all around
and about the boy and girl.
At last. after wandering for a long
happy while beneath the stars, they came
to a lovely moss and ower-carpeted dell
in the wood, overarched by branching
trees, whose foliage made wonderful
lacy pattern against the gold spangled
blue above, and in whose lap the river lay,
A clear deep emerald pool, on whose trans
lucent surface bloomed mum berless water
lilies, open tonight against their custom,
10 do them honor, and whose pure white
with their snowy moon bright
ened petals and golden eyes, rose immacs
ulately perfect from the nolsome impari-
ties beneath, and sat queen-like among al
tangled network OF long pink stalks and
shining green plate-l!ke leaves. The
brother and sister stood still by the
brink, feeling hushed 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 another world
shining in his blue eyes, and the sirl Ia
her sweet strong besuty reminding onesof
fhe water lilies at her feet, in that they
were both so fair and had equally sprung
from muddy impurity and tiith-they
seemed emblems of spiritual and material
life. Tue river scarcely murmurcd nov,
hut Just whispered as the trees waved