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

beyond it's neighbors; the upper story
quite overhanging the basement. This
house was so old that it almost tottered
when the wind blewas it often did at
Mile-end-even in spite of the wooden
props, themselves rotten now, with
which it had been buttressed up. But
in spite, or, perhaps, because of its age
and discomfort and general dilapidation
it was beautifully mellowed and har,
monious in the tone Of it's coloring
Tufts of vivid green moss, and yellow
and gray lichen at intervals carpeted
and softened the red tiles; and heavy
clumps of orange wall-fowers filled uI
the gaps left by departed bricks and
mortar, thus throwing over the actual
decay and rotteness a glamorous veil OF
picturesque beauty. Within, this house
was cruelty old and comfortless; the
beauty Of decay was all outside, and
only it's stern reality existed within the
frail and draughty walls. There were
ten rooms in this house, which gave
shelter to seven families. The noise
and brawling were incessant, never
seeming to stop night or day, for when
at last the sickly children were asleep
the night was made hideous with the
drunken blasphemies and low quarrels
of the degraded men and women; and
the reeking air was thick and heavy
with gin, tobacco and disease.
In one Of these rooms-it was in the
projecting upper story, which, through
an unusually wide window, commanded
view all up and down the street-lay
on straw pallet on the floor, barely
covered with an old patchwork quilt, a
boy of about IA, who, judging from his
constant cough, labored breathing and
emaciated limbs, was in the last stages
of consumption. Beside him, on the
narrow bed, lay a girl few years older
than her brother, fast asleep. She was
pale and thin and dirty, but there was a
rare beauty in the firm, soft curves of
the mouth and chin, and in the lower
broad brow, up from which was swept a
thick, tangled mass of curly brown hair
Tears glistened on the long brown lashes,
and the eyebrows were knit together in
a painful frown, which suddenly relax
ed as the sick boy watched her with
tired, sunken eyes, and sudden, glow
ing smile lighted up her face.
"She can allus dream, and escape to
the beautiful world she tells me about,
he muttered with a wistful, impatient
sigh; and | can never even sleep"
Yes, she was dreaming, but not so
deeply, but that the movement and
sigh Of her brother woke her. Whaten S
the trouble, Harry, dear? Be 70 worse
tonight
90 no" he said, and 81 ghed again.
" I was just wonderin' where yo was,
yo' smiled so: and | longed to be there
too"
90 Harry, was way off out O sight
O house an street, an such like, an all
the trees an flowers an the river spak
to me, to give me comfort"
All. the valley" said the sick boy;
that's where | wants to 60, as | used
to, fore l was took bad. If | could
sleep, p'raps | could go, too Here he
was interrupted by terrible fit of
coughing, which only left him strength
to gasp feebly for water.
4 cracked cup without handle stood
on the window sill, and in it was lit
tie water The girl rose to get it; but
as she was handing it to her brother, the
door opened, and their father staggered
in. For an instant he looked at his
children, and then, in drunken fit of
senseless passion, struck the girl saw
buffet, which made her reel, and shat
tered the cup into fragments in her
hand.
The girls brow flushed crimson with
anger and pain. and her brown eyes
flashed fire. " Yo miserable drunken
bruter she said.
None O yer sarce, gal. or Iii kill
yer!!' and he glared at her dangerously,
with arm uplifted to strike.
Father, fatherr' commanded rather
than implored the sick boy, sitting up
with an effort, and holding out thin,
pale hand between them, while a hectic
red blazed in his cheeks and vivid
light shone in his pale blue eyes,
Don't yer strike her-don't yer strike
her, or God will strike you! There
was strange, almost unearthly look in
the boys spiritualized, suffering face,
that awed the man into temporary So
berness.
As he paused with arm uplifted,
looking at his son, an expression OF
shame and uncertainty crossed his fea-
lures; he hung his head, avoided the
boys intense eyes, and his arms slowly
dropped by his side.
Father" said the boy in gentler
tone, you've hurt her-yo' have, and
she's so good to yO.
The man shifted uneasily from one
foot to the other, and looked up at his
daughter, who was standing defiant and
angry. with a dull red mark on her
cheek and neck. When her brother
spoke, her face sOftened and her lips
quivered she knelt suddenly by the
bed, and put her arms around him, say
ing in piteous voice, as the big tears
iell on his yellow hair: " It's no for me
| mind! It's for you. Whaten will yo'
do the night through withouten water?
There's no a drop more i the house nor
the street"
The boy said nothing as he stroked
his sister brown head, but the wistful,
longing look in his eyes, and the half
sigh he could not repress, showed how
much he needed the water. The man
looked at them for minute, and then
the fumes of the gin he had ia ken over
powered him again, as he reeled to the
opposite corner Of the room, where he
fell on an old mattress. and in a mo-
ment was fast in drunken sleep. The
boy closed his eyes YEARLY and turned
his face toward the wall. The girl
kissed him and settled him as comforta-
bly, as she could, then rose from her
knees and went to the window, which
she partly opened. The moon was high
and full, and the street without looked
as bright as day A sudden idea seemed
TO strike her, for she smiled brightly as
she went softly to the bed and stood
gazing at the brother she loved so well
and knew she should be able to keep Sc
short time.
My boy" she said, with an intensity
of pitiful love in her face, and stretch
ing her clasped hands over him as
though she would keep him with her in
spite of everything. My boy! he is al
| have" she murmured Dear God
take care of him till | come back; and
with the love still lin her face, she soft
ly left the room.
She went out into the brilliant sum
mer night, and walked swiftly down the
street towards the lovely valley beyond
looking up at the quiet stars as she
went, something of whose peace and
rest seemed to be reflected into the
depths of her usually troubled eyes
A g. ~, a x,L;1o cho lof+ tbo toun hahn