Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-06-04
A SISTERS LOVE.

Rinding the choice seats in the center
of the audience-room already taken, l
pressed forward looking to the right
and to the lett for a vacancy. On the
very front row of seats [ found one.
Here a little girl moved along to
make room for me, looking into my
face with large gray eyes, whose bright
ness was softened by very long lashes.
Her face was open and fresh as newly
blown rose before sunrise. Again and
again [ found my eyes turning to the
rose-llke face, and each time the gray
eyes mover, half smiling, to meet mine.
Evidently the child was ready to make
up" with me. And when, with q bright
smile, she returned my dropped hand
kerchief, and [ said: "Thank you'll"
we seemed fairly introduced. Other
persons. now coming into the seat,
crowded me quite close up against the
little girl, so that we soon felt very we'll
acquainted.
"There's going to be a great crowd"
she said to me.
eyes," I replied; "people always like
to see how schoolboys are made into
men,"
Her face beamed with pleasure and
pride as she said:
"My brothers going to graduate; he's
going to speak; I've brought these
flowers to throw to him"
They were not greenhouse favorites;
just old-fashioned domestic flowers, such
as we associate with the dear grand
mothers; "but," thought, "they will
seem sweet and beautiful to him for
little sisters sake"
"That is my brother" she went on,
pointing with her nosegay.
"The one with the light hair?" ask
ed.
ooh, no." she said, smilingly and shak-
ing her head in innocent reproof; mot
that homely one, with red hair; that
handsome one with brown wavy hair.
His eyes look brown, too; but they are
not-they are dark blue There! he's
got his hand up to his head now. You
see him, don't your"
In an eager way she looked from me
to him, and from him to me, as if some
important fate depended upon my iden-
tifving her brother.
81 see him." [ said. Hes very
gOOd-lOOklng brother.
eyes, he is beautiful" she said, with
artless delight; "and he's SO good, and
he studies so hard. He has taken care
of me ever since mamma died. Here is
his name on the programme. He is not
the valedictorian, but he has an honor,
for all that"
saw in the little creatures familiari-
ty with these technical college terms
that she had closely identified herself
with her brothers studies, hopes, and
successes.
"He thought, at first" she continued,
'that he would write on the Romance
of Monastic Life"
What strange sound these long
words had, whispered from her childish
lips! Her interest in her brothers
work had stamped them on the child's
memory, and to her they were ordinary
things.
"But them" she went on, che decid-
ed that he would rather write on His
torical Parallels and he's got real
good grafton, and he says it beautifully.
He has said it to me a great many
times. most know it by heart. Oil
it begins SO pretty and so grand. This
is the way it begins" she added, encour-
aged by the interest she must have seen
in my face: "Amid the permutations
and combinations of the actors and the
forces which make up the great kaleid-
oscope of history, we often find that
turn of Destiny's hand
"Why, bless the babyr I thought,
looking down into her bright, proud
face. [ can't describe how very odd
and selfish it did seem to have'those So
norous words rolling out of the smiling
infantile mouth.
The band striking up put an end to
the quotation and the condolences.
AS the exercises progressed and APP
preached nearer and nearer the effort
on which all her interest was concen-
trated, my little friend became excited
and restless. Her eyes grew larger and
brighter; two deep-red spots gloWed on
her cheeks. She touched up the flow
ers, manifestly making the offering
ready for the shrine.
snow it's his turn" she said, turning
to me face In which pride and delight
and anxiety seemed about equally min
gled. But when the overture was
played through, and his name was
called, the child seemed, in her eager
ness, to forget me and all the earth be-
side him. She rose to her feet and
leaned forward for better view of her
beloved,.a he mounted the speakers
stand. I knew by her deep breathing
that her heart was throbbing in her
throat. / knew, too, by the way that
her brother came up the steps and to
the front, that he was trembling. The
hands hung limp; his face was pallid,
and the lips blue as with cold. 1 felt
anxious. The child, toe, seemed to
discern that things were not well with
him. Something like fear showed in
her face.
He made an automatic bow. Then
beWlldered, struggling look came into
his face, then a helpless look, and then
he stood staring vacantly like SOM
nambulist, at the waiting audience.
The moments of painful suspense went