The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-06-11
q Second griol.
(st. Nicholas.)

tardy. Finding the choi e seats III
the center of the audience room al
ready taken, I pressed forward look
ing to the right and to the left i0f
vacancy. On the very front no" Oh
seats / found one.
Here a little girl moved along to
make room for me, looking into my
face with large gray eyes, whose
brightness was sofLened BY very long
lasbes. Her face was open and fresh
as a newly blown rose before sun
rise. Again and again I found my
ewes turned to the rose-Iike face, an"
each time the gray eyes moved, half
smiling to meet mine. Evidently
The child was ready to ''mako up
with me. And when, with bright
smile, she returned my dropped
handkerchief, and | said "Thank
youp' 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 pretty well acquainted.
"There's going to be very great
crowd" she said to me.
eyes" / replied; "people always
like to see how school-boys are made
into men,"
Her face beamed with pleasure and
pride as she said: "My brothers go
ing to graduate; he's going to speak
I've brought these flowers to throw
to him."
They were not green house favor
ties; just old-fashioned domestic
flowers, such as we associate with
the dear grandmothers; "but,"
thought, "they will seem sweet and
beautiful to him for little sisters
sake"
"That is my brother" she wen
on, pointing with her nosegay.
"The one with The light hairf"
asked.
"Oh, no,n she said, smiling ant
shaking her head in innocent re
proof; ''not that homely one, will
red hair; that handsome one witt
brown wayy hair. His eyes looi
brown, too, but they are not-the.
are dark blue. There! he's got BIZ
hand upon his head now. You SCI
him don't your"
In an eager way she looked from
me to him, and from him to me as i
some important fate depended upol
my Identifying her brother.
81 see him." l said. "He's yer.
good looking brother"
"Yes, he is beautiful" she sac
with artless delight; sand he's s
good, and he studies so hard. II
has taken care Of me ever since M
Their died. Here is his name on til
programme. He is not the yaledi
torian, but he has an honor for 0
that"
] saw from the little girls fam
iarity with these technical cole
terms that she had closely identltl
herself with lfer brothers studi
hopes and successes.
Gle thought, at first" she c.
tfnued, "that he would write on
Romance of Monastic Life "
What strange sound these IL
words had, whispered from her Ct
dish lips! Her interest in her |
theirs work had stamped them
the child's memory, and TO her I
were ordinary things.
"But them" she went on, che
cided that he would rather write
Historical Parallels, and he's 6
real good oration, aud he say
beautifully. He has said it TO
great many times. almost k
it by heart. Obi it begins so pr
and so grand. This is The way i
gins" she added, encouraged by
interest she must have seen in
face: "sAmid the permutations
combinations of the forces "
make up the great KALEIDOSCOPE
,hisrory we often find that tn
Destiny's hand"
"Why, bless the baby" Itho'
looking down in her bright,
face. / can't describe how odd
selfish it did seem TO nave thos
norous words rolling out OF the
ing infantile mouth.
The band, striking up, put a.
to the quotation aud to the
- dences.
AS the exercises progressed
approached nearer and nearer tt
fort on which all her Interest
concentrated, my little friend be