The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-07-03

The band, striking up, put an end to
the quotation and TO the condolences.
As the exercises progressed, and ap.
preached nearer the effort on which
all her interest was concentrated, 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 flowers, manifestly
making the offering ready for the shrine.
Now, it's his turn, she said, turning
to me face in which pride and delight
and anxiety seemed about equally min
gled. Bat when the overture was play
ed through, and his name was called,
the child seemed, in her eagerness, to
forget me and all the earth beside him.
She rose 10 her feet and leaned forward
for better view Of her beloved, as he
mounted the speakers stand. / knew
by her deep breathing that her heart
was throbbing in her throat. / knew,
too, by the way 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,
too, seemed to discern that things were
not we'll with him. Something like fear
showed in her face.
He made an automatic bow. Then
bewildered, struggling look came into
his face, then helpless look, and then
he stood staring vacantly, like a SOM
nambulist, at the waiting au1iencc.
The moment of painful suspense went
by, and still he stood as if struck dumb.
saw how it was he had been seized
with stage.fright.
Alas little sister She turned her
large, dismayed eyes upon me. 'He's
forgotten it, she said. Then q swift
change came into her face; a strong
determined look and on the funeral
like silence of the room broke the sweet
brave, child-voice
Amid the permutations and combina-
tions of the actors and the forces which
make up the grert kaleidoscope of his.
tory, we often find that turn of Des-
tiny's hand
Every body about us turned and look
ed. The breathless silenco the sweet,
childish voice; the childish face the
long, uuchildlike words, produced a
weird effect.
But the help had come too late; the
unhappy brother was already staggering
in humiliation from the stage. The
band quickly struck up, and waves of
lively music were rolled out to cover
the defeat.
l gave the little sister a glance in
which / meant to show the intense sym
pathy felt /; but she did not gee me.
Her eyes, swimming with tears, were on
her brothers face. put my arms
around her. She was too absorbed to
heed the caress, and before 1 could ap-
preciate her purpose, she was on her
way to the shame e-stricken young man
sitting with face like statues.
When he saw her by his side, the set
face relaxed, and quick mist came into
his eyes. The young men got closer to-
gether, to make room for her. She sat
down beside him, laid her flowers on his
knee, and slipped her hand in his.
I could not keep my eyes from her
sweet, pitying faco. I saw her whisper
to him, he bending little TO catch her
words. Later, 1 found out that she
was asking him if he new his piece
now, and that he answered yes.
When the young man next on the list
had spoken and while the band was
playing, the child, to the brothers great
surprise, made her way up the stage
steps, and pressed through the throng
OF professors and trustees and distin-
guished visitors, up to the college presi-
dent.
IF You please, cir, she said with a
little courtsey, will you and the trustees
let my brother try againP He knows
his piece now
For moment, the president stared |
at her through his gold-bowed specta-
cles, and then, approaching the child's
petition, he smiled on her, and went |
down and spoke to the young man who |
had failed.
50 it happened that when The band |
had again ceased playing, it was briefly |
announced chat Mr. ----w would |
now deliver his Grafton -- Historical
Parallelg.
Amid the permutations and combina-
tions Of the actors and the forces which
make up the great kaleidoscope of
history This the little sister whis-
pered to him as he rose to answer the
summons.
A ripple of heightened and expectant
interest passed over the audience, and /
then all sat stone. still, as though fearing
to breathe lest the speaker might again
take fright. No danger The hero in
the youth was aroused. He went at his
piece with set purpose to conquer, to
redeem himself, and to bring the smile
back into the child's tear-stained face.
1 watched the face during the speaking.
The wide eyes, the parted lips, the
whole rapt being said that the breathless
audience was forgotten, that her spirit
was moving with his.