Sharp County record., 1879-06-26
4 SECOND TRIAL.

1t was Commencement at u - Col
lege. The people were pouring into the
church as | entered it, rather taldy.
Finding the choice seats in the center of
the audience-room already taken, l
pressed forward, looking to the right
and to the left for 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-like face, and each time the gray
eyes moved, half smiling, to meet mine.
Evidently the child was ready to
"make up" with me. And when, with
bright smile, she returned my drop
ped handkerchief, 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
well acquainted.
"There's going to be great crowd"
she said to me.
EYES," | replied; "people always
like to see how schoOl-boys are made in
to men,"
Her face beamed with pleasure and
pride as she said:
"My brothers. going to graduatee
he's going to speak; I've brought theS;
flowers to throw to him."
They were not greenhouse fayoriteS;
just old-fashioned domestic flowers, such
as we associate with the dear grand
mothers; "but, ~ thought, "Uhey will
seem sweet and beautiful to him for lit
tie sisters sake"
"That is my brOther,n she went
on, pointing with her nosegay.
"The one with the light hairP" l
asked.
"Oh no." she said, smiling and shak-
ing her head in innocent reproof; "nOt
that homely one, with red hair; that
handsome one with brown wayy hair.
His eyes look brown, too; but they
are n0t-they are dark blue, There!
he's got his hand up to his head now.
You see him, don't you?"
In an eager way she looked from me
to him, and from him to me, as if some
important fate depended upon my iden-
tifying her brother.
81 see him." | said. "He's very
GOOD LOOKING brother -
"Yes, he is beautiful" " she said, with
artless delight; "and hess 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 Monastio Life"
What q 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 then," she went on, che decid-
ed that he would rather write on 'His
torical Parallels and he's got a real
good Grafton, and he says it beautifully.
He has said it to me a great many times.
| most know it by heart. Oh! il be.
gins 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 kalei-
doscope of history, we often find that a
turn of Destiny's hand"
"Why, bless the baby!" l thought,
looking down into her bright, proud
face. can't describe how very odd and
elfish it did seem to have those sonorous
words rolling out Of the smiling infantile
mouth.
The band, striking up, put an end to
the quotation and TO the condolences.
As the exercises progressed, and ap'
preached nearer and nearer the effort
on which all her interest was concen-
trated, nay 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 lymakingthe offering ready
for the shrine.
Snow, it's his turn" she said, turn
ing to me face in which pride and de-
light and anxiety seemed about equally
mingled. 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, IS he mounted to the speakers
stand. | knew by her deep breathing
chat bo,, boart was thTOIDinO in her