The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-07-08
THE TIMES, NEW BLOOMFIELD, PA. JULY 8, 1879.

| well with him. Something like fear
showed in her face.
He made an automatic bow. Then q
bewildered, struggling look, and then he
stood staring vacantly, like somnam-
bulist, at the waiting audience. The
moments of painful suspense went by,
and still he stood as If struck dumb. 1
saw how II was he had been seized with
stage fright.
Alas little sister She turned her
large, ,dismayed eyes upon me. "He's for
gotten it," she said. Then a swift
change came into her face strong, de-
termined look and on the funeral-like
silence of the room, broke the sweet
brave child-voice
Amid the permutations and COM
binations of the acters and the forces
which make up the great kaleidoscope
of history, we often find that turn of
Destiny's hand"
Everybody about us turned and look
ed. The breathless silence; the sweet,
childish voice; the childish face; the
long, unchildlike words produced weird
effect
But the help had come too late; the
unhappy brother was already stagger-
ing in humiliation from the stage. The
band quickly struck up, and waves of
lively music were rolled out to cover the
defeat.
gave the sister glance in which 1
meant to show the intense sympathy L
felt; but she did not see me. Her eyes
swimming with tears, were on her
brothers. face. l put my arm around
her. She was too absorbed to heed the
caress, and before / could appreciate her
purpose, she was on her way to the
shame-stricken young man sitting with
a face like a statues.
When he saw her by his side, the
face relaxed, and quick mist came in
to his eyes. The young men got closer
together, to make room for her. She
sat down beside him, laid her flowers
on his knee, and slipped her hand in
his.
could not keep my eyes from her
sweet, plying face. L saw her whisper
to him, he bending little to catch her
words. Later, found out that she was
asking him if he knew 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 dis
tinguished visitors, up to the college
President.
Z" If you please, sir" she said with
little courtesy, will you and the trustees
let my brother try again ? He knows
his piece now.
For moment, the President stared
at her through his gold-bowed spectacles,
and then, appreciating the child's petit
tion, he smiled on her, and went down
and spoke to the young man who had
failed.
So it happened that when the band
had again ceased playing, it was briefly
announced that Mr.. would now
deliver his oration-" Historical Paral-
lels.n
Amid the permutations and COM
binations of the actors and the forces
which make up the great kaleidoscope
of history" This the little sister
whispered 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 con-
quer, to redeem himself, and to bring
the smile back into the child's tear
stained face. watched the face dur
ing the speaking. The wide eyes, the
parted lips, the whole rapt being said
that the breathless audience was for
gotten, that her spirit was moving with
his.
And when the address was ended with
the ardent abandon of one who catches
enthusiasm in the realization that he is
fighting down wrong Judgment and
conquering a sympathy, the effect was
really thrilling That dignified audience
broke into rapturous applause; boquets
intended for the valedictarian rained
like a tempest. And the child who had
helped to save the day-that one BEAM
ing little face, in its pride and gladness,