The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1879-06-12
COMMENCEMENT DAY.
OR, THE STORY OF SISTERS SWEET syMpA-
THY.


THY.
twas Commencement Day in c.
High School. The people were pouring in.
to the church as | entered it, rather tardy
Finding the choice seats in the center of
the audience-room already taken, pressed
forward, looking to the right and to the
left for vacancy. On the very front row
of seats l found one.
Here little girl moved along to make
room for me, looking into my face with
large gray eyes, whose brightnest was soft
ened by very long lashes. Her face was
open and fresh as a newly blown rose be-
fore 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 snake
up" with me. And when, with bright
smile, she returned my dropped handker-
chief, and l said THANK you" 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 he great crowd she
said to me.
"Yes," 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 going to graduatee 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 sisters
sake"
THAT is my BROTHER" she went on,
pointing with her nosegay.
THE one with the light hair3'
asked.
"Oh no." she said smiling and shaking
her head in innocent reproof; ''not that
homely one, with red hair that hapisonle
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 you ~
In an eager way she looked from me to
him, and from him to me, as ifsome import
ant tate depended upon my identifying her
brother.
~ see him." l said, "Hcs very good
looking brother"
Yes, he is beautiful" she said, with art.
less delight: land he's so good, and he stud.
les so hard He has taken care of me ever
since mamma died. Here is his name on
the programme. Heis not the valedictor-
ian, but he has an honor, for all that"
saw in the little creatures familiarity
with these technical college terms that she
had closely identified herself with her broth
er's studies hopes and successes.
ale thought, at trst,' 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 chllds memory, and to her
they were ordinary things.
"But then" she went on, che decided
that he would rather write on Historical
Parallelcs', and he's got a real good grafton,
and he says it beautifully. lie has said 1t
to me great many times. most know
it by heart. Oh! It begins so pretty and so
grand. This is the way it begins" she
added, encouraged by the interest she must
have seen in my face; "'Amid the permu.
tations and combinations Of the actors and
the forces which make up the great kalci-
doscope Of history, we often find that u
turn OF Destiny's hand"
"Why, bless the baby" thought, look.
ing down into her bright, proud face. l
can't describe how very odd and selfish it
II did seem to have those sonorous words
rolling out of the smiling infantilc
mouth.
The band, striking up, put ao ord to the
quotation and to the condolences. VI N !
As the exercises progressed, and up.
nearer and nearer the effort on
which all her interest was concentrated, my
little friend became excited and restless.
Her eyes grew larger and brighter, two