Sharp County record., 1879-06-26

like silence of the room broke the
brave, child-yoice:
"Amid the permutations and
binatiOnS Of the actors and the f0.
which make up the great kaledosct
of history, we often find that a turn
Destiny's hand =" t
Every body about us turned and look
ed. The breathless silence; the sweet
childish voice; the childish face; the
long, unchildlike words, produced a
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 little sister a glance in
which | meant to show the intense SYM
pathy l felt; but sac did not see me.
Her eyes, swimming with tears, were
on her brothers. face, | put my arm
aroAnd her. She was too absorbed to
heed the caress, and, before | could ap-
preciate her purpose, shew was Oh her way
to the shame-strickenyoang man sitting
with face like statues.
When he saw her by his side, the set
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 towers on his
knee, and slipped her hand n his.
could not keep my eyes from the
sweet, plying face. | saw her whisper
to him, he bending little to catch her
words. Later, found out that she was
asking him if he knew his "pitce" now,
and that he answered yes.
When the young man next OF the list
had spoken, and while the band was
playing, the child, to the biother's
great surnrise, made her way Up the
stage steps, and pressed through the
throng OF professors and trustees and
distinguished visitors, up to the college
president.
"If you please, SIR" she said with a
little courtesy, twill you and the rus
tees let NY brother try again? He knows
his piece now"
For a 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.
SO it happened that when the band
had again ceased playing, it was briefly
announced that Mr.. would
now deliver his oration-"Historical
Parallels" D."
"'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 expepi1X'
interest passed over the au Hence, roo
then all sat stone still, as though ~
ing to breathe lest the speaker mt, ~
again take fright. No danger! y
nero IN the youth was aroused. | III
went at his "piece" with a set putnose
to conquer, to redeem himself, ane to
bring the smile back into the child's
tear, stained face. | watched the face
during the speaking. The wide ewes,
the parted lips, the whole rapt being
said that the breathlesi audience was
forgotten, that her spirit was moving
with his.
And when the address vas ended with
the ardent abandon of pnewho catches
enthusiasm in the herealitation that he is
fighting down a wrong judgment and
conquering sympathy, the effect was
really thrilling. That dignlied audi
ence broke into raptuousapplsuse; bou-
quets intended for the valedictorian
rained like tempest. And tue child
who had helped to save the dsy-that
one beaming little face, in its pride and
gladness, is something to be forever re-
membered.- - Sarah Winter Kellogg, in
81. Nicholas for June.