The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-05-30
a Second Trial.

Second Trial.
1t was commandments at G. College.
The people were pouring into the church
as entered it, rather tardy. Finding
the choice seats in the center of the
audience-room already taken, 1 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 brightness was
softened by very long lashes. Her face
was open and fresh as newly blown
rose before sunrise. Again and again 1
found my eyes turned to the rose-like
face, and each time the gray eyes moved,
half smilingly, to meet mine. Evidently
the child was ready to make up" with
me. And when, with a bright smile,
she returned my dropped handkerchief,
and l 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" l replied; 'people always like
to see how school-boys are made into
men.
Her face beamed with pleasure and
pride Us she said:
"My brothers going to graduate; he's
going to speak. I've Thought these
flowers to throw to him."
They were not greenhouse favorites;
Just old-fashioned dor este flowers,
such as we associate with the dear
grandmothers; but" thought, "they
will seem sweet and beautiful to him for
little sisters sake"
"That is my BROTHER" she went on,
pointing with her nosegay.
"The one with the light hair?" I
asked.
"Oh no." she said, smiling and shak-
ing her head in innocent reproof; mot
that homely one, with red hair; that
handsome 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 if some
important fate depended upon my
Identifying her brother.
II see him." / said. Hes very
good-looSing brother"
Eyes, he is beautiful" she said, with
artless delight; sand he's so 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 familiar
ity 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 Monastic Life"
What a strange sound these long
words had, whispered from her child
ish 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, he decided
that he would rather write on Histori-
cal Parallels and he's got a real good
Grafton, and he says it beautifully. He
has said it 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 permutations and
combinations of the actors and the
forces which make up the great kaleido
scope of history, We often find that a
turn of Destiny's hand"
why, bless the baby!" / thought
looking down into her bright, proud
face. 1 can't describe how very odd
and elfish it did seem to have those
sonorous words rolling out of the smil.
ing 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, my little friend became excited
and restless. Her eyes grew larger and
brighter, two deep-red spots glowed or
her checks. She touched up the flow.
ers, manifestly making the Offering
ready for the shrine.
No", ~ Ills IuIH, she Salu, 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 wa.
called, the child seemed, in her eager
ness, to forget me and all the earth be
: side him. She rose to her feet anc
leaned forward for better view of hel
beloved, as he mounted to the speaker,
stand. I knew. by her deep breathing
!, that her heart was throbbing in hel
r throat. 1 knew, too, by the way hel
4. brother came up the steps and to til,
, front, that he was trembling. Tn,
| hands hung limp; his face was pallid
8 and the lips blue as with cold. 1 fel
: anxious. The child, too, seemed to dis
Germ that things were not well will
him. Something like fear showed il
e her face.