Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-08-06
JOHNS DREAM.
EA' EMILY II. LELAND.

johns motherwa> dead Nothing 81
sad could ever happen TO him again
And yet lie had a long life before him,
for his thirteenth birthday had taken
place only short time before they had
carried his mother away to her pretty
resting place in the cemetery,
He thought hc felt the worst and bit
terest sorrow when it became known
that the little mother must die-whcn
his father came TO tell him there was
no hope and that he must try and bear
ii like man for his mothers sake
And he did try Only the palor of his
check, the quivcr If his lips and the
strong cling of his arms as he went III
and kissed lis mother good hye--for
her last conscious moments were pass
ing-told her that her big boys
heart was almost breaking
"Dcar-dcar jack" were the last
words from her lips. and there was Il
look i'll her eyes rs She whispered them
that John could never forget Out of
the deep sleep that soon came upon her
She never awakened again To the sights
and sound, of this world. but passed
silently into the invisible life
Her mother had many friends, and
their tender and gracious sympathies
came pouring quietly into the stricken
household. John still tried through it all
to 'hc man.
He even felt sort of loving pride
thrilling his heart iii the rare flowers
that made his mother look rs if she
were lying iii bed of lilies. The choir
chantcd, he thought more swcctly than
on other occasions and the minister
pronounced beautiful praises which he
knew his mother was worthy of
But after all was over, and he had re-
turned To his orderly, pleasant home,
and his steps turned 10y the mere force
of habit tu the room where he was
most likely to find "mamma, his great
grief hurst upon him like flood.
There Was no longer amy mother to be
found. lie went slowly upto his room
and sat down upon his bed III SORROW.
He felt what an inconsistent thought 4
Was. and vet if he could only hav' even
his mothers hand TO cry his heart out
on He had always gone To- her with
his few hoyish troubles, and now to
whom could he go with his great grief
His father had told him To lie a man,
but his father had not lost his mother
His father wouldn't he man If lie had
lost his own, own mother. And John
buried his face in his pillow and had
his cLv out indeed, for when the after
noon had deepencd into twilight, and
twilight changed to night, lac was still
there lying upon his face, n half sob
now aud then shaking the mcreiful
sleep that had stolen over him.
The lonesome tea-loncsomc in spite
Of tho two or three friends presiding
Overlooking ready, and no response
from John to its tinlling summons his
father went up and looked into his
room, waiting not quite long enough
Ia hear the faint, spasmodic sobs. He
closed the door softly and went down
agaill-"Poor fellow wish | could
sleep like that he said. feeling quite
alone in his sorrow. 1t will he but an
April storm to such Young heart.
But it was more than I'M April storm
to John. 1t seemed rs if tho things
would never stop happening in which
he missed his mother He was shy,
somewhat awkward boy. and not hand
some--the verv sort Of boy t. look to
mother-lovc for comfort and encour-
agement. And he always found it.
she always know ofsome thing to praise
in him; and he never went OIL 70 school
OF play without feeling that she had hy
touching his hair or neck-tie or kissing
his check in her quick, bird-like way.
made good-looking fellow Of him.
80 he came 10 feed unkempt and I'M
I.X ln.l 4l3 q 80 ,l
feeling, So sad 70 a Young heart. If be-
ing alone iii the world His fathers
aunt--an aged and not very genial wo-
mana German girl Of few words, and
those only for the German butcher who
called unnecessarily often, made mp
with his silent and prcoccupicd father
The household that had once been 50
sunny and jolly At meals there vas
little 10 hc heard but sound Of spoons
and forks, the nervous coughs IL the
aunt and the rattle If the fathers con-
slant newspaper. Even tile nice little
dishes-good things which it seemed
only mamma" knew how To make
we're no longer IN tile table, but gloomy
and monotonou~ preparations which
TIE aunt evidently thought good enough
and which the father appeared q eat
without tasting John was alway- glad
t. he excused and r. go--he hardly
cared where. All the room, seemed
% bereft. and even The garden with III
neat walks and ,un-,teepea fescs, 50
desoate
His father really took 4 surrey e
John. one day. and ,aw faint circle, un-
der his eyes and look IN III. eye that
M had never before observed i II
possible he thought. that he fecls i
Is much2' The next morning long
coveted box Of tools Va st down in
tie hall for Master John. Johns tirst