The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-26
TIE GILDED ROLL.

musty package of gilt paper, or rather, aroll it
was with the furnished gold of the old sheet for
the outer wrapper. picked it up mechanically
to toss it into some obscure corner, when care
lessly lifting it by one end, an childs tin whistle
fell tinkling on the cellar floor. 1t lies before
me on my writing table now-and SO, too,
does the roll entire, though now roll no longer
for my eager fingers have rent the gilded cover.
ering, and all its precious contents are spread
out beneath my hungry eyes.
Here is scroll of ink-written music don't
read music, but know the dash and swing of
the pen that rained it on the page. Here is let
ter. with the selfsame impulse and
abandon in every syllable; and its
melody-however sweet the others far
more sweet to me- And here are other letters
like -three-fve-and seven, at least Bob
wrote them from the 'front.' and Billy kept them
for me when 1 went to join him. Dear boy!
Dear boy!
Here are some cards of bristol-board All!
when Bob came to these there were no blotches
then What faces-what expressions The
droll, ridiculous, goodfor nothing genius with
his sad mouth, as he called it, upside down,
laughing always at everything, at big rallies
and mass meetings and conventions, county
fairs and floral halls booths, watermelon-wagons
dancing TENTS the swing daguerrean car, the
tlung barometer and the air gun man. Oh! what
gifted, good -for-nothing boy Bob was in those
old days. And here's picture of girlish face
Ia very faded photograph-even fresh from
''the gallery" four and twenty years ago it
was a faded thing But the face-how bright
and clear that was; for Doc Bobs
awful name for her, was pretty girl,
and brilliant, clever, ovable every way. No
wonder Bob fancied her! And you could see
some hint of her iaunty loveliness in every fairy
face he drew, and you could find her happy ways
and dainty tastes ANONYMOUSLY assumed in all he
did-the books he read-the poems he admired,
and those he wrote; and, ringing clear and pure
and jubilant, the vibrant beauty of her voice
could clearly be defined and traced through all
his music. Now, there's the happy pair of them
Bob and Doc Make of them just whatever
your good fancy may dictate but keep in mind
the stern, relentless ways of destiny.
You are not at the beginning of novel, only
at the threshold of one of hundred experiences
one most happily resurected by these odds and
enQS IOund In the gllueu roll.
You see the contents Of this package, mainly,
were hastily gathered together after weeks
visit out to the old Mills farm. The gilt paper
and the whistle, and the pictures, they were
Billy's; the music pages, Bobs, or Docs" the
letters and some other MSS were NINE.
The Mills girls were great friends of DOCS, :
and often came to visit her in town; and so
Doc often visited the Mills's This is the way
that Bob first got out there, and won them all,
and shaped the thing for me- as he would put
it, and lastly, we had lugged in Billy,-such a
handy boy, you know, to hold the horses on pic
mic excursions, and to watch the carriage and
the luncheon, and all that Eyes, and" Bob
would say, s'such serviceable boy in getting all
the fishing tackle in proper order, and digging
bait, and promenading in our wake up and down
the creek all day, with the minnow bucket hang
ing on his arm, don't you knowP
But jolly as the days were, l think joller
were the long evenings at the farm After the
supper in the grove, why're, when the weather
permitted, always stood the table, ankle-deep in
the cool, green plush of the sward; and after
the lounge upon the grass, and the
cigars, and the new fish storiss and the general
invoice of the old ones, it was delectable to get
back to the girls again, and in the old best
room hear once more the Tilt of the old songs
and the stacattoed laughter of the piano ming
ling with the alto and falsetto voices Of the
Mills girls, and the gallant soprano of the dear
girl Doe
This is the scene want you to look in upon,
as, in fancy, do now-and here are the materi-
ais for it all, haslced from the glded roll:
Bob, the master, leans at the piano now, and
doc" is at the keys her glad face often thrown
up sidewise toward his own. His face is boyish
for there is yet but the ghost of mustache
upon his lip. His eyes are dark and clear, Of
oversize when looking at YOU but now their lids
are dropped over his violin whose melody has
for the time, almost smoothed away the upward
kinkings of the corners of his mouth.
And wonderfully quiet now is every one,
and the chords of the piano, too. are
low and faltering; and So at last the tune itself
swoons into the universal hush, and-Bob is
rasping in it's stead the ridiculous but marvel
ously perfect imitation Of the printing" of a
pump, while Billy's hands forget the schiggersH
on the bare backs of his feet, as with clapping
palms, he dances round the room in ungoyerna-
Bile spasms of delight. And then we all laugh;
and Billy, taking advantage of the general tu-
multi, pulls Bobs head down ard whispers, "Git
'em TO stay up way late tonight And Bob,
perhaps, remembering that we 60 back home to-
morrow, winks at the little fellow and whispers,
"You let me manage EN-! Stay up till broad
daylight if we take a notion--ehY' And Billy
dances off again in newer glee, while the in
spired musician is plunking a banjo imitation on
his enchanted instrument which is unceremon-
1OuSIy uFOWn6u OQb ny d ClrCuS-bul6 IIOm LOC
that is absolutely inspiring to everyone but the
barefoot brother, who drops back listlessly to
his old position on the floor and sullenly renews
operations on his 'chiggerp claims.
Thought you was goin' to have popcorn to-
night all SO fast!T he says doggedly in the midst
Of a momentary hull that has fallen on game Of
whist And then the oldest Mills girl, who thinks
cards stupid anyhow, says, That's SO Billy, and
we're going to have it. too; and right away, for
this games just ending, and shan't submit to
hai1Op h0rpd with another / tn0n-n0rni Wi I'll
Billy And after that, she continues, rising and
addressing the party in general, 1--WE must have
another literary and artistic tournament. and
that's been in contemplation and in preparation
long enough; so you gentlemen can be pulling
your wits together for the exercises while us
girls see to the refreshments
"Have you done anything toward itf' queries
Bob, when the girls are gone, with the alert
Billy ia their wake.
LClean FORGOT it-that is the nrenarat inn: hui