The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-08-28
FINDING MAMMA.
Row Susie Searched for Her, and
Where She Found Her.

HOW SuSlc Oedfcueu 1Uf IlcI, buu
Where She Found Her.
Gas for man, his days are as grass.
As the flower of the field SO he flour
1sheth; for the wind passeth over it,
and it 1s gone; and the place thereof
shall know it no more"
''Men 90 to sea, and never return.
1t may be the prince of nation that
the ocean wraps In its chilling waters;
IL may be an unknown stowaway, dis
owned and dishonored. Death comes
to all alike. His stealthy tread ad-
vances often unheralded. 1t therefore
becomes Jus all, in whatever age or
rank of lite we are, to be prepared.
AS for man, his days are as grass, y
repeated the minister.
Would he never stop? Susie knew
he had been talking for at least three
hours. In reality, the poor man had
just commenced his sermon; but there
was no denying the facts, that it was a
very warm day, that the pew had a
very hard seat and very stiff back,
and that Susie was very little girl.
Her feet didn't come near the floor.
In fact, the seat was so high that it
was as much as grandma could do to
GOOCu AOlSs oItG III LuG COl-
ner and Susie at the end of this old
fashioned pew. They always went to
church together since mamma died
and papa went away in the great ship
with the patch on the sail, that Susie
and grandma watched out of sight.
Grandma let Susie sit in the end be-
cause 1t made her feel so important,
and sometimes had the effect of keep
ing her still: But to-day poor little
Susie didn't know what to do. She
looked around the little church. 1t
seemed as though nearly all the old
folks had gone to sleep, but, of course,
they hadn't; it only looked that way.
Then she watched the grandfather
leng-legs on Deacon Dodd. He
craWled slowly up the deacon's stiffiy
starched Sunday collar. The deacon s
hair, stiff and straight with Sunday
oil, just met the collar; so Sir Long
legs had little trouble in mounting to
the deacon's bald spot, in the center
of whicn he stopped to rest. Susie
thought that if his body was only a
little larger, and his legs great deal
longer and spread out evenly over that
shiny bald place, he would look just
like the black lace crown of Mrs. Dea-
cons white bonnet. He didn't grow,
however, although Susie watched him
for fully a minute. So she turned her
attention to Elder Brown. Why did
he nod so slowly and reverentIy at
everything the minister said, and then
jerk his head back suddenly and look
around at the congregation? Susie
thought that it was very considerate
in him to nod assent so affably to all
the minister said, and concluded she
would do it too. So she wagged her
little head slowly and solemnly for
ward and back. But what was the
useP 1t made her dizzy: besides, did
minister notice such a little girl as
she?
She glanced out the window. o, the
blue sky, the golden sunshine, the
green grass, and the many colored
flowers outside! A rose vine, Chamber
ing up the old church wall, peeped
-saucily in, aud shook two pink roses
at Susie. 1t seemed as though they
blushed and smiled at her alone,
and the leaves were just so many
fingers beckonlng to her to come out
side. away from the sleepy deacon,
the tiresome sermon and the stiff
backed pew.
IF 1 could only CO." thought Susie.
zare 1 don't believe he cares anything
about little girls al all. He isn't talk
ing to me, anyway. He says: Men
are like grass I'm not man. 1
don't believe I'm like grass, either.
Aly dear mamma never said SO. She
called ME "a butterfly "a rosebud,
10, n 2
mamma, why did you die and leave
me all alone?"
Two great tears rolled down Susie's
cheeks, and left two spots on her Sun
day dress. A gay bird lighted on a
tree near by and chirped, and whistled
and flew away. Susie heard him, and
conld see through her tears that the
roses were still blushing and beckon-
ing more smilingly than ever. She
glanced at grandma. The old lady was
fast asleep.
+'She won't care, anyway" thought
Susie. "Tll meet her at the door when
church is out, and it will be all right If
| take her hand and walk home with
her,
Down to the floor slid two little feet,
and tip-toed noiselessly up the aisle,
while very short distance above them
shone two bright eyes, glancing quick
ly from side TO side. But no one saw
the little girl, and in moment she
stood on the church steps in the free
air and sunshine. Having come thus
far, she did not care about going far
ther, but sat down on the steps, and
listened in dreamy way to the min
ister's voice, which was only faint
murmer when it reched her. But Just
=as her head was dropping in sleep a
little dog came down the street. He
was funny little dog, with a yellow
and white coat, bright black eyes, a