Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-07-08
A BOYS HEART.

/ OF the month. Mary Hilton o1ooN "
the piazza of her fathers house, ana
looked down over the Intervening
space, shading her eyes with her hand
till they rested upon q straw hat bob
| biny hither and thither in the shrub
berry. and almost hidden by the rich
foliage and clustering blossoms OF the
| acacia trees. She ran lightly down
the steps and toward the wearer there
! of.
30 Harry, here you are! | have
| called and hunted for you 1ve minutes
at least, and, oh, what a lovely bout
! Duet YOU have madel You mean 1t
] for the minister's wife, OF course;
please give it to me quick; it is Just
! what / want for her own room, and II
viii save me so much time and labor,
and the fair young girl held out her
| hand for the treasures, not yet SO
| plenty as not to be very precious.
"Sorry, SIS said the young gentle
man OF IL, holding his bouquet high
above his bead; "they are not for
your minister's wife, but for mine.
well, well, all the same. twist this
bit of paper around it,and leavelt
yourself in her room. Come, we must
| hurry; The train Is due in twenty min
| utes.p IF sn- :
Cant help it if it's due in ten.
| These are not to 90 into the new min
| lister house, but the old one. Tell
/ YOU, | don't forget, if some otherfolk
/ do. Your new minister's got about
! all the flowers and things in town now,
and I'm just going to give these to
Mrs Brown before school, too; SO
good-by, sis; guess you can find lew
stragglers yet, if you look sharp, and
off ran the nimbe feet, leaving his sis
ter looking after him, not for the How
| ers. -
'The dear boy she murmured,
| hot flush coming into her cheeks; she
has taught me lesson" and then she
turned and went easily back to the
! house.
As she entered the family sitting
room, she met her mother with a tat
basket OF good things on her arm,
| coming out to put it in the carriageat
lsthe door, to be transferred to the new
parsonage, while her father, n mild,
silver haired deacon, was just count
ing over pile of bills, pre- aratory to
doing them up in a neat package adj
| dressed to REV. Horatio Barnes"
40 mamma" exclaimed Mary, stop
ping her mother by taking the heavy
basket and putting it into a chair,
| "Only think, ! found Harry in the
garden picking a bouquet for Mrs.
Brown, and he said he had not forgot
ten her if we all had, and he has gone
Al Al. L. Il -g,,Ilx
ashamed; Pm afraid we have been ne
glectful of them the past few weeks. "
II declare fer it, SAID good Mrs.
Clifton, Il do believe we have, and
they all alone SO, and he sick.
II don't believe anybody's thought
| to invite her to the reception this
evening, either, and I'm sure | don't
see how she could leave him and come,
anyway"
al could manage that nicely, sister"
said gentle voice, issuing from an adj
| Joining room. off Harry would drive
me over to Parson Browns, we could
take Mrs Brown to the party, and j
could be company for the minister,
and so returning. You know could
not think of going into crowd"
The speaker, an elderly, delicate
looking man OF about sixty, now APP
peared at the door, and-bo mother
| and daughter exclaimed together:
"Oh, thank you, Uncle John; that
would be nice, and now how shall we
get word to herr"
81 will attend to that myself" said
the deacon, putting up the money and
rising; and Mary, as she reached him
his nat and cane, saw a suspicious
| dimness in hiseyes. No sound showed
/ what his thought was, however my
dear old master and friend! The dear
boy who had a more tender heart
than his father"
Meanwhile Harry sped on, past the
church and schoolhoI.se, and all the
business part of the town, till he came
to q pretty white cottage, a little
back of the street, the garden and
front yard enclosed by neat picket
fence. Harry, dIscarding the SEN
sible but stupid gate, swung himself
| lightly over the fence, and took a
short cut TO the side door. short
sharp sound struck his ear.
al declare if she isn't driving taclss;
putting kown carpet, like enough;
| pretty work for herl" And stepping
softly to the door which stood ajar,
he peeped in. True enough, there was
an elderly woman down on her knees,
carefully mailing carpet. She was
hummIng familiar hymn. Zen
from youth to old age, and did not
hear new step till a boyish hand laid
firm hold on the hammer, and
boyish voice exclaimed:
/ tNoNy Mrs Rroup this is what 7
| call breaking your word. Didn't you
promise Walter that you would let
me help you Just as he did? And here
you're breaking your back down here
on the floor; | think it's just meant"
Mrs. Brown rose hastily and though
some tears which she had been brave
ly keeping back, did take the oppor-
tunity to drop upon some beautiful
flowers, which he placed in her hand
in place OF the hammer, she laughed
| gayly as she inhaled their delicious
fragrance, saying:
well, Harry, my boy, you have
certainly made fair exchange. Jfear
you have robbed your garden to en-
rich me-"
ooh, my, no; though did bring the
best | could find. / wanted to, YOU
know; and how is Mr.. Brown this
morning.
Not very smart, l fear. You 60
right into to see him; he needed some
body to cheer him."
/ al have got something for him,
too" said Harry, shyly, thrusting his
hand into his pockets, and producing
an orange from one, and daily"
\ from another 81 thought perhaps
1 he'd like to see the news"
"ro be sure; just the thing.my boy.
Go and give them to him while | put
these beauties into water"
Three minutes later the boy was on
hin way to school, whistling merry
tune, now chasing flying kitten, or
giving chase to a yelping little cur,
whose chief end of life was to let peo-
pie know how hedespised them; and
who of allthe people he met hocking
to the new pastors house, or vending
TO their several places of business had
the idea that he alone, of all the large
church and society the old pastor had
gathered, had this day tried TO cheer
his loneliness, or help him bear the
heavy burden which old age and fail
ing health had LAID upon him?
But thelittle seed was sown, and al
ready was bringing forth fruit. An
hour later, the little gate of the par.
sonage was soberly opened and pass
ed through by the deacon: and the
good man, sitting sad, and, in spite
of all his efforts and Harry's call,
oppressed with the remembrance OF
that other day when he was the new
minister and his faithful wife the
blooming bride, and then OF many
other days, when in his strength and
/ ..,,lol bsa :, =. ,.,,., =. 1.