Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-05-29

1t was friendly grlmace. bis dignity
would Iot permit him to make any ac-
quaintances too easily. must make al
tine advances.
''Going to picnic, are you not?"
asked, believing that the best way to
open conversation with him would be
to take some interest in his affairs,
though detest that method as applied
to myself.
"No-a strew," he answered.
"a what?"
"a strew," he replied, with little
annoyance in his voice, ga decoration
day strew. Don't you know that this is
the day to decorate soldiers graves-the
Both of May?"
81 had forgotten it, I answered hum
bly,. 'sBut where are there any soldiers
graves? Not near heer, surely"
He turned like bird on the old fence
and pointed with the flag into mass Of
brarnbles.
'.Not there?"
"Yes, there. That's graveyard-the
graveyard that belongs to the old meet
ing house. Every body that used to go
to meeting there pointing to the house,
is in here now pointing again toward
the briars and weeds, SO there are no
more meetings
l looked at the graveyard with pity
ing interest. 1t was nothing but a
square patch of brambles, and rank, dark
weeds, inclosed by broken and worm-
eaten fence and surrounded by the thick
and silent wood Nothing could be more
isolated from busy life, more completely
forgotten by the world. No, not quite
forgotten, for here was the brown-legged
boy, with HE flag and his flowers, his
whistle and song.
But soldiers are not buried here:" /
said.
Zone OF them is" the boy answered
with an accent of pride and an additional
wave of his flag. ITS his grave that
Missis Gilman is goin' to strew with
these flowers though he wasn't any rela-
ton of hers at all. He was captain,
and he has a marble headstone, the only
one in the whole graveyard. His COM
pany put it up. It's gettin' little old
now, for he's been dead nearly twenty
four years-died most fourteen years
before l was born" He ratified this off
with childlike eage1ness, happy in being
the first to tell bit of something in
teresting to another.
"Were You in the WARP he asked.
Yes"
$50 was my gran father. l have the
picture of fight he was in. He was
killed, too" This with special accent
of pride. 1t was something to be killed,
evidently, in his opinion.
Ridig close to the old fence L looked
over into the neglected place Of the dead
and saw the edge of a marble headstone
and beside it the dark folds of a woman's
gown.
"Come in and see this soldiers grave"
said the boy, glad of a new interest. I
hesitated. The occasion seemed too
sacred for the intrusion of stranger;
but he insisted so warmly that 1 left my
horse and followed him into the grave
yard. His simple, but not undignifed,
introduction made an apology to the
lady unnecessary. i
''Missis Wilson," he said, calamity
taking off his flower trimmed hat, this
gentleman was in the war, and I've asked
him in to help put the flowers on Capt. |
Rathbornes grave"
We were on the ground OF common
sympathy at once. This woman was no
longer young, but she was beauti Ill
with the beauty of spirit that had Gag
dwelt on calm heights She was of the
past, scarcely seeming to belong to the
present at ALL Her soft black silk and
laces, and even her face, were of fashion
not new. She was an old-school lady,
with the gentle dignity and majesty of
manner that indicate the old school train
ing.
This is not my sons grave" she said,
''but that of his dearest friend, and I am
the only one left here who knew him or
cares to lay flower on the earth that
covers him.
bent to read the inscription in the
fast dimming headstone:
To the memory