Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-05-24
THE SOUTH PASTURE.
For Uncle Richards Sake - a
Memorial Day Story.

Beautiful evermore, and with the rays
oi morn on their white shields of expectation.
Il lchel Guild was Oh her way home,
saying those words over to herself
with heart full of tender enthusiasm.
There had been a meeting Of some of
the village folks in the church parlor
to get up a programme for Decoration
Day, and there had been suggested a
new feature for the celebration. Bands
of girls. five or six together. were to
make and decorate white shield shaped
banners. each bearing in evergreen
letters the name of some one of the
village heroes who had died in the
war. Then from the church porch
each band In turn was to deliver her
banner to a band of young men who
were to carry it in the procession, and
afterward 10 range it back of the
stand where the speaking was to be.
Rachel was at the head of one of these
bands. and whose banner should she
make if not that of her own Uncle
R:chard?-her fathers noble young
brother, whose cap and sword
hung over the fireplace in the
sitting-room at home, and whom she
had loved all her life. though she had
never seen him. Already in thought
she was clasping her banner. To her
Just now the world was a place full of
beautiful young heroism and beautiful
remem brance for which the soft spring
evening with budding leaves and tend
er bird-song made fitting frame.
4a1i 4hnr 20
thoughts as she passed low. brown
house, the next below her own home.
1t looked deserted. Heavy green shut
tiers were closed over the front WIN
dows. Large lilacs by the door had
grown at will, and closed their bud
ded boughs across the pathway as if
to warn away intruders. A little
smoke rose family from a rear CHM
ney-that was the only sign of habita-
ton.
"Poor Miss Ryersonr sighed Rachel.
s.What sad time this will be for her!
Bat perhaps she won't ever know what
we arc doing, she keeps so by herself.
Yet. if she did. there might be some
comfort for her in it, seems to me. 10
see how we remember Uncle Richard.
and honor him. would certainly be
happier for her than to be shut up here
alone. 1t is so mournful to think OF
her! She might have been my own
aunt vet have never spoken to her
in nv life. scarcely ever seen her! 1t
is dreadful! Seems as if we must be
in some way to blame to let her live
so.
At the tea-table Rachel gave an
animated description of the plans for
the celebration. and she was listened
to with the deepest interest After
ward, when she saw the tenderness IN
her fathers face that came from re-
awakened memories of his lost brother.
she seated herself beside him.
Father, l can not live another
week !" she said. without going to
see Miss Ryerson."
He looked troubled. ''She won
let you ill.," he said.
..Why notP How came she to get
such a lonely way of livingP 1t breaks
my heart to think of her."
We'll, she's queer. said Mr.. Guild
..always was Sometimes / think per-
haps Richard had happy escape.
Don't say so. father. He loved
her; and there must have been reason. y
..Well. ! don't know. She was
handsome girl-yes. and smart; but
ALWAYS kinder reserved and queer
Your grandma never liked her; nor l
didn't either Not many folks did, !
guess. =,
but Uncle Richard chose her.
sWell, yes They grew up together
and they were cronies ever since they
could run alone. She never thought
of any other young man. nor he OF
looking after any other girl We all
knew they were sorter pre-empted to
one another. always. Well, / guess
it was a case of true love if there ever
was one. Richard could always get
along with her. even if others couldn't.
What she'd have been if he'd lived.
and she'd had prosperous home. and
a family, there's no telling That
would have made her like folks. it any
thing would. Twas an awful blow
tn her-his death. She was just the
kind to depend on one. and that one
gone, all was gone"