Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-03-01
-now sna ye nxe rr,ng OF oeaa,r- no


asked, after some elaboration.
@Blue bea,ist' cried the child, then-wtth
the unconscious selfishness Of childhood
will you go right Off"
Apparently he was hurt, for his voice qua
verei as he asked. Which would We rather
hev-sladdy or the beadsI-
4Oh, your cried the child, throwing her
arms round his neck and pressing her little
face to his, So the hurt was healed, and they
chartered quietly together till supper time, at
which meal there appeared five black-eyed
boys, the pattern of their mother. People
said the Dan,.s blood had taken turn in the
bows, for they were as keen. toush-limbcd,
ener;-eti, boys as could be found in the
county.
The following Monday Mr.. Damks started
for Cooperville, As he took up his limp car
petbas, liz said, by way OF feeble joke. Amt
ye sorry To see me goin', Malvinyi'
She looked at him a moment, then said,
coldly, You'll be back soon enough."
He Strengthened himself and said, with an
air of decision quite unlike himself: You'll
no, see me again until my work is finished"
and so departed. followed only by Capitola,
who went to the road with him. and called
'ftcr him not TO forget the beads
Mrs banks from her washtub watched him
looked her heart relented a tribe toward him
the weak, kind hearted, exaspcratins little
man. Hastily taking her hands from the
SUITS She took bottle from the kitchen shelf
and went TO the door.
"Johaly.' size called to the tangle OF boys
before the door, your pas forgot his liniment
Run after him with it, for hen lie sure TO get
a lame hack"
With II parting thrust toward his brothers
tie hov Saatched the bottle and sped away
| &c a youns athlete, chin W and elb, vs. back,
- he had sen pictures OF runners.
When he overlook his father and delivered
his message the latter seemed really touched
Though indifferent, apparently, whether his
house fell to pieces or not, he was homesick
outside his own gate, and now was going
away sore hearted at the evident willingness
of his family to part with HIM The unex-
pected attention quito o,ercame him and he
looked round for somsthing to return in
acknowledgment, but the fields were bare
Suddenly he spied by the roadside some
pussy willows with their silvery, fuzzy buds,
and cutting off branch CAV it to the boy,
saying: Give that to your ma, ana tell her
she's the best woman in Mei-s county"
"Law!" said Mrs. banks when the boy burst
in with his branch and message; your pas
getting silly in his old age. don't want such
truck in the house" But after the boy had
gone she put it carefully in water and set it
Oh the kitchen shelf, and several times she
looked up at 1t with look on her face which
Mr. banks would scarcely have recognized.
That gentlcman's absence made very little
difference with his family, except to Capitola-
His wife scoded little less, and the boys,
who looked upon him very much as another
boy-only one who liked to sit in the same
place too long-pursued their works and
sports as usual.
But the Thursday after his leave their out
door fun was cut short by a persistent rain.
How it did pour Hour after hour, all day
and night. Friday morning dawned upon
sweeping mists of gray, and an angry, boiling
food that crept inch by inch up its yellow
banks, and night closed in on the same pict-
ure. Saturday morning the sun shone out
bright and clear, but on what a scene of de
strlction! What had been river was u
rushing sea, which had blotted out field after
field, and stopped just at their own gate. and
which carried on its heaving surface trees
torn up bodily, great timbers, buildings and
cattle Toward night large barn came
floating down, and, lodging just above the
house, made u breakwater, round which the
waters whlrled, bringing into the harhor thus
formed all manner of wrcckage. The boys
watched eagerly, Specializing at the amount
OF firewood thus laid at their door.
Ali! That's a good one" cried one OF
them, as just at dusk something like a log
appeared around the corner of the barn, bal
anced a moment, as though undecided and
then swept round into the little harbor But
/ was getting too dark TO see anything more,
how lam, "A L.
All night long mother end children slept
quietly in the little house, luled by the rush
of swift waters. All night long, in the little
harbor the log swayed and turned, now swept
away from the shore, now drawn toward it,
as though reluctant to go
In the morning, with the whoop and shout,
the boys burst from the house, but in
moment We're back again with white cheeks
and chattering teeth, and cltnging to their
mother, could utter but one word"Father."
Yesl Fate bad again been too strong for
him Mr., banks had come home
They took up the poor Nody, bruised and
battered, but invested for the first time in the
eyes of those who knew it with dignity, and
as they bore it across the threshold there fell
from the pocket string of discolored blue
beads.
little later they knew all there was to
know Of the pitiful story. His fellow work.
men had gathered on the wharf Saturday
afternoon after work To watch the frcshet.
One by one they scattered to their homes, up
and down the river, and a neighbor. seeing
Mr. Danhs, called to him to come; but he
shook his head, saying he was not going horne
till his work was finished. So they l,ft him
there, looking down the river toward his
home, One hour later the wharf was swept
away. No one knew what had become of
the solitary tigure-save One. And as the
poor body, without volition of its own was
guided through food and darkness To its
home, who can deny that the spirit-too
weak to shape its own course--was borne on
infinite pity into the eternal homef- Hester
Stuart i'll Chicago Tribune.