Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-11-14

long table. After supper was ever Aunt
Kate set to work washing up the plates,
cups, ETC., and putting away the remains of
the feast After she had finished, Tom,
with a comical smile upon his face, took up
his fiddle, and standing in the middle Of the
room cried out: "All as has blood in their
veins, get upl Any as is a man and not
mouse, get up!, Take the love of yer heart
and dance with herl Or, if she isn't will
ing, take somebody else's, perhaps it will do
just as well. But get up, men, get upF'
And to this soul-stirring appeal he added
the further entreaty of lively country jig
on his fiddle, that set the girls eyes to
twinkling and their feet to beating time
But the men all stood still and looked
sheepish. Tom, taking no notice of this,
played on perseveringly, and at last by a
sort of mutual inspiration, without word
being spoken on either side, one OF the
young men and one of the young girls stood
up together. This bold move won nod C
approval from Tom. "That's it! Now an
other pair Of sparks, and the fire'n begin.
Ned-Maryl here, you two-what's come to
vera" Thus exhorted, Ned and Mary got
up and faced the other couple. Slowly
stifly-their feet began to move, carrying
them backwards and forwards in monOt-
onous little track. Suddenly Tom snapped
his strings with a thwangl 81 wun't play
another speck till yer dance! Come now
wake up-go it livelyl turn yer partner
there now-that's It'll That's more likew
And stamping and playing, and swaylng
and shouting, he seemed to infuse life into
the four wooden images like an electric
shock How they danced! How their feet
flew! How their eyes shonel and how all
the room grew excited and wild with them
Oh, there's nothing in the world more glad
than a dance like thatl Where innocent
fun runs riot-where every nerve and
muscle is brought into play, and where one
laughs like child through sheer delight,
without grain of the intellect in til There's
nothing in the world so joyous as a laugh
| Just because one is happy. And happiness
| is a holy thing-a glimpse of the other world
even if you come by through the strains
of worldly fiddle. That dance! All! how
glad, merry and rollicking it was. All stood
up and danced. Even sober old Mether
| Bansom's eyes shone, and her feet kept
| time And as for the young folks! If ever
there was good, downright wholesome en-
| joyment for them, it was there that night,
in that old log house.
At last they had to stop for breathing
spell, and Tom, triumphant, shining with
enthusiasm, rested his beloved fiddle for a
moment on his knee. Let's have some
ciderr' he cried.
"And where's the nuts and the corn to
pop!' said Mrs. Ellery.
| I'll fetch 'em,'' said their hostess with
pardonable pride, bringing forth bounti'
| full store And then-the laughter, the fun,
the popping of the corn, the sweetness OF
the cider, the red apples, the redder cheeks
| of the girls, the bright eyes, the nonsense
thebreeze of enjoyment that was in that OLD
house that night Right in the height oil
the fun and merriment Uncle Aaron quietly
| left the room and went outside. Strange
to say, inside he felt lonely. He went out
J side. ali unmissed, and seated himself on &
| fallen log, under the shadow of tall pine
tree. He was without hat, and his strong
face was sharply outlined by the clear
light of the room. The valley beneath
looked like painters dream-and he fell
its beauty. He heaved sigh Of unconscious
pleasure and looked all around. Just then
a small. white, childish face came up out Of
the shadows, and Jacob, taking seat upoT
the log beside him, said softly: ''Father.'
He was not in the way. Another would
have been. The man reached out his hand
and pointing to the beautiful shimmering
moonlit picture beneath, said under his
breath: Lad, that ere is pretty"
For answer the boy sided up to his knee
sat on it, reached up his arms, put then
around his neck and LAID his head down OF
his breast The big man just stroked hi:
hair and said nothing. Just then woman:
| voice called out: Aaron Aaronl Where
be yer! We want some more ciderw