The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-02-07


veins, get up! Anv as is a man and not a
mouse, get up! Take the love of yer heart
and dance with her! Or, if she isn't will
ing, take somebody else's, perhaps it will do
just as we'll But get up, men, get up!n
And to this soul-stirring appeal he added
the further entreaty of a 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
beng spoken on either side, one of the
young men and one of the young girls stood
up together. This bold move won a nod of
approval from Tom. "Thats it! Now an
other pair of sparks, and the firell begin.
Ned-Mary! here, you two-what's come to
yer?' Thus exhorted, Ned and Mary got
up and faced the other couple. Slowly
stif1y-their feet began to move, carrying
them backwards and forwards in monot-
onous little track. Suddenly Tom snapped
his strings with a thwang! 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 likep
And stamping and playing, and swaying
and shouting, he seemed to infuse life into
the four wooden images like an electric
shock. How they dancedl How their feet
flew! How their eyes shone! and how all
the room grew excited and wild with them 1!
Oh, there's nothing in the world more glad
than dance like that! 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 inteuect In it There's
nothing in the world so joyous as laugh
just because one is happy. And happiness
is holy thing-a glimpse of the other world
even if you come by it through the strains
of worldly fiddle. That dance All! how
glad, merry and rollicking it was All stood
up and danced. Even sober old Mother
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 a 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. Elery
''lll fetch 'em," said their hostess with
pardonable pride, bringing forth bounti-
ful 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
the breeze of enjoyment that was in that old
house that night! Right in the height of
the fun and merriment Uncle Aaron quietly
left the room and went outside. Strange
to say, inside he felt lonely. He went out
side, all unmissed, and seated himself on
fallen log, under the shadow of tall pine
tree He was without a hat and his strong
face was sharply outlined by the clear
light of the room. The valley beneath
looked like painters dream-and he felt
its beauty. He heaved a sigh of unconscious
pleasure and looked all around Just then
small, white, childish face came up out of
the shadows, and Jacob, taking seat upon
the log beside him, sad 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 them
around his neck and lald his head down on
his breast. The big man just stroked his
hair and said nothing. just then Woman's
voice called out: "Aaron! Aaronl Where
be vera We want some more ciderr,