The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-08-15

with its words OF promise. In the coun-
try where the streams are so pure that
they look like strips of sunshine, where
the trees are so ancient that one almost
stands in awe of them, where the moss,
so old that it is gray, and hanging from
the rocks in the ravine, looks like VEN
cradle boards growing on the faces that
have been hardened by years of trouble
lin such country, even the most
slouching clown, walking as though step
ping over clods when blowing where
the ground breaks up hard, has in his
untutored heart love of poetry. He
may not be able to roadway never
have heard the name of son of genius.
but in the evening, when he stands on a
purple "knob," watching the soul of
day sink out of sight in far-away val
vey, he is poet
When the shadow of Saturday night
falls upon a backwoods community in
Tennessee, quiet Joy seems to Turk in
the atmosphere. The whippoorwill has
sung unheeded every night during the
week, but tonight his song brings
promise Of rest. The tired boy sits in
the door, and, taking off his shoes,
strikes them against the log doorstep to
knock the dirt out, and the cat, that has
followed the women when they went to
milk the COWS, comes and rubs against
him. The hummipg-bird, looking for
late supper, buzzes among the honey
suckle blossoms, and the tree-toad cries
in the locust tree. The boy goes to bed,
thrilled with an expectation. He muses.:
81 will see somebody tomorrow"
On the morrow the woods are full of
music. The great soul of day rises with
burst of glory, and the streams, bound
ing over the rocks or dreaming among
the ferns, laugh more merrily and seem
to be brighter than they were yesterday.
Horses neigh near an old log church and
swelling hymn is borne away on the
blossom-scented air. The plow-boy, sit
ting near the spring, heeds not the
sacred music, but gazes intently down
the shady road. He sees some one COM
ing-sees the 6uttering of gaudy rib
bon and is thrilled. A young woman
comes up the road, coyly tapping an old
mare with dogwood switch, and eager
lest some one else may perform the en-
dearing Office, he hastens to help the
young woman to alight. He tries to ap-
pear unconcerned as he takes hold Of
the bride rein, but he stumbles awk-
wardly as he leads the animal toward
the horseback. When he has helped
her down and has tied the horse it is
his blessed privilege to walk with the
girl as far as the church door.
Whats Jim a-doin'?" he asks as they
walk along under the embarrassing gaze
of a score of men.
''Plowed yistidy; amt doin' nothin'
to-day"
"Be here to-day, 1 reckon" he re-
joins.
mo, went to preachin' at Ebeneezer."
Whats Tom a-doin'?"
'Went to mill yistidy; amt doin'
nothin' to-day"
"Be here to-day, reckon"
HE lowed he mout, but don't know
whether he will or not"
What's All doin'?"
''Cut sprouts an deadened trees yis-
tidy; amt doin' nothin' to-day"
BE here to-day, reckon"
"Yes, lowed he was comm with Sue
Prior"
Anybody goln' home with you, LizaP"
mot that know Of"
"Wall, If nobody else amt spoke I'd
like to CO."
'We'll see about it," she answers,
and then enters the church. He saun-
tiers of and sits down under tree
where number of young men are wal
lowing on shawls, spread on the grass.
The preacher becomes warm In his
work and the plow-boy hears him ex-