Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1892-11-04
TOLLING FOR The DEAD.



There was an Ugly lump growing on
her po~r little side. OF course it would
goaway, Everybody said that it would.
| No one had ever heard of child of that
age having a tumor. Why, she was
only five years old. 1t was preposter-
| GUS
So they let her play about in the
| great old-fashioned garden, among the
larkspurs and bachelors buttons and
double buttcrcups and canterbury-bells.
She had for her playfcllow an old,
| old man, who lived next door. They
used to make flower wreaths and daisy
chains, and they would sit for hours be-
side the bed of ribbon-grass, trying to
find two blades exactly alike.
When the church bells tollcd, the lit
tie girl would say, ''Grandpap, some
body has died. We must toll for them.
Then they would gather the canter-
bury-bells and swing them to and fro.
"Do you hear 'em, grandpap?' she
would ask
"'Pears like l do, Sallie. They're
solemn like and sweet, amt they?"
Sometimes they had little feasts-ap-
pies and pears which dropped at their
feet from the trees overhead. They
played at company, and the old man
would be Sallie's guest, but it was odd
to see how differently they ate. He
scraped the pulp fine with a broad case
knife and sucked it into his mouth,
mumbling it in his toothless gums, while
she bit hers in dainty nibbles which
showed the prints of her firm little teeth.
His manner of eating distressed Sal
lie. 80 grandpap, you do muss so. y
she would say, shaking her head re-
orovingly. And the old man would
,lnile back at hcr-a smile all bare
gums and innoccnce-then he would
spread his handkerchief over his head
okeep off the flies while he took his nap.
1t was happy, peaceful life there in
he old garden, only sometimes the
Jump in Sallie's side hurt her little,
One night when her mother undresSed
they took her away to the city after
that, and grandpap sat alone under the
apple trees.
The women used to talk it over a
great deal. 1t was such q peculiar case,
you know. One woman said that she
had heard that there were forty doctors
consulting over Sal lie. Another cor.
rected her; she had it from reliable
source that there were only twenty
nine. Grandpap interrupted: "But
what of Sallie?" but no one answered
him. He was "doting," they said, and
couldn't sense things"
And the women told how, when the
examining physician at the hospital hac
seen the lump on the poor little side, hi
had exclaimed MY God" and told then
there was no hope.
Then woman turned to grandpar
and said in a loud voice, mounting hel
words as if to enunciate more plainly
"Do you un derstand what we say?'
And the old man answered fretfully
Eyes, / understand, but amt deaf"
Sallie wanted to see grandpap, Sc
they brought her homo, but she did no
know him then, She noticed nothing
but her mother and the flowers
Grandpap brought flowers fresh ever!
hour, for the hot little hand soon wilteC
them. There were larkspurs an(
bachelors buttons and double butter
cups, but no canterbury bells. Grand
pap said he was saving them.
1t was wet, drizzling morning whel
the doctor laid the cold little hanC
down under the sheet and told them i
was all over. Somebody led Sallie'
mother away and then they went t.
look for grandpap.
They found him sitting under the fall
ing mist in the garden. His hands wer
flu Il of purple blossoms - canterbur.
bells.
Come, come, father! Why are yo1
here?" asked his daughter, gently lead
| ing him toward the house, eyes,
said he dreamily, "but came here TO
something What was it? OH recol
lect. must tol the bells now, for
think somebody has just died. Chi
cago Graphic.