The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-09-30
TOLLING FOR THE DEAD.
The Two Playmates in the Garden aud
the Canterbury Rells.

The Two Playmates in the Garden aud
the Canterbury BELLS.
There was an ugly lump growing on
her poor little side. Of course it would
goaway. Everybody said that it would.
No one had ever heard of child of that
age having 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 buttercups and bells.
She had for her playfeilow 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
IND two blades exactly alike.
When the church bells tolled, the lit
tie girl would say, 'Grandpap, some
body has died We must toll for them. ="
Then they would gather the canter-
bury-beils and swing them to and fro.
DO you hear EN-, grandpap?' she
would ask.
ttIS ilhC NlO, odAlit. ICY It
solemn like and sweet. amt they?"
Sometimes they had little feasts-ap-
piles 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
r-eotaped the pulp fine with 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 yrandpap, you do muss SC"
she woud say. shaking her head re-
smile back at her-a smile all bare
gums and innocence-thcn he would
spread his handkerchief over his head
to keep off the flies while he took his nap.
1t was a happy, peaceful life there in
the old garden, only sometimes the
lump in Sallie's side hurt her a little.
One night when her mother undresscd
her She screamed out with the pain;
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 a peculiar case,
you know One woman said that she
had heard that there were forty doctors
consulting over lie. Another cor
rectcd her; She had it from a reliable
source that there were only twenty
nine. t;randpap 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 had
seen the lump on the poor little side, he
had exclaimed My cod, and told them
there was no hope.
Then woman turned to grandpar
and said in y loud voice, mounting hei
words as if to cnunciate more plainly
do you un derstand what we say?'
And the old man answered fretfully
Yes | understand but | amt deaf
Sallie W anted to see grandpap, sc
they brought her home. but she did not
know him then. She noticed nothing
but her mother and the flowers
Grandpap brought flowers fresh every
hour, for the hot little hand soon wiltc6
them. There were larllspurs anc
bachelors buttons and double butter
cups but no canterbury bells Grand.
pap said he was saving them.
1t was wet. drilling morning when
the doctor laid the cold little hand
down under the sheet and told them il
was all over. Somebody led Sallie's
mother away and then they went tc
look for grandpap.
They found him sitting under the fall
ing mist in the garden. His hands were
fu Il of purple blossoms - canterbury
bells
tome. come father, Why are you
here" asked his daughter gently lead
ing him toward the house YES,
said he dreamily but C amc here fol
something What was it? Oh, | rccol
lect must tol the bells now. for
think somebody has just died.-Chi-
cago Graphic.