Griggs courier., 1892-10-07
TolLlNo FOR THE DEAD.

ToLLlNo FOR THE DEAD.
The Two Playmstss iu the Garden and
the Canterbury.Bells.
There was an ugly lump growing on
her poor little side. OF course It would
goaway. Everybody said that II would.
No one had ever heard Of q child Of that
age having q tumor. Why, she was
only Ave years old. It was preposter-
ouA
So they let her play about In the
great old-fashioned garden. among the
larkspurs and bachelors buttons and
double bnttercups and canterbury bells.
She had for her playfellow 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 tolled, the lit
tie girl would say, ''Grandpap, some
body has died. We must toll for them. /"
Then they would gather the canter-
bnry-beils and swing them to and fro.
"Do you hear 'e1n, grandpap?" she
would ask
"'Pears like I 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 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 20 grandpap, you do muss 90"
she would say, shaking her head re-
provingly. And the old man would
smile back at her-a smile all bare
gums and innocence-then he would
spread his handkerchief over his head
tokeep off the flies while he took his nap.
It was q happy, peaceful life there in
the old garden, only sometimes the
lump in Sallie's side hurt her little.
One night when her mother undressed
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 q
great deal It was such a peculiar case,
you know. One woman said that she
had heard that there were forty doctors
consulting over Saliie. Another cor
rected her; she had it from reliable
source that there were only twenty
nine. Grandpap interrupted: ''But
what Of Sallie?" brt NO one answered
him. He was ''dotiag," 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 God, /" and told them
there was no hope.
Then woman turned to grandpap
and said in loud voice, mouthing her
words as it to enunciate more plainly,
DO you un derstand what we say?"
And the old man answered fretfully,
eyes, I understand, but amt deaf"
Sallie W wanted to see grandpap, 90
they brought her home, but she did not
know him then. She noticed nothing
0NV AASA AAAO0AA0A SbASA VlAC tAVWOG6
Grandpap brought flowers fresh every
hour, for the hot little hand soon wilted
them. There were larkspurs and
bachelors buttons and double butter.
cups, but no canterbury bells Grand
pap said he was saving them.
It was q wet, drizzling morning when
the doctor laid the cold little hand
down under the sheet and told them it
was ell over. Somebody led Sallie's
mother away and then they went to
look for grandpap.
They found him sitting under the fall.
ing mist in the garden. His hands were
fu II Of purple blossoms - canterbury
bells.
''Come, come. fatherl Why are you
here?" asked his daughter, gently lead
ing him toward the house. eyes" {"
said he dreamily, .sbut I came here for
something. What was it? Obi recol.
lect. I must toll the bells now, for
think somebody has just died.-Chi-
cagO Graphic.