Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-07-25
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PIPER TIM.
~ San pipe, too, he said.

toll has dimmod them. 80 Tins eyes
looked that winter night He opened the
door of the smithy where the members of
the village orchestra sat at practice round
the blazing forge. Every nan paused, in
Strument in hand, AT the sound of the
fearless, shrill young voice,
Then, smiling, Tim shut out the drift
ing snowtlakcs and stepped into the
room The small feet were ShOClcSS and
dark as the Carthcn floor ON which he
stood. The clothes he wore hung round
his slim form in grotcSQuc tattcrS. But
above the tatterS rose face such rs God
sends into Il dark world now and then.
Noble We're the features; the sweep of the
blue eyes was clear and grand; the curve
of the lips was proud yet sweet. From the
beautiful brow waved hair, tawny and sun
kissed, on which the gliStening snow
shone like stars. Tho men had scarcely
time to look ut the child when, raising his
pipe to his lips he began to play, The
wonderful eyes Shonc; the slim, brown
fingers obCycd the impulse of the grand
soul imprisoned III tiny Tim. Strong men
laid aside their instruments and claSped
horny hands to listen. Here and there u
face shaduwed; now and then tear was
furtively wiped away.
Tim smiled rs he took the pipe from his
lips, and his eyes turned wistfully to the
blazing fire. They made way for him;
they entertained him rs if he had been OF
royal estate. a small three legged stool
was his throne, and he sat there, pipe
clasped close, as happy us king. He told
them whence he came, as far as he knew.
cover the hills he said, far, far over
tim hills - fHhny rnll,l HIM Dirnr Min, II,
the caravan never another name He had
always piped.
Then he laughed and stretched his thin
brown hands with joy to the blaze. He
could tell nothing more; he belonged tn
the tinker band, j." and tho sound of mu
sic had drawn him so that he fingered to
listen while the caravan went ON its way
lover the hills. "
The smiths wife admired the child's
lovely face; his tatterS brought tears To
her eyes; womanlikc she gave him to eat
and to drink Then they sat once more
amazed whilo he played on his pipe ere,
with laughing farewell he went off into
tho darkness. That night the smith sat
long dreaming by tho red logs in his forge
He sighed US he turned in at the cottage
door, where his vito awaited him by tho
fire.
GLOW would it ha' been, he said, "gin
we'd kept that little chap, the piper? Our
hairn would just Ia been ABBOTT his age
gin the Lord had spared him.
There was a note of anxious query in his
tone. But the starved mothers heart III
the woman cried out:
eel, but I've been sittin here secin the
bonny face o. the BARN in the freight l
thought o. him out there in the darkness
an tho shaw wi the thinkers folk God
keep an guido him. wish yc'd spoken
sooner. Keep him. Would ro', wi you
bonuy face, you blithc c'cn!"
"When he comes back again, the smith
said as he drew his chair to the hearth,
and his wife with u glad smile echoed his
words
The schoolmastcr placed his old violin
tenderly in its corner that night. He
smiled Il little bitterly as he thought of his
gray hairs and his many years of plodding,
then of Piper Tim.
'Hc plays as a bird sings, he thought
really; Ibis heart is full of music. Then
he trimmed his lamp and sat down to his
books.
But the boy $ face smiled frcm every
page, the free, fearless voice was in his
ears, the blue, pure eyes shonc in the
cracking flames. The schOolmastcr flung
aside his book and was back in the old
days, when the hills, and the stars, and
tho sunshine had been his book II maid.
ems eyes his heaven and the world n world
of wonders. He looked ut the empty chair
Of his dead wife, and he thought Of sons
and daughters far away
"lf l had kept the lad he unused
aloud, II could have made u man of him,
have saved him from tho tinkcr's life. He
would have filled my empty home.
Long he dreamed, then smile of rcso-
luton curved his lips.
when he comes again." he said.
And Piper TimY
He went on his way that night turning
again and again to look at the long, bright
CLEANS that fell on the snow from he great
forest fire He knew his people were camp
ing in tho mountains, and to the noun
tains and the darkness he turned his face
There was singing in his heart, there was
always singing there, so he went on his
way merrily. Up, up, through the blind
ing snow, neither cold nor weary for the
singing in that heart of his, he watched
always for the glcam Of the red campfire.
But he hchcld never II spark.
The stars shonc out scrcncly. Tim
raised his face to them. They smiled into
their twin stars, his eyes Yet still was
there no campfire.
Tim, growing sore, sat down in the
sheltered Granny of a rock. He raised his
pipe to his lips. He played atune that be
gan braTely and ended softly, ana more
softly still. Tim was asleep. The snow
flakes fell like bristling stars; the dawn
smiled over the hills, but Tim piped never
again.
Little rocked the tinker band that one
child less crouched to the fire, one brown
hand less stretched to the stcaming pot
When the musicians meet in the Smithy on
winter nights, and the wind shakes weird
melodies from trees and mountains, the
men look at each other, and sometimes a
light breaks over rugged faces. sounds
like n tune from Piper Tim, say they.
Occasionally strange presence seems to
ill the place The smith and the school
master raise eager faces, words tremDlc on
their Tins, but--ah the fancics that are
ever aslumber in drcamcrs hearts have
been stirred by the winds song and tho
shadow of the dancing flames Black and
White.
In Hard Luck.