Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-08-02
PIPER TIM.


Do you know how Child's eyes look
when he has just learned how beautiful
this vast world is, when he feels his wings
like bird, ere the heritage of the sons of
toll has dimmod them? So Tins eyes
looked that winter night. He opened the
Ioor Of the smithy where the members of
the village orchestra sat at practice round
the blazing forge. Every man paused, in
strument in hand, at the sound of the
fearless, shrill young voice.
Then, smiling, Tim shut out the drift
ing snowflakes and stepped into the
room. The small feet were shoeless and
dark as the earthen floor on which he
stood. The clothes he wore hung round
his slim form in grotesque tattcrs. But
above the tatters rose face such as God
sends into a dark world now and then.
Noble were 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 at the child when, raising his
pipe to his lips, he began to play. The
wonderful eyes shone; the slim, brown
fingers obcyed the impulse of tho grand
laid aside their instruments and clasped
horny hands to listen. Here and there q
face Swallowed; now and then tear was
furtivoly wiped away
lin smiled as he took tho pipe from his
lips and his eyes turned wistfully to the
blazing fire. They made way for him;
they entertained him us if he had been of
royal estate. A small, three legged stool
md 1n
clasped close, as happy as q king. He told
them whence he came, as far as he knew.
"Over the hills, " he said, "far, far over
the hills" They called him Piper Tim in
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 moro he belonged to
the tinker band" and tho sound Of mu-
sic had drawn him so that he fingered to
listen while the caravan went on it's way
lover the hills"
The smiths wife admired tho child's
lovely face; his tattcrs brought tears to
her eyes; womanlilo, she gave him to cat
and to drink. Then they sat once moro
amazed while he played on his pipe ere,
with laughing farewell, he went off into
the darkness. That night the smith sat
long dreaming by the red logs in his forge.
He sighed us he turned in at the cottage
door, where his wife awaited him by the
fire.
How would it ha' been," he said "gin
we kept that littlo chap, the piper? Our
BARN would just ha' been ABBOTT his age
gin the Lord had spared him."
There was anoto of anxious query in his
tone. But tho starved mothers heart in
the woman cried out:
Ell, but I've been sittin here secin the
bonny face o. the BARN in the freight 1
thought O. him out there in the darkness
an tho shaw Wi the thinkers folk. God
keep an guide him. I wish ye'd spoken
sooner Keep him! Would 1 ro', WI you
bonny face, you Rlitho ocn!"
When he comes back again " the smith
said as he drew his chair to the hearth,
and his wife with a glad smile echoed his
words
The schoolmastor placed his old violin
tonderly in its corner that night. He
smiled little bitterly as he thought of his
gray hairs and his many years of plodding,
then of Piper Tim.
He plays as bird sings" he thought
really; "his heart is full of music" Then
he trimmed his lamp and sat down to his
books.
But the boys face smiled from every
page, the free, fearless voice was in his
ears, the blue pure eyes shono in the
cracking flames. The schoolmastcr flung
aside his book and was back in the old
days when the hills, and the stars, and
the sunshine had been his book, maid
ems eyes his heaven and the world world
of wonders. He looked at the empty chair
Of his dead wife, and he thought of sons
and daughters far away.
eff 1 had kept the lad" he unused
aloud, II could have made u man Of Kim.