The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1895-03-28

bopncns .on New Years eve. just rs
though nature took a pleasure III inns mo
| tionleSs watch over the old year that lies
a-dying.' Roderick felt Il sottncss almost
like spring in the air. 1t seemed 10 sur
all his young blood-hc. with HE all De.
fore him to will and to do. And some OF
the talk that night had given nm a re-
moved impulse both as to will and deed.
81 must tell her mt once. / know she
will onproye of it." said he to himself.
at" was an idea started by the hih",!
| imam of letters"-that did Mr.. Jardlhe $
imaginative writing fail, there was a SUD
| ject very popular just now. ana Hkei! :"
attract attention. which. with a niue
pains. he might examine. read up for. AMI
| write about, so as to make an excellent
quarterly article. sure of at least Il m"der-
ate audience. The first step on the iad-
der, which, if taken cautiously and hrm-
". might lead him either by literature or
| politics, or both. to the very top.
".Fain would | climb, but that | fear 70
fail
Only she will never say to me
"'If thy heart fail thee. do not climb at
all
She would keep my heart up so that !
could not fall. Bless her. ] am sure of
that"
Sc thinking. he came to his W door.
| stepping lightly across the grassy lawn,
half in hoyish mischief to look in nj the
,mrlor w~indow-she liked II ko"i hey
light visiblc-and see what his wife was
doing now the household has all ne 10
bed.
Sitting quitely and alone. best t. her a
pretty box of sandalwood, which locke!
like a present, for it had Il Chri"tmas card
on the top. she was cmptying II, layer
| after layer. and spreading its contents on
her lap. Only little clothes-thc little
clothes that women and mothers think
the p~rettirst in Ill the world. one after
the other she unfolded them. putting her
fingers through the tiny empty sleeves.
looking at them admiringly. smiling'y,
and yet again with = strange sadness.
All at once Rodcrick called to mind what
Lady Symington had said to him, and
her tone of saying it; he had been full of
his own affairs just then. and had not
noticed much else, but now. as he slipped
quietly indoors, and knccling down be.
Sl'i' HIS NIlt, ItiIt'I nv - III nv
New Years gift-man rs h" vast
touched him deeply.
And the little fellow only lived seven
years. yet his mother has remembered
him all this while. Poor Lady Syming-
tom"
lie said it with Il ~curiouS awe, as with
his slightly awkward fingers he helped
his wife to refold the wonderful little gar
mcnts. and replace them. as they had lain.
untouched. for nearly forty years. Then
they put the box way and sat down By
the fire. hand in hand. and he told her all
his new hopes, new ambit.ions-thc Efr
that somehow seemed opening before
him. if only he had strength To carry j..
out.
Il shall do nothing rashly. Author
ship they say, is a capital staff, but Il
very bad crutch,' ! shall stick to the
mill at present. But you were right 10
send NE away tonight. 1t does me gooi
to have something beyond the mill. TO mix
with men and feel myself one of them,
with life all before me. and power TO DO
my work i'll it, with what poor old Tommy
Moore calls, conceitcdly,
Tine mind that burns within me.
And pure smiles from thee ut home"
That quiet home smile. serene and purn.
ii beamcd upon him now, and his whole
heart was satisfied.
This is the first new year we ever
spent together, my wife. Shall we ~
outside and greet il in the open air. rs is
our Scotch fashion: My father always
dld so. and my mother, too-my poor
mother. he sighed. Il wonder whether
BellaS being with us will do good or
harm! whether they will be thinking of
me just now? We always had a grand
family gathering at I~Iogmanay-mv two
elder sisters, their husbands and children.
They never cared for me much; | was 4
mere boy when they married. Still. TO
have quite forsakcn me. Well. well, [
WiSh them all a happy new year-my ain
loik, as we say in Scotland"
Silence had no "ain f9lk"-only two
laraWay Sravcs-but she had her hus-
band. He and she walked up and down
III front of the hall-door talking Of this
ana that, and especially of his work in
IN" future. which seemed already 10 hav.
taken a strong hold on his IMAGINATION
ill III the dead Stiffness the distant stable
/
clock at S~ymington was heard beeinnin,
to strike twelve.
NTH then there had not been n breath
Stlrrlng, the night was so Wonderfully
cam ana mild, and dusk rather than
dark; the half moon, slowly sloping west.
ware Dehlnd the house, still showed fainr-
~ the belt of trees round the lawn. and
even the dim outline of the distant hin.
ABOVE the sky was parseme-no English
word expresses it-with myriads of stor.
men the last stroke of the clock ceased
mere seemed to descend from it. rigbr
uoWn from these mysterious stars ,
Soush OF wind equally mysterious. II
rushed through the tree-tops,
round the house, and then passed AWAY
ihl0 stiffness, almost like a living thing
listen, listen, Roderick!"
1t IS The sough of the air-tbo ola
year, last breath. | have often noticed
IT. ana heard other people notice if. too
ana hoW-our new year is begun Nav
II De a very happy one to you-to Ne my