Omaha daily bee., 1895-06-09

her moorings. When the carpet was re-
moved and the child propped against the
front taffraii OF the boat, one saw that Kon-
stantinos and his guardian had begun their
voyage over seas to Greece
The light summer breezes from the bay
caressed the younger travellers hair. and
soon aroused him from his sleep. He
started, raised himself in the Sword cuts"
arms, and cast a quick, bewildered glance
over the sunlit waves of a bay as beautiful
as any the wide world over.
Not since the day which brought him, a
baby, to New York had he left the shores
of Manhattan island; and rarely had he
strayed far from the nosome purlieus of
Roosevelt street. No wonder that the glory
of the scene-the silver sheet of water,
spanged with sails, and dotted with boat
and bark-the dappled green shores far be-
yond-the rich blue vault above-no wonder
that 1t all dazzed eyes accustomed only to
the endless gloom of the Greek quarter.
But suddenly it flashed across the soul Of
Konstantinos that he had seen all this won
drous vision of loveliness before-seen it in
his bed at night, in his day-dreams, in the
glowing word-pictures of his fathers patrons,
and in the songs of his beloved mother.
This-ths was Greece!
When the spirit of child sings the voice
is but its echo Konstantinos uttered a great
cry of Joy and raised his thin arms to the
smiling heavens. Then, with the nborn elo-
quence Of the Greek, he poured forth burn
ing words of praise and thanks to the AL
mighty who had granted him the boon of
beholding his native land"
As for him they called "the sword" he
could not ssse the sunlight for his tears
Most of that summer the pair remained
| upon Staten Island. THE swordcut's" pow
| ers were taxed te the utmost in humorins
| his wards whims, without telling a false.
| hood, for our rough soldier had a stern sense
! Of honor. But Konstantinos needed no cicer'
one after all. His keen imagination trans
! formed every locality from American tC
Greek. Whenever they went for a sail, as
they frequently did. they were bound fol
| "Scios" or "Deos" or Ithaca" or even dis
tant Crete" They had traversed Sparta
and found a "Corinth" and an Athens
In short Konstantinos drank in the GreciaI
illusion to the full. But he drank in some
thing else, far better for his health, and tina
was plenty of ozone. When he finally be
came homesick (as all boys, old or young
are sure to do soon or lata), anyone coul'
see that that was the only sickness abou
him. His holiday had cured our weakling.
That was a great and triumphant home
coming to the Cafe Thermopylae," off Roose
welt street. AL or nearly all Little Greece
turned out to receive the travellers; and Kon
stantinos felt like another Ulysses.
That night, amid the familiar clouds c
toumbaki smoke, he told the long and varie
story Of his wanderings, appealing ever an
, anon for confirmation to The sword-cut.
AS LOT the laller worthy ne ndu lOTCeu upO
him more toumbak and mastlca than h
could smoke or drink in month His pos
tion in the Greek quarter was now firml
assured, and he need never think of "Jri
ing again.
When Konstantinos finished his tale the
drank his health, and then the health of h
health; and last, but not least, the health {
Mother Greece" otherwise Staten Island.
Konstantinos is older now, and he know
7 better" Some day he expects to visit Greco
the real Greece. Perhaps he may find
t little disappointing after the raptures
s the imaginary one, which he discovered s
happily in the bay Of New York.