The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-12-06
SYLVELIN.
exon kyra!" "Kom Kyrar"

This COW call cut fresh and clear through
the air like I'm arrow. 1t stirred tho birds
ovon in the highest treo tops, till tho air
was alive with song. But the fresh, girl
ish voice rang above all of it, till oven tho
birds stopped to listen. 1t cut far across
the fields TO where tho laborcrs wcro busy
haymuking, and ono by ono thoy rested
their rakcs to listen too.
"Ah, it be Kari Backkclicns Sylvclin,"
said .Johan Crane, and his kind old faco
shonc with pleasure.
HIN! And II useless picco of goods sho
be 90! What be tho use o. that lassio
with her fairy tales and song? Who milks
tho COWS ut evcntidc, I'd like to know
she or hcr old grannioP Not she, 1 tell yc,
Johan. She sits hid behind the barn door,
reading some tales o. fiction fit to turn
any sensible thinking power crazcd. I
warrant yc she will end sadly, that las
sie.'
"Wcll, Urine, maybe rs she DO n bit
queer, but her heart is in the right place.
Come next Christmas IL twclvcmonth I
was too that bad, yc will rccollcct, L most
thought my tiIno had come, and l verify
believe l shouldna ha turned and cared to
live if it hadua been for that wec bit o.
laSsio coming to cheer me in all kinds o.
weather, with her fairy tales and song
song, l tell We, that if one could shut it
into ones life would mako one long to
1.-Two it twice over"
Jorgcn Thorcson was standing on the
other side of tho field. He, too, was rest
ing his rake to listen TO the song that still
scared above them in II ~tantalizing strain,
half mockipg, half pathetic in its quaint
rhyme.
When he saw the others wero absorbed
in work, no threw down his rake and spod
I'm thp slime Hn know y-hprn RI npl Svi.
velin. EIc was one of the few who dared
to join her in her hidden rctrcat up among
tho branches of III old apple tree, where
they had played since they werc children
together.
AS no ncared tho song ceased. Ho stop
ped behind some bushes and pecDcd
through. Yes, there was Sylvclin, but not
up among tho branches. She was lying
on her back under tho apple tree. Her
shoes and stockings were thrown on n
moss covered STONE In tho middle of tho
brooklct. She was laughing to herself in
n happy, cooling way, and the sad gurglo
from the brooklet joined in, till it soundcd
like IL soft ripple of laughter and tears
mingled in n low toned song.
Shc shook tho tree now and again by
pressing her feet with her whole forco
against tho stem, till tho apples camc pclt-
ing down Oh her. Then she laughed to
drown tho brooklct's gurgle.
Suddenly she got up, placed n wreath Of
hricr rose and forgctmcnots on her head
and sat down by tho brooklct. She gath
cred buttcrcups awhile, picking off their
petals, till her lap was ono mass of golden
leaves. Then she filled both hands and
sprinklcd Thorn over her head and form,
stopped over tho brooklct and nodded to
her rosy, merry face that laughed back Mt
hDp from, n tuSc nf nnrvnue pn1 .A1I 49,.
from II wrought frame. Then she repeated
softly to herself:
"Sylvelin slender,
Sylvclin fair.
Wovc Il wreath Of roses
In her golden hair,
Looked into the brooklct
That twircd the flowers among,
Nodded to her image
And sang-a merry song.
"Sylvelin slender,
Sylvclin fair,
Why have you twined the roses
In your golden hair?
Why does your pretty image
Look back ut you so gay?
All. some one in the meadow
Will acet his love today"
Jorgcn's heart beat painfully ms he heard
tho last line. He pushed tho branches
apart and called her.
NP tC AAAiiit W All IllC
least disturbed to see him, and pointed to
the moss covered seat by her side.
Them be sad verses, Sylvclin. Now,
II you would let your lover meet you in
tho meadow, he would be glad to Irvine
fresh roses In your hair all his lifo long"
but | have 10 lover, 20 sec, Jorgen,
and L { donna want any. 1t was na Inc rs
wrote them verses. The ministries made
them for me, SO l have been reading them
again and again, to try and catch them In
song. Most people donna understand the
power and gladncss o. song. Yo be the
only one patient enough to listen. That
Is why L like yc, because l need na mind
about yc, We donna interrupt nor hinder"
That is why Sc like me! Because ye
need ma mind whether l be there or no:'
"Wcll, yes; about that. Ye see, when
20 come, | go on singing rs If ye be ma
there at all. If il be any ono else a-com-
ing, run ana hide, excepting it be the
mihstrels-aye, they make mo sing to
them, they do, and they say there be Il raro
fortune In my voice, and that makes mo
happy, not for the moncy-but then no one
would think it the waste to sing. l would
bn giving nll my money to yc and grannie,
and l could spend my life wi song"
"But did it ma strike yo ever, Sylvclin,
that grannin II me might M care so over
much for the fortune neither? Maybe rs
we should prefer to keep yo here, sure no
one hindcrs yer sonS!'
Maybe rs they have In hindcrcd me.
Tor That would be useless. They could ma
stop the birds if they tried, and l he like u
Dirh. But many bo the time Triro Krog.
stuen remarked on it, and it makes mo
weary mt heart to think l donna do my
duty to g%rannic. She 10 SO raro in her
!hdncss to nc. So when this longing do
seize me to fly far away To yondcr side o.
the mountain that | may spend my lifo in
L SOM | DC hnlf WnnrinI La ihinE unn.I. -.