The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1896-04-04

itiBIt MN. Iii ItiStiLtNl III III - 'iiA'N
he had climbed those cracking steps
and looked out upon Sky and forest
and creek ana village.
Great God, how long ago it was. And
vet how short time,
He saw himself again a fair haired
boy. His dim eyes lost their dimnesS.
They were young again. The wind Of
heaven. flying with noiSelesS wings,
tossed once more his waving, boyiSh
riucIctS The village WAS no longer
that Of his maturer years. 1t attained
once more the vast proportions which
his childish imagination had given 1t
many years ago The woods again
moved far away. The little circular
plain on which the village stood be-
came again bouudicss meadow.
All il is all before me he muir
INJURED. smiling. And then he said,
and so is all Of life before me. hen
one is ycuug life has 10 beginning. no
end. But now ! see it all, from its be
ginning to its end down there
lie stretched out his heryeleSS old
arm and pointed to the dark corner
which he had chosen for his grave.
And what them he cried joyfully,
GLORY be to God, Ii is time fer me to
rest. Hard is the road when it is hon
Cstly travelled. Soon, very soon, rest
viii come.
But ii was time to salute the Easter
morning old MicheiCh -aZed at the
stars once more. and then arose II"
removed his hat, crossed himself ana
gathered up the bell ropes. y moment
more and me night air ShIyGred under
the first reS0unding stroke Then came
the second. the third, the fourth. The
lightly sleeping Easter air quiv"rcd
with the Joyous music Of the shouting,
singing bells.
Yhnn the bells ceased The solemn
service began in the church below.
In bygonr wears MIchrich had al
ways gone down to the service ana
stood i'm a corner near the door, pray
ing and listening 10 the music. But
it was hard FOR him to de this now.
He felt tired. So he sat down on the
bench beneath the copper bells aud
listened to their waning resonance.
He thought About Wh1tE Mlchcich
himself could hardly answer the ques-
ton. His glimmering lantern scarcely
lit up the he!fry He could not make
out the droning bells. They were lost
in darkness. From the church below
his oil ears caught the singing now
and then. Tho cd mans gray head
sank upna his chest. Disconnected
scenes from the past Swarmcd in his
uind like bees in the hive.
All" ne said. as the music CT the
Easter hymn drifted Up the tower
stairs they are singing the tr0Parion."
In his imagination he sang that
hymn. again Il youth in the old church
below. The little old priest. Father
Naum. many years dead and buried,
once more was informing the end of Il
prayer. while childrcns voices united
in the responses. Hundreds Of peas
ants bowed ana rose like corn before
the wind. Now they crossed them
selves dcyoUtly.
The old familiar faces were of those
long since dead. There was the stern
4 visa@c of his father. There stood his
4 elder brother 1T the cid mans side,
signing deeply and crossing himself
/ again ana AGAIN. There he himself
( stood. young. healthy, strong and joy
ful. full of expectation Of lifc's hap
UincSS.
Where was that happiness now?
The cid mans thoughts tiiclcrcd up
I like dying fame Recollection il
lUmiued the noakS and corners of his
life. And all he Jaw was endless,
coaSclcS<. mcrciasS l0hor-labur far
lcy0nd his strength He saw sorrow.
! roo-much surrow-and suffering unut-
tcrahle.
An. where indeed was that happiness
} Of which he had dreamed?
The burdens of life had wrinklel his
young face had bent his powerful
back before the time had come They
/ had made the Joyous boy sigh rs his
1 elder brother had sighed.
There on ;hC left. among the women
Of the village, with her head humbly
bent. he saw his sweetheart. She was
Il good woman. May the peace of God
De with her soul.
oh The pain that She had suffered.
Want and work and wumanS wees
\ had withurCd her glowing wom1nhood.
I Her eyes had grown dim with ycal :
( and wecping The ghoCkS and bignt9
/ cf life had painted Il dull fright upon
( her comedy face.
All, whore was her happiness?
God had given thrm one son their
Joy. their cry soul. and he was ground
L. his death by mems Injustice.
The picture broadcnCd and grew
vivid in the old mans mind. He saw
4 standing in his pew the rich enemy Of
4 the family. bowling his head to the very
I ground. Guessing over in his prayers
/ the wrongs Of the widows and orphans
whose lives he had bliEhtcd in his sell
fish grcod. NIcheich felt his heart
grow hot within him now rs it had
done then. Will" the dark faces e the
holy images on the altar frownCd stern
/ u upen mans sorrows and mans in
/ justice.
I'n- all This was long, LONG passed.