The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1897-11-26

| shall think about it tonight between
the clock strikes
For Jaikie used to lie awake and
count the hours when the pain was at
the worst. Jake lived at the manse
now all the time did 1 tell you that
betore:) for his father was dead.
SO in the little room next to Jiminy's
Jaikie lay awake and hearkened to
; the gentle breathing OF his friend
Jimmy always said when he went to
bed, "Ill keep awake tonight sure.
Jaikie, anu talk to YOU
And Jaikie only smiled a wan smile
with soul in it for he knew that us
soon as Jiminy's head touched the
pillow he would be in the dim and
beautiful country of Nod, leaving poor
Jalkie to rub the leg i'll which the
pains race up and down, and TO listen
and pray for the next striking of the
clock
As he lay, Jaikie thought of the
flowers in the corner of the orchard
thirsty and sick. 1t might be that
they, like him, We're sleepless and Suf-
fering. He remembered the rich Glove
carnations with their dover of a sweet
SAVIOR, the dark indigo winking
"blueys" or cornfiowers, the spotted
musk monkey flowers, smelling like a
village flower show. They would all
be dropping and sad. And it might
be that the ferns would be dead-all
but the hart s-tongue. which, though
moisture-loving, can yet like the ath-
lete train itself to endure and abide
thirsty and unslaked. But the
thought of their pain worked in
Jaikie's heart.
Maybe it will make me forget my
foot if can go and water them"
So he rose, crawling on his hands
and knees downstairs very softly, past
where Jimmy slept in his bed, and
softer still past the minister's door
| But there was no sound save the creak
of the stair under him.
Jaikie crept to the water pail, and
got large quart tankard that hung
| by the side of the wall.
1t was IA hard Job for little lad to
| get a heavy tin tilled-a harder still to
| unlock the door and creep away across
the square of gravel. You have no
! idea $50 he said afterwards) how
badly gravel hurts your knees when
they are bare"
Luckily it was a hot night, and not
a breath of air was stirring, SO the lit
tie Whitehead figure moved slowly |
across the front OF the house to the |
green gate of the garden. Jaikie |
could only reach out as far as his arms |
would go with the tin of water. Then |
painfully he pulled himself forward |
towards it. But in spite of all he |
made Roadway, and soon he was |
creeping up the middle walk, past the |
great central sundial, which seemed !
rs high as church steeple above
him The ghoStly moths fluttered
about him, attracted by the waving 4,
white OF his garments. In their corn
er he found the flowers, and, as he |
thought, they were withered and
dropping. He lifted the water upon
them with his palms, taking care
that none dripped through, for it was
very precious, and he seemed to have
carried 1t many miles.
And as soon as they felt the water
upon them the flowers paid him back
in perfume. The musk lifted up it's
head, and mingled with the late vel
vety wallflower and frilled carnation
in releasing wonder of expressed
sweetness upon the night air.
Il wish had some for you, dear
dimpled buttercups," said Jaikie to
the golden chalices which grew in the
hollows by the burnside, where in
other years there was much moisture;
can you walt another dayT'
We have waited long, they seem
ed to reply, we can surely walt
another day.
Then the honeysuckle reached down
a single tendril TO touch Jaikie on the
cheek.
Some for me, please" it is said;
there are so many of us at our house
and so little to get. Our roots are
such Il long way off, ami the big fell
lows farther down get most OF the
juice before it comes our way lfyou
cannot water us ali, you might pour a
little on our heads So Jaikie lifted
up his tankard and poured the few
drops that were in the bottom upon
the nodding heads of the honeysuckle
blooms.
''BIde little while.n said he, land
you shall have plenty for root and
flower, for branch and vIue-stem.
There were not many more loving
little boys than Jaikie in all the world;
with all his work and his helping and
talking, he had quite forgotten about
the pain in his foot.
Now, if | were telling a story-mak-
ing it up, that is-it is just the time
for something to happen, for a great
trumpet to blow to tell the world
WIldj a. brave I6llOW IIllS iFlGIlu Oh the |
flowers was; or at least tor some great
person, perhaps the minister himself,
to come and find him there alone in the
night. Then he might be CARRIED
home with great rejoicing.
But nothing of the kind happened.
In fact, nothing happened at all.
Jaikie began to creep back again in
the quiet, colorless night; but before
he had quite gone away the honey
suckle said
Remember to come back tomorrow
and water Us. and we will get ready
such fine full cups of honey for you 10
suck
And Jaikie promised. II shut the
gate to keep out the hens. He crept
across the pebbles, and they hurt
more than ever. He hung up the tin
dlpper again on its peg, and climbed
the stairs to his bedroom. Jimmy
was breathing as quietly and equally
as lazy as led-spotted trout does in
the shadow of the bank in the after
noon. Jaikie crept into his bed and
fell asleep without Il prayer or
thought.
He did not awake until quite late in
the day when Jimmy came to tell
him that somebody had been water
ing the flowers i'll their Corner of
Shadows during the night.
Il think it must have been the
angels" said Jimmy, before Jaikie
had time to tell how it all happened.
My father he thinks so too
The latter statement was, of course,
wholly unauthorized.
Jaikie sat up and put his foot to the
floor. All the pain had gone away out
of it. He told Jimmy, who had an
explanation for everything. He knew
how the foot had got better and how
the flowers were watered.
Course it must have been the
angels, little baby angels that can't
fly vet----only crawl. | did hear them
scutTling about the floor last night.
And this, of course, explained every
thing.
IN 1NETnDTE RT MARX THIJN |