The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-28
Po11ie's Decoraticn Day.


MAMMA $ knee with a most WoeDegone lit
tie face. Mamma looked sympathetic, and,
smoothing her little girls hair, said:
What do you want to 60, dear?"
Il want TO decorate some grave, too.
Don't you know anybody's that we camp
mo ones here; there is grandma's at"
Yes. 1 know, but i mean a real soldiers
grave. Where is grandpa buried?"
We don't know, Polite; it is somewhere
on the battlefield where he died"
Oh, dearl If 1 only had a real soldiers
grave to decorate right here!'
We'll. while 1 think about 1t, you run
down to the laundry and see If Mary came
this morning"
Mamma expected to hear the little fat
legs t~rotting back directly and set her wits
10 work; but five minutes after five min
utes slipped by until it was a good half
hour before she heard a door bang, a clat-
ter up the stairs and Polite rushed breath
less into the room.
"Oh. mamma, Mary's come and she's got
her lame little boy with her that uses the
crutch. and it has turned out perfectly
splendid!"
What has turned out perfectly splendid?
The little lame boy?"
oh, no! no! His name is Jimmy, YOU
know. and he has got an uncle who was
a real live soldier, buried right in the ceme-
terry in this very town. He was killed in
the war. too. only he did not die for over
a month; but that won't matter, will it?"
How did you find that out?''
Il went down to see if Mary was there
as you told me TO. and she'd just come and
she brought Jimmy with her. You see he
can't go to school like the other children
and 1t is so lonesome for him all day there
by himself. Besides he did not feel very
well, so he came with his mother. I am so
glad 1 did not go to school to-day or I
would have missed this splendid chance. I
feel better than I did," with a plaintiye
sigh.
How old is Jimmy, dear?"
six, going on seven; just a year Younger
than me. cause I'm seven going on eight.
and he is only about half as big as me.
suppose 1t is cause his back is sick all the
Tune; he said his back ached all the time
and he got so tired Of his crutch. But /
told him expected he'd probably have the
most beautiful wings of anybody in heaven
TO make up for the crutch. Then he said
|. he had an uncle that he expected was a
grand angel now, cause he was killed in
the war like grandpa; only they know
where his grave is, right out here at Crown
iii SOulS that was a long time before
Jimmy was born. You know he was named
for his uncle Jim. Mary said she would
ell me- all about it some day when she had
time. She is awful busy working to earn
money since Jimmy's papa went away.
Jimmy says he don't know where he did
go. but that Mary cries every time he asks
her. And isn't it too bad? Mary says her
brother hasn't any headstone; the old one
ia all worn ont anO che oa-,t - - 49,
a new one. So I thought, maybe, we could
decorate his grave just beautiful to make
Up for it. Couldn't we?"
Yes, dear, 1 think we could, and we will.
You tell Mary / want to see her before she
goes home. and here, Polite, come back a
moment. You can tell Jimmy that we will
help him decorate his uncle's grave as a
soldiers should be, and he shall do most of
the decorating himself, and-wait another
minute, dear. Tell cook to keep Mary and
Jimmy for luncheon, and But Polly
was really gone this time, brimming over
with her good news.
Just at noon Mary tapped on the door.
Mamma said:
Come in, Mary. I want to see you. How
are you getting on these days?"
Pretty we'll, ma'am, thanks to you and
some other kind friends. If Jimmy was
only stronger ia fell pretty thankful
w must see what we can do for him.
And now l want to ask you what you are
going to do on Decoration day?"
Indeed. ma'am, it is just about breaking
Jimmy's heart, because we ca-'t go out 10
the cemetery and decorate his Uncle inns
grave. But I can't see my way clear to
spend the money. There's four of us. Kitty
and Tom and me and Jimmy-there's forty
cents to go out and back. And I'm sure ]
don't see how / could buy any flowers. 1t
does go hard with me not to put anythine
on my twins graves. They was five wears
old when they died. Scarlet fever, ma'am;
yesm, Jimmy, he had it, too, that's what
made him begin to get lame. Jimmy, he
does feel so bad, cause mis- Uncle Jim amt
got no decent headstone. You see, the OLD
one went to pieces and L can't afford a new
one. If Jimmy wouldn't take it so to heart,
You see. my brother Jim. he had both legs
shot off in the war, then he was brought
home and lived six weeks; when he died
seems like it pretty near killed mother. His
name, ma'am? James Y. Murphy; he died
in September, '64."
well, Mary, don't fret; Jimmy shall have
plenty of flowers, and flags, too, so he car
decorate to his hearts content on Monday.
Polite want you and the children to meet
her at the east gate of the cemetery at L
o'clock on Decoration day. Here is money
for your fare, and anything else you may
need. Yes, take it, this is Pollie's treat to
Jimmy. She loves to do these things for hei
gTandfather's sake, who died a soldier, you
know. He died when 1 was a little girl
but / have told 1t all TO her so often that
it seems very real to her. Goodbye. Mary,
don't trouble about any flowers; Polite wi.
attend to that"
When Polite Weakened on Monday morning
she found the day as warm and beautiful
as even her anxious little heart could de-
sire. She had had a very busy week get,
ting ready for Jimmy's surprise" as she
called it. What a happy morning she had
helping arrange and pack the flowers Il
keep them from whiting and running up anC
downstairs TO consult her mother as to what
had better be put into the capacious lunch
basket. What about sandwiches? Hadn'
they better have two kinds? Jimmy NIGH
not like ham, and maybe his sister would
not care for beef. The fried chicken wa:
nearly cold, and cook wanted the wax paper
TO wrap ii up in. and she had made the cum
ningest little cakes you ever saw. AND
what about pickles? She did not suppos
Jimmy cared for olives. When her mother