Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-02-27

sary, she labored toward the cart.
Shaking hands and affectionately kiss
ing EN-, she was with some difficulty
away, the good Boer woman putting
her head out between the sails to smile
and nod. En- stood watching it for
time. Then as the sun dazzled her
eyes she turned away. There was no
use in going to sit with Gregory. He
liked best sitting there alone. staring
across the green "karroo," and till the
maid had done churning there was
nothing to do, SO En- walked away to
the wagon house and climbed on to
the end Of Waldo's table and sat there,
swinging one little foot slowly to and
fro, while the wooden curls from the
plane heaped themselves up against
her black print dress.
waldo" she said at last, Gregory
has given me the money he got for the
wagon and oxen, and have ESQ be-
sides that once belonged to some one.
know what they would have liked
to have done with it. You must take
it and 60 to some place and study for
year or two"
mo, little one, will not take it." he
said as he planed slowly away. 1.-THE
time was when / would have been
very grateful to any one who would
have given me a little money, little
help, little power Of gaining knowl-
edge. But now l have gone so far
alone may go on to the end. l don't
want 1t, little one"
"Why is it always so, Waldo--always
500" she said. I'VE long for things and
long for them and pray for them. we
would give all we have to come near to
them, but we never reach them. Then
at last, too late, just when we don't
want them any more, when all the
sweetness is taken out of them, then
they come. We don't want them then"
she said, folding her hands resignedly
added: Il remember once, very long
ago, when / was very little girl, my
neither had workbox full Of colored
reels. l always wanted to play with
them, but she would never let me. At
last one day she said | might take the
box. l was SO glad 1 hardly knew what
to do. ran round the house and sat
down with it on the back steps, but
when opened the box all the cettoDs
were taken out"
She sat for awhile longer till the
Kaffir maid had finished churning and
was carrying the butter toward the
house. Then EN- prepared to slip of
the, table, but first she laid her little
hand on Waldo's.. He stopped his plan
ing and looked up.
Gregory is going to the town to-
morrow. He is going to give in our
banns to the minister. We are going
be married in three weeks"
Waldo lifted her very gently from
the table. He did not congratulate her.
Perhaps he thought of the empty box,
but he kissed her forehead gravely.
She walked away toward the house,
but stopped when she had got half
way. II will bring you a glass Of but
termilk when it is COOL" she called
out, and soon her clear voice came
ringing out through the back windows
as she sang the Blue Water" to her.
self and washed the butter.
Waldo did not wait till she returned.
Perhaps he had at last really grown
weary of work; perhaps he felt the
wagon house chilly (for he had shud-
dered two or three tines, though that
was hardly likely in that warm sum-
mer weather, or perhaps, and most
probably, one of his old dreaming fits
had come upon him suddenly. He put
his tools carefully together, ready for
tomorrow, and walked slowly out. At
the side of the wagon house there was
a world Of bright sunshine, and a hen
with her chickens was scratching
among the gravel. Waldo seated HIM
self near them with his back against
the red brick wall. The long after
noon was half spent and the "kopje"
was just beginning to cast its shadow
over the roun6 headed yellow flowers
that grew between it and the farm
house. Among the flowers the white
butterflies lowered, and on the old
kraal mounds three white kids gambol-
ed, and at the door of one of the huts
an old gray headed KafHr woman sat
on the ground mending her mats. A
balmy, restful peacefulness seemed to
reign everywhere. Even the old hen
seemed well satisfied. She scratched
among the stones and called to her
chickens when She found treasure
and all the while clucked to herself
with intense inward satisfaction. Wal
do as he sat with his knees drawn up to
his chin and his arms folded on them
looked at 1t all and smiled. An evil
world, deceitful treacherous, mirage
like world, it might be, but a lovely
world for all that, and to sit there
gloating in the sunlight was perfect.
There are only rare times when a
mans soul can see Nature. So long as
any passion holds its revel there, the
eyes are holden thai should not see her.
Go out. if you will. and walk alone on
the hillside in the evening, but if your
fayorite child lies i'll at home, or your
lover comes tomorrow. or at your heart
there lies scheme for the holding OF
wealth. then you will return as you
went ollt--you will have seen nothing