Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1900-05-25

The kind mantle of the dark shut
in the poor little mother, with her
grief.
The goth of May was raw and wet,
but the morning of the 30th dawned
clear. The world, washed clean OF its
stains, shook off it's raindrops, like
Jewels, in the sun. A choir of little
birds sang high, sweet song-the
"Star Spangled Banner" was it-in
the apple orchard, and the little boys,
trudging by, whistled war tunes. The
Day of Remembrance found no one
forgetting. The Old, old graves, and
the new ones-so terribly new!-
awaited their flags and flowers, side
by side.
Diantha Berry cut off her pink
blossoms early before the sun touched
them and laid them, one by one, in
the little basket Nenjie had liked.
She cut with Lnstinted hand, choos-
ing the fullest ones and the most per-
feet. Observation-Disclosures counted
them aloud, as the scissors shipped
through their slender stems. She had
made up her mind to give little Benjie
|
had put on long pants when he was
15-oddly enough, that got into her
thoughts when she cut the fifteenth
flower off. Then she cut another,
smiling whimsically - Little Beniie
had gone away to the high school
when he was 16. She could see him
now-the tall fellow!-swinging down
the road in the morning. and back
again at night. She could see him
stop at the crooked elm to swing his
hat twice-once for Leah and once
for her: She could hear his voice
coming in at her window-"You make
splendid spice cakes, Miss Diantha.
l ate one once"
The big, hungry, flattering boy!
Seventeen, 1s blossoms dropped inso
the basket Little Benjie had liked.
Mis- Diaptha had a new idea.
"I'll cut off % for Little Benjie-
one for every year that the Lord let
him stay. I'm glad 1 thought of it.
Yes, I'll cut off 22.'
The great tree geranium, shorn Of
most of its glory, stood in the window,
alone. Diantha had taken her little
basket of flowers and had gone away
down the road. 1t was at the crooked
elm she stopped. Little Benjie had
always stopped there, years ago.
With sudden distress Diantha thought
of the poor little mother he would
never wave his cap to again.
"Poor Leah!" she cried, aloud. The
fountain of her pity was unsealed at
last. The bitterness and anger were
swept away-she forgot, for the mo-
ment, everything but Little Benjie's
mother, alone in her pain. She re-
membered how it had always been
her part to comfort Leah, when they
were little girls together. She would
go back now and comfort her.
LEAH" she called at the door, a
minute later. Leah, I've come. You
didn't answer my letter, and mebbe
you don't want me, but I've come.
couldn't help it."
The suffering woman's face was a
der prevailed.
81 never got any letter, Diantha,''
she said, slowly. Diantha sprang to-
ward her eagerly.
Not my letter askin' if I could
come over to see little dead Benjief
Didn't you get that, Leah Swallow
1 sent it acrost by Mis- Daggett's lit.
tie boy-and the Lord knows how
eager 1 waited for the answer!
couldn't seem to give it up"
81 never got it, Diantha. Do you
think 1 wouldn't have answered
You don't know how 1 waited, tool
Leah, Leah-dear child, what 9
dreadful mistake it all was, and how
we've ben sufferin' for it,! 1 might
have comforted you a little mite-and
l needed comfortin', too, Leah. Is il
too late now? See, dear, was goin
down to decorate Little Benjie's grave
with my geraniums. There's 22-ors
for every year he lived. Put your face
in 'em, Leah; see how sweet they are
I'll carry them down for you, dear
they're yours, now. You can send me
because you can't go, and Little Benjit
will understand"
She had drawn the slight figure into
her arms, and was rocking it bacl
and forth as mothers rock babies
The long misery was over. After all
it had only been the forgetfulness o
a little child.
After awhile she took up the basleet
of flowers and started again for th'
cemetery; but at the door Leah called
her back, half timidly.
"There's something I'd like, Dian
) tha," she said. "If-if you wouldn'
mind arranging the flowers kind of il
the shape of a flag. I wanted to
Benjie was so fond of his fag."-An
: ME Hamilton Donnell, in Countr.
Gentleman.