Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-07-20

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other gods before me Only then,
vh.f..s,. old icoi IS broken. when the
Ill as..., l@ dead. when the old desire Is
,.usha,l. ;heu the Divine compensation
II Natuf, }s ruadr manifest. She shows
herself TO you. 80 E.t:r travis you
that The blood seems ,5 GJW from her
to you through "a syil uncut cord. You
feel the throb OF ler l.fc.
When that day comes that you sit
down broken, without one human crea-
ture 10 whom you cling, with your
loves the dead and the living dead;
when the very thirst for knowledge
through long continued thwa"t!ng has
grown dull; when in the present there
Is no craving and IN the future
hope, then, oh. with a benehccnt ten
Gerness, Nature infolds you.
Then the large white Snowflakes as
they tutter down softly, one by one,
whisper soothingly. Rest. poor heart.
rCstr' 1t is as though our mother
smoothed our hair aud we are comfort
ed
Well to die then, for, ii You live, so
surely rs the years come. So surely as
the spring succeeds the winter so sure
ly will passions arise. They will creep
back one by one. into the bosom that
has east them forth and fasten there
again. and peace viii go. Desire, am
bitiou and the fierce agouizlng food
OF love for the Hviug-they will spring
again. Then Nature will draw down
her veil. With all your longing you
shall not be able to raise one corner.
You cannot bring back those peaceful
days We'll TO die then,
Sitting there with his arms folded
on his knees and his hat siouched
down over his face, Waldo looked out
into the yellow sunshine that tinted
even the very air with the color Of ripe
corn and was happy.
He was an uncouth creature with
small learning and no prospect in the
future but that of making endless ta-
bles and stone walls, yet 1t seemed TO
him as he sat there that life was a rare
and very rich thing He rubbed his
hands In the sunshine All, 10 live on
SO, year after year, how welli Always
in the present, letting each day glide,
bringing Its own labor ard It's own
beauty, the gradual lighting up of the
hills, night and the stars. lirellght and
the Goals! TO live on so. calmly far
from the paths OF men, and to look at
the lives Of clouds and insects, 10 look
deep into the heart of flowers and sec
how lovingly the pIstil and the sta
mems nestle there together. and to see
In the thorn pods how the little seeds
suck their life through the delicate
curled up string and how the little
embryo sleeps inside, Well. how well,
TO sit so on one side, taking no part In
the worlds life, but when great men
blossom into books looking into those
flowers also TO see how the world
Of men, too, opens beautifully, leaf aft
or leaf Al life is deliciousl Well 10
live long and see the darkness break
ing and the day coming, the day when
soul shall not thrust back soul that
would come to It, when men shall not
be driven to seek solitude because of
the crying out of their hearts for love
and sympathy Well to live long and
see the new time breaking! Well to
live long! L!fe is sweet, sweet, sweet
In his breast pocket. where of old the
broken slate used TO be, there was now
little dancing shoe Of his friend who
was sleeping. He could feel It when he
fa1f1a1 Il Es,l,4 4,
and that wac well also. He drew his
hat lower over his eyes and sot SO mo-
tionless that the chickens thought lie
was asleep and gathered closer around
him. One even yentured to peck ut his
boot, but II ran away quickly. Tiny,
yellow fellow that II was, IL knew
that men were dangerous. Even sleep
ing they might awake. But Waldo did
not sleep and, coming back from his
sunshiny dream, stretched out his hand
for the tiny thing to mount. But the
chicken eyed the hand askance and
then ran off to hide under its mothers
wing, and from beneath II II some.
times put out its round head 10 peep at
the great figure sitting there. Presently
its brothers ran off after little white
moth. and 1t ran out to join them. and
when the moth nuttered away oveI
their heads they stood looking up, dis.
appointed. and then ran back to their
mother. Waldo through his half closed
eyes looked at them. Thinking, fear.
ing, craving, those tiny sparks OF
brother life what were they, so real
there In that old yard on that sun
shiny afternoon? A few ycars-where
would they be2 Strange little brother
spirits. He stretched his hand toward
them, for his heart went out to them
but not one Of the little creatures came
nearer him, and he watched them
gravely for time. Then he smiled
and began muttering TO himself after
his old fashion. Afterward he folded
his arms upon his knees and rested his
forehead on them. And SO he sal
there In the yellow sunshine, mutter
ing, muttering, muttering, to himself.
1t was not very long after when EN-
thrown across her head and In her
hand n cup Of milk.
"Ah," she said, coming close to BIN,
"he is sleeping nowl He win find II
when he wakes and be glad Of IT,"
She put 1t down upon the ground be
side him. The mother hen was at
work still among the stones, but the
chickens had climbed about him and
were perching on him. One stood upon
his shoulder and rubbed It's little head
softly against his black curls. An.
other tried to balance itself on the very
edge Of the old felt hat. One tiny fel
low stood upon his hand and tried to
crow. Another had nestled itself down
comfortably on the old coat sleeve and
gone 10 sleep there.
En- did not drive them away, but she
covered the glass softly at his side.
"He VIII wake soon" sho said. and be
glad Of IT,"
But the chickens were wiser
THE END. ,sstf
Wanted stone. |
"Haye | not always been generous |