The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1901-09-12
ow. Then he turned, waved his hand

low. Then he turned, waved his hand
to the CLEAN of light from his mothers
window in the end room, which vanish.
ed even as he gazed, and then set his
face resolutely back to the place he had
deserted.
In all his life afterwards Willie never
forgot that homeward walk. The little
fellow had had a full days work, and
his legs were tired when he began the
evenings long journey. More than
once he considered the idea of curling
himself down in the lee of stone wall,
and waiting until morning before fin
ishing it. He would have been glad
enough to do that; but he knew he was
more tired than he had ever been in his
life before, and he was afraid he might
sleep so soundly that he would lose the
chance of getting back before he was
needed and missed. So he toiled OH
ward, stopping half dozen times to
rest. When he sat down he carefully
chose uncomfortable places on stone
walls, SO that he could be no chance fall
asleep; but, until the very last OF the
time, his own thoughts kept him wide
awake
When, finally, he crawled into the
little room in the barn, he threw him
self on the bed, too used up even to
take off his clothes. He had purposely
left the curtain pulled aside, so that the
rising sun would wake him up. 1t
seemed as if he slept twice as fast as
he commonly did; for morning found
him in fair condition and able to begin
work as usual, though stiff as to the
joints and light as to the head, as he
learned to express himself later after a
month of reading Caesar.
The next Sunday his father and
mother drove over to see how he was
getting along. First they took Mr.
Leamington's opinion.
well, of course, l have been busy
and haven't bothered much about him.
To tell the truth, | saw him last Tues
day evening, sitting up by the side of
the barn, and | thought he looked pref
ty peaked; and | said to myself that |
guessed he'd had about enough of it,
and that I'd got to pick out another
boy. But the next morning he took
hold better than ever, and | guess he
hasn't got down in the month since.
LeaStways, so far as | know"
They approached Willie in less direct
fashion, and Willie himself volunteer
ed nothing as to his experience or past
feelings. He wouldn't say he hadn't
been homeSick, when he had, and when
even yet the queer feeling in his throat
returned on most unexpected occasions:
but he talked courageously about home
and what he was going to do in the fall.
He showed his mother the five little
pink and white pigs and the Perry pic
lures which Mrs. bennington had given
him to adOrn the board walls of his
barn chamber and the peoples, which
surpassed in splendor of coloring and
delicacy of texture anything ever seen
elsewhere
when go home in the fall, I'll tell
her all about it, he promised himself:
but If she can't be brave unless | am
brave, then I've just got to keep quiet,
and let her think it's all mush and milk
here instead of hard work.
SO it came about that Mr.. and Mrs.
Weston drove happily home again, and
Wills father leased his mother un-
mercifully about her softhearted fore
bodingS.
'1 on may laugh" she said placidly,
and Willie may pretend that he has
been happy every minute: but | know
what | know and you cannot cheat a
mother quite SO easily as all that. All
the same, he is coming out all right
and he will have happier time from
now on than he has had before Accord
ing to my way of thinking: that is all
there is in being a hero,-just to face
the situation and not let yourself be
stared out of countenance by mere
fact. Clara Sherman, in Christian
Register.