The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-12
GRANDFATHER.

GRANDFATHER.
LBy special permission Of the publishers the
series which has appeared in Harper's Maya
zine within year or two and has attracted
to book hap % e
ing GLOW In them are to be seen the working
OF a little chiid's mind-how the world looks
the awe, the comedy, the tragedy Of their little
lives: The tales are strkingly original and a
delightful contribution to American nterature1
One morning Grandfather was reading by
the wall in the sun. You were on the
ground, fiat, peeping under the grass, and
you were so still that a cricket came and
teetered on grass-stalk near at hand
Two red ants climbed your hat as 1T lay
beside you, and a white worm swung itself
from one grass-blade to another. like
monkey The ground under the apple trees
was broken out with sunspots. Bees were
humming in the red clover Butterflies lazi-
ly tapped their wings and sailed like little
boats in a sea of golden-rod and Queen
Anne's lace.
'Dee dee-dee, dee-dee," you sang, and
Mr.. Cricket sneaked under plantain leaf.
You tracked him to his lair with your fin
ger. and he scuttled away.
Grandfather
No reply.
"Grandfather.''
Not a word. Then you looked. Grand
fathers paper had slipped to the ground
and his glasses to his lap. He was fast
asleep in the sunshine with his head upon
his breast. You stole softly to his side. With
a long grass you tickled his ear. With a
jump he awoke, and you tumbled, laugh
ing, on the grass.
"Ain't you 'shame?" cried Lizzie-in-the
kitchen, who was hanging out the clothes
Huh! Grandfather don't care
Grandfather never cared. That is one Of
the things which made him Grandfather
If he had scolded he might have been
Father. or even Uncle Ned-but he would
not have been Grandfather. SO when you
spoiled his nap he only said. Him." deep
in his beard, put on his glasses. and read
his paper again.
When 1t was afternoon, and the sun fol-
lowed Grandfather to the porch, and you
were tired of playing House, or Hop-Toad,
or Indian, or the Three Bears, 1t was only
step from Grandfather's foot to Grand
fathers lap. When you sat back and curled
your legs. your head lay in the hollow of
Grandfather's shoulder, in the shadow of
his white beard. Then Grandfather would
say,
"Once upon a time there was bear
Or, better still,
"Once, when 1 was a little boy . "
Or, best of ALL
when Grandfather went to war 80
That was the story where Grandfather
lay all day In the tall grass watching for
Johnny Reb, and Johnny Reb was watch
ing for Grandfather. When 1t came to the
exciting part, you sat straight up to see
Grandfather squint one eye and look along
his outstretched arm, as though 1t were his
gun, and say Bang"
But Johnny Reb saw the tip of Grand
fathers blue cap just peeping over the
| tops Of the tall grass, and so he, too, went
| ''Bangr
And ever afterwards Grandfather walked
with cane.
| Grandfather wore the blue. and on his
| breast were the star and flag Of the Grand
Army. Every May he Strengthened his bent
| shoulders and marched to the music of fife
and drum to the cemetery on the hill. So,
| once a year, there were tears in Grand
| fathers eyes. All the rest of that solemn
| May day he marched in the garden with
| his hands behind him, and a PARKWAY look
in his eyes, and once In a while his steps
| quickened as he hummed to himself
Tramp, tramp, tramp the boys are march
ing"
And If 1t so happened that he told you the
story of Johnny Reb that day, he would
always have new ending:
Then We went into battle The Rebs
were on tarnal big hill, and as we
charged up the side, Boys said the Colonel
boys. give 'em helll' says he And. sir
We just did, tell YOU"
"Oh, Father, Father-don't!-such lam
guage before the child!" Mother would cry,
and that would be the end Of the new end
| of Grandfather's story.
| If ii was winter time and the snowdrifts
were too deep for grandfathers and little
boys. you sat before the fireplace. Grand
father in his armchair. you fiat on the rug
your face between your hands, gazing into
| the flames.
"who was the greatest man that ever
lived, Grandfather
Jesus of Nazareth, boy"
And who was the greatest SOLDIER"
ulysses s. Grant"
| "And the next greatest7"
George Washington
"But Old Man Stubs says Napoleon was
the greatest soldier
"Old Man Stubs? Old Man Stubs,
| What does he know about it. I'd like &c
know? He wasn't In the war. He's afrait
| of his own shadder. u. 8. Grant was the
greatest general that ever lived. guess
know. 1 was there. wasn't I? Napoleon! old
Man Stubs, Fiddlesticksr'
| And Grandfather would sink back into
his chair. smoking wrath and weed in his