The midland journal., 1902-09-12

young animals like that did not seem
to him in any way related to emo
tional experience.
After he had exhausted both me and
himself in historical research l began
asking him about his home, and he
frightened again and told me that he
had little sister, who was "schon"-
(''You know schon; that is better than
English word'O, and that she was fair,
with hair and eyes like a Christmas
doll, and that she loved to ride upon
his back. Three years old she was.
81 must co." he suddenly broke out,
starting up. "She will want to go ride to
our spring. forget" And he smiled
confdentially at me and then stood
twisting his hat, with q sense of need
ed ceremonial of which he was igno-
rant. 81 much thank you. Oh, yes; 1
come again. 1 like it much. Guten
abend." And he ducked his black head
to me and then to my mother, whom he
saw standing, shining with benevo-
lence in an inner doorway. Then he
scurried down the long porch, and 1
heard Jim challenge him for a race.
"Jim will beat him." said my moth
er Indignantly from the window to
which she had hurried.
The radiant faced little lad had won
our hearts.
l was afraid Of growing sentimental
about him and tried to view him coldly,
but in truth it was impossible not to
feel enthusiasm for such an example
of humanity. He revived ones belief
in the possibility of the race. l feel
low that might give my tale greater
vraisemblance by in some way belit-.
Ting him, the expedient of inadequacy,
but obligations stronger than artistic
ones are upon me.
1 soon made my way to the despoiled
hillside, half poor village, half bare
woods, where was Rudolph's home. 1t
was neat little cabin, and 1 was
pleased to find the family all there-the
little Teutonic blond sister, the work
worn, dust colored, plain mother and
the big, dark father, with his touch of
Latin vivacity appearing and disap-
pearing beneath his gravity.
Rudolph gazed at me, pleased and
proud and possessive, possessive of ev-
erybody, and silently brought the little
passive sister to my elbow that might
better note her charms.
l sent him off to fill my bottle with
water from the sulphur spring so that
1 could talk better about himself.
II think Rudolph is a very remark
able boy" I began, 'a very, very smart
boy" l added in my effort to make
myself comprehended.
"Yas," said the father briefly from
the doorstep where he stood, she iss
great-great here, great here" He
touched first his forehead, then his
breast.
The mother, who could speak no Eng
lish, showed by her softening counte-
nance as she looked at us and then aft
er the boy that she understood.
81 come to America for he. 1 know
not that he get much good, but try"
HELL be great in himself anyhow"
"Yas, dat iss so," spoken with tram
quill solemnity. mot many is born dat
way as he, aber-I wish he get ed-u-ca-
l1Ols hC NOlu lldu OCGll w Cli HSus
"He not get much here?" turning a
gaze of troubled inquiry upon me- He
told me how he was afraid to go now
to place with better schools for fear
he could not find work. He could do
no skilled labor. He longed to get Ru-
dolph place in the machine shops, but
the boy was not clever with his hands,
hn nnI1ld nj
above his father unless he got lone
education"
said there was small fear; he'd find
his way to a very practical education;
he'd know many things before he was
grown.
The mans face frightened, and he
showed his white teeth as he nodded
and said a few words to the mother,
who nodded and smiled too.
''He ask, ask always" he said.
The small sister now started down
the hill, making her legs fly until she
met the returning brother and was
lifted on his back, where, when he ar
rived, she hung, dumb, solemn and
round eyed as before.
arranged that Rudolph should come
and see me often and laboriously SUP.
pressed my tendency to make vague
promises and prophecies as to his fu.
ture. Who knows what could or could
not be counted upon in this disjointed
world?
The captivating thing about Ru-
dolph's mind was the curious absence
of any touch of precocity. 1t was as
normal as blackbird's. All it's pecul-
iarity seemed to lie in its superior
soundness. reasonableness and activity.
Things We're real to him. Phenomena
needed to be accounted for. He was
always trying to accomplish the ex-
| PLANTATION, striking for the roots of
things. He had a sleepless desire to
find out. His interest in history Gt did
not, by the way, reach the point of en-
| abling him to derive pabulum from
the usual historical classics) was as
simple in it's way as Jim's in the story
| of possum hunt. The difference was
that Rudolph had the qualities that
enabled him to grasp the verify of the
larger games, while poor Jim could
only comprehend the existence of
things akin to his experience.
l tried, of course, hundred youth
] full experiments with this delightful
mind and came to the conclusion that
it was not an artists organ; that it
was meant for the conduct of large af-
fairs at first hand, not for any plastic