The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-14

weather and the crops that they had not discovered that the shade of the old beech they sat beneath had stolen silent ly away and left them sitting in the sun, and was even then performing it's re- freshing office for big, sore-eyed dog, who. with panting jaws and loiiing tongue, was winking away the lives of swarm of gnats with the most stoical indifference.
 And so time wore along till dinner came, and women with big open baskets bent above che snowy cloths spread out upon the grass, arranging 'the sub stantials" and the dainties of feast too varied and too toothsome for any thing but epicurean memories to de- scribe. And then the abandon of the voracious guestsl No dainty affectations no formality-no etiouette-no anything but the full sway of healthful capacities melted by the exhilarant exercises of the day into keenest rapacity and relish.
 Don't you think it's goin' to rain f' asked some one, suddenly. A little rosy giled gentleman, with the aid of chicken ieg for a lever, raised his fat face skyward and after a serious con- temptation of the clouds wouldn't say for certain whether 1t would rain CT not, but informed the unfortunate querist, after pulling his head into IIs usual posi- ton and laying down the lever to make room for a bite of bread, that If it didn't rain thered be a long dry spell; and then he snorted a mimic snow storm of bread crumbs on his vis-a-vis, who looked wronged, and said he guess ed he'd take another piece of that-air pie down there"
 It was looking very much like rain by the time the dinner things were cleared away. Anxious mothers, with preserve stains on their dresses, were running here and there with such exclamations to the men folks as DO hurry upi" and For goodness sake. John, take the baby till l find my parasol," and There Thomas, don't lug that basket off till find my pickle dish,"
 Already the girls had left the swings, which were being taken down, and were tying handkerchiefs over their hats and standing in despairing contemplation of the ruin of their dresses. Some one call ed from the stand for the ladies not to be at all alarmed, 1t wasn't going to rain and there wasn't particle of danger of
 -; but there clap of thunder in- terrupted and went on growing men acingly, while little girl. with her hair blown wildly over her bare shoulders, and with face, which a moment before glowed like her crimson scarf, now winter than her snowy dress, ran past the stand and fell fainting to the ground
 lS lHeIe uocCOr on the grOundSs call ed loud voice in the distance, and, without waiting for a response-"For Gods sake, come here quick; a boy has fallen from the swing and maybe killed himself!
 And then the crowd gathered round him there, men with white faces and frightened women and little shlvering children.
 Whose boy is it?"
 Hush; here comes his father" And the good minister, with stark features and clinched hands, passed through the surging throng that closed behind him even as the waves on Pharaoh
 Did l say all were excited? Not all; for there was one calm face though very pale-paler yet for being pillowed on the green grass and the ferns.
 You mustn't move me-" the boy said when he could speak, tell 'em to come here" He smiled and tried to lift and fold his arms about his fathers neck. Poor fatherl poor fatherli' as though speaking to himself T always loved you father only you'd never believe it-never believe it. Now you will TT see mother now-mother. Don't cry-Tm hurt and I don't cry. And I'll see the teacher, too. He said ! would. He said we would al- ways be together there. Where's Fan ny? Tell her-tell her. But that strange intending silence fell upon his lips, and as the dying eyes looked up and out beyond the signing tree-tops, he smiled to catch a gleam of sunshine through the foolish cloud that tried So hard to weep.