Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-11-21
yer known, but it broke his heart.


Lord, Lori, couldn't you a took 'em
one to time-one to time, Lord? He
might a got over it then. Look at
him in there, touchin' the faces-now
he's touchin' the Little Uns. Look at
the Little I'm smilin' back! An she's a.
smilin', too-they're all a-smilin' but
him. He maxim them awful sounds in
his throat. Oh, Lord, do know but
it'll kill Mister Philip! If could jest
cry for him"
Biggs was crying for him now. He
let his big, ungainly body slide noise
lessly to the floor and curl up Ill
abandonment of sorrow. But he mace
no sound. Inside the quiet room the
faces in a row smiled on happily-and
Philip Lattimer sat on befoEe them
hour after hour. He lived over all
the tragedy of his life, scene by scene.
Once, with one of his sudden whims,
he drew the pictures into the playing
of the tragedy. When she had died
he put out his hand and turned her
sweet face gently downward on the
table. Then Comforts discomfort had
come next-and then PHILIPS picture
and the Little Ones. He had had the
Little One the longest-but she went,
too.
Afterward he put all the pictures
back again in their row.
1t was late into Thanksgiving morn
ing when he went to bed. Biggs went
a minute or two before-he had just
time.
Thanksgiving day was clear and
brisk and sun flooded There was JOY
and thanksgiving in a thousand
hoes, and in the others-God pity the
Others!
In Philip Lattimer's home there was
a "make-believe" Thanksgiving.
Biggs worked steadily and faithfully
whistling all the while. He arranged
the beautiful table with neat precision.
He let in the sunshine upon all the
dainty glass silver, till they dazzled his
Redeemed eyes and hurt them. The
flowers came and were arranged as
Mister Philip liked them-roses at he1
plate and little Comforts, and gay
bright flowers at the Little Un's and
PHILIPS. At last everything was
ready.
'But he amt" muttered Biggs.
He's gone out see him goin' a
spell ago. He was stridin' right along,
with his shoulders dreadful high an
square. He never done that before"
Biggs went back to the kitchen ana
waited. An hour past the time APP
pointed he heard his master coming in,
and 'Lordy, 1ordy, if there amt some
body with him! There was-hark-O
Lord, little voices Little voices!"
Biggs stole out into the hall and his
tened with startled face. A sub
dued chorus of excited little voices
reached him and one above the others
was saying admonishingly: "Step easy,
all o you-don't you see there's flowers
in the carpet? Step round 'em if you
can like l do. They won't smash, but
it don't seem right to step on 'em.
| There, while the kind mans gone up
stairs, you all listen to me-I'm goin
| to talk
The high, impera (tive little voice
carried" easily to Biggs' astonished
ears. He heard every one of the slow
words, with pauses, for emphasis,
between them.
Listen! If there's butter-to your
bread, don't none O. you look surprised.
Spread it on-kind of-indiff'rent, if
you can. If there's turkey
Turkey" shrieked all the other
little voices.
"Sh!he1l hear you. there's
turkey eat as slow as if you'd always
eat it since you was born. That's
F.! ALL"
"But we amt ever eat it, Min
ervy Bemis."
"Well, what if you amt ever?
Can't you make b'lieve?"
The small feet shuff1ed about noisily.
Then the motherly little voice began
again.
when it's come time, you go ahead,
Patsy-then you, S'lome, then Grissel.
I'm goin' clear behind where can look
at the rest O. you ev'ry minute. I'll
take the baby. Sh! the kind man s
comm back"
In the great, brilliant dining-room
the strange Thanksgiving dinner be-
gan and proceeded slowly. Philip
Lattimer sat at the head IF the table,
with the stamp of indelinle pain upon
his face, but he filled and refil1ed all
the little plates with a steady hand,
and smiled down, now and then,
on the little rank and file of beaming
faces.
The other faces that looked up at
him out of the moist, sweet flowers and
shone dimIy in the simmer of sunlit
silver and glass were smiling, too
serenely, as they had smiled at him
out of the row of pictures in the night.
That was not make-believe.
Michael Davitt declared England to
be Russia's enemy.