The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1904-07-21
would burn and sting and

|, 1t would burn and sting and
! bleed. He sat down on the stairs and
hid his face against the wall.
"Peekaboo! ! see you" called some
one from the hall below, mistaking
the attitude OF his anguish for baby
game. And he made no attempt to
explain. but smiled back over his
heavy little heart.
All the two long weeks that were
10 end in his fourth birthday, the
shadow Of his fear crept close behind
him. He would plunge joyously into
play. and then its cold hand would
the gladness would die out. His
dreams were haunted with great,
claShing shents. He listened shiver-
Ing when his father and mother
talked, but not a word was spoken
in his presence about the terrible cut
ing off. The suspense was nli the
worse 70. the hope Of escape that
went with 1t.
On the morning OF his fourth birth.
day they brought him all the things
he most longed for, and still curls
EAre not mentioned A little faint en-
eou.a emGns began to creep through
his yiens. He was good. uh ~ good.
and played unpbstrusiveiy behind q
Bola. his heart growing lighter with
every hour that passed. Then, at
eleven, his mother came into tho
nursery with her bonnet on, and. call.
ing him to her, began to put on his
Il h,t ha
knew, AMI the sunlight died out OF
the wolld
His mother WAS grave and preocc4-
pied, Wi,sn she had taken him to tho
dentist that appalling day, she had
been cheerful, and had promised that
IL wouldn't hurt, and had made little
comforting jokes all the way. But
now even she could not pretend to
light heart. When she had brushed
the beautiful fluffy mop. she had sud
lehlg hiSSGu AZ, s.IIo I.7--.yae yyara f,,lI
,yt.,ears. .rtar- the soul ,of tho nttle
boy tainted within him
He walked beside her in dumb mis'
,ry with the sound of knives in his
surs and his heart in the pit OF his
stomach. Until they went into vast
room. and terrible nan smiled NJ
him an ogre smile, such as the neh-
list had worn only far worse. lie was
lifted 1910 vast chair and an aLron
was tied all oyer him m-undouhtedlS 10
keen his =uit from being spotted Win
pore Fhen his mother. still sraVe,
kissed his hair again,
so rm 10 lose my baby she said,
sorrnwfully.
He held his breath. 40 1t WAS 10 put
an end to him altogether they had
brought him here. His heart went
with slow, ominous thuds, and the
curls seemed to tingle through their
roots al the coming ordeal. The great
scissors flashed before his eyes. and
then he felt ti,em fcst in q chill line
ON his NECK. lie shut his eyes and
Z waited helplessly. What else can a
J little boy Gpf
There was q strange grating sounu,
and then another and another, and
.till no pain. After II little he opened
his ewes tiny crack. A long yellow
strand luttered past and alighted on
his aproned knees. Another and an
other, And still it did not hurt. lie
| looked up at his mother. She was
smiling a; him, and 20 Was the man
| with the scissors
We'll, little son, how does II feelf'
asked his mother. He raised his hand
| The curls had al gone, without a
| pang. Ii was his fourth birthday, but
| he turned his face TO the back OF hia
| chair and went away the anSulsD oil
| two unspeakable weeks,
or course no one understood. But
he was lifted down and comforted ant
shown what big boy he was in the
mirror, and taken off to buy any kinC
of candy he wished. And the sun VA:
shining and the whole world shouting
with JOY. and under his little BLOUSE
was the swelling, tumultuous Joy o
q great deliN erance.