The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-01-21

A..sn 'oonooi1 ~ ! ouA'
WHAT DAVID WANTED. . ~ :
David supposed to be asleep, but he WASH t. No.,
he wide awake wider awake than he had been
in his life before He was sure of that. = t"z--
He lay quite still in the great, soft bed, his wide
eyes looking up up, up into space It long time
since grandma kissed him and grandpa stood
in the doorway, and they had turned down the light in
the hall and gone down stairs YES it long time;
a very, very long time; ages and ages ago. -.
The big full of soft, warm, black shadows,
for the smothered lamp in the hall cast such dim little
light The shadows and the furniture and the walls all
melted into each other and unreal and shapeess He
couldn't anything but shadows, he knew he couldn't
altho he did not look He knew just how twists
the wallpaper made ugly face and he could see
the grinning features sinking Into the backness,
wherever he turned his eyes.
It was lonesome, too, and his little mind labored
great unsolvabe questions Why did they put such
little boy in such great big room; and why couldn't
he 60 to sleep? and why the ceiling far up-oh,
very far ups He wanted something, only he didn't
know what it that he wanted The whole little body
permeated with dull incessant yearning Now it
there all the tme BEFORE it used to only
in WHILE and then it took all his strength keep from
crying That was just after his mama went away Why
yes; that what he wanted, it his mama; he
wanted his But she long, long way off,
taking of dear sick papa and he couldn't have
her. He must be brave little man. she told him to
be- when she went away he must be like his and
his papa the bravest in the world. Still, he
wanted his Two wide bright eyes looked steadily
upward, but they were dry eyes.
No, he couldn It have his mama, so it must be some
thing else he wanted. Oh, how thirsty he was and how
he wanted drink Of water, nice COOL lmpid water He
must have drink He could 60 to sleep if he did. But
it all dark upstairs and he must go down to get it.
But he needed it, OH much: He couldn't lie still
second longer, and the black shadows creep
ing right down into his throat ~-..
He knew just how it would be; first he would go out
ows under the dim ght to the wide staircase then
he would go down slowly and feel the cool air tanning
his cheeks When he part way down, he would stop
and look thru the banister down the hall to the back
mario md ORAL and
big lamp legs between them. He could hear the
Of their voices Then he would thru the long
ma would know he there and look up and grandpa
would frown at him his paper. But he wasn't
afraid frown, cause he knew grandpa loved him
just lots Yes he knew just how it would all be-
Silently the little white gowned figure slipped out of
the and across the hail. past the shadowy palms
dim light to the wide stairs. Still silently
he stole downward the little bare feet cngng to the
polished surface he crept down step by STEP he
peered thru the bansters down the wide hall to the back
parlor door,
Down the long flight, under the red lamp with the
iron Sides thru the hall he passed. and paused in the door
way, white hand the casing, watching them;
grandpa side of the great lamp reading his
per- grandma the other bending her knitting
She humming hymn, and suddenly knew he was
there and looked up and grandpa Looking over his paper
frowningly inquired, 'Wha's the matters' Just if
anything the matter but grandma Rugged him up
close and loved him, almost good as mama did.
- He was tired Of being cuddled now and wanted to
around Things lots different than they
in the day, and lots nicer too The rugs were so soft
tnere were n1ceSI
in there the big curtain with gold threads that
ssparked' you touched it quick and there
polar bear rug. Couldn't he curl up it just be,
fore he went back to beds E =" -"
= Again grandma tucked the about him with
infinite and stopping kissed him goodnight.
Yes he said he knew grandma only downstairs, and
he WASH bit afraid he had been thirsty that all.
NO. he didn u want drink So she kissed the
lips again and went into the hall and down the stairs
But ere she had reached the bottom STEP two eyeids
slipped down two blue eyes, and David launched
"a tiny boat-on the Of dreams. &=.% :-><
- = = -zas. - - - ~. David T. Workman
School of the Museum of Fine Arts Gopey Square, Bos
ton, Mass. ..~. = ~
Howard Lake High School,
- Glass of 1908. - 81
MY FIRST VISITOR.
Her Alice May Moriarty and her merry,