The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1907-05-10

ing l had been thinking Of spring. Are
there not days of snow when without
reason spring is in ones thought?
I am wont to call this secret pres
ence the little spring.
THE little spring." I said. "She
knows. She stays even when everyone
supposes that she has forgotten"
Then Peleas came in, and the win
try sun touched his white hair as 1t
touched mine, for we are both 70.
"Ettare," said Peleas, Nicola has q
friend who is i'll in the hospital. She
has gone to see her and she has got
in her place for to-day the most pathet-
ic little woman. She is down there
In the kitchen now making a salad"
Then her salads will be good" I
said. Haven't you often noticed how
the disappointments in life come out
In appetizing dishes or exquisite
n%eedlework or beautiful dispositions?"
"Ah, yes" said Peleas, but their
eyes never look any less sad. / wish
we could cheer her up. Her name is
Mary"
Presently 1 went down to the
Kitchen.
Mary" I said, what fresh, crisp
lettuce! I am glad to know that l was
right. l thought the world smelled of
spring this morning"
Spring, ma'am?" said Mary.
"Yes-spring," I said. March, April,
May. Surely, in spite Of the snow, you
have not forgotten?"
Mary smiled family, and sighed. So
many smiles are signs!
mo, ma'am," she said, Il have not
forgotten"
"At, no." / said, "one doesn't for
get. Mary, l pursued. IF it were
SPRING what would you rather do than
anything else?"
20, ma'am." said Mary.
For myself" said l, spring or win
ter, l wish-let us both wish-to be
nea to some one very, very dear"
ooh, ma'am," said Mary. "Yes'm."
"Ah we'll" said l as l left her, this,
l am persuaded, is a very special day.
And I know that spring is ONE
where about listening"
l went back upstairs smiling at the
pleas ant mystification in Mary's face.
In the upper hallway Peleas stood
with a workman.
"Ettare," said Peleas, this man says
something about water-pipes."
"Ah." said /, Ito be sure. The wa
ter pipes in the attic. Have you for
gotten the school play?"
II had" Peleas. confessed. 81 had.
This will be the nan to make the
fountain that Lisa wanted"
This will be the mani assent
ed. " and let us go up to the attic at
once"
Here Lisa and some of her butter
fly friends had begged leave to come
on a holiday, and pursue a most as.
tonishing course to which Peleas and
I had assented only after proper hest
tation. They wished to give her a
kind Of play, and they had selected our
attic for the simple eason that the
heroine Of the piece lived in an at.
tic chamber, all cobwebs and ~rafters,
and fell asleep and dreamed that she
was a princess by a fountain in a gar
den, and met there the prince waiting
for her. After which, she awoke and
found herself in the attic, fountain
and princess crown gone but the
prince was still there among the cob
webs and r~afters.
"It's nice and warm up here" he
said.
THAT" said !, smiling at my OWL
image in a dusty mirror, lis no doubt
because spring is in the world, in
spite of the snow"
It'll be a late spring, along O. the
almanacs," said the man, throwing
down his kit Of tools.
NONSENSE" said /, 1T will be an
early spring. l a tell by the way
the snow is piled!"
How dare any n prophesy a late
spring? Why should not everyone go
through the winter p~rophesying an
early spring, happy in the confidence
that the prophecy would lure on the
spring itself? Everyone ought at
least to understand that spring is
really in the world all winter long II
only one knew how to look for 1t.
1T will be an early spring." 1 re-
peated firmly. How can you help
thinking so when you q make the
spring wherever vol go-you, yourself.
] mean?"
The man looked startled.
Il, ma'am?" he asked.
Certainly" l cried, IF I could go
about all winter carrying a little tool
in my pocket which would make an
attic floor and a lead pipe blossom
into a fountain, / should not find 1t
hard to believe that I could make 1t
spring whenever l wished"
why, yes'm," he said. 1--WE thought
that myself sometimes"
Let us have" said l to the man,
this fountain of spring come up here,
between this old chest and the DOR
mer window. hope" ! added. that
this is a quick spring, because they
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