Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-13

NLD Truman banks, sexton OF the
village cemetery, charming man
as | remember him, once wrapped
a hairy arm about my neck, as we sat
near an unfinished grave, and told
me things calculated to discourage lament
you've lost your knife, have your" he
Well well, 'tain't no excuse for tears, boy
one of the joys of Twin to lose things, though
folks don't know it. I'm astonished to Sc
weepn', you bein' boy, pretty nigh man. V
a knife that anyone should mourn its loss?"
Mine was a bone handled one" l whim
with two whole blades and one busted one"
Mr.. banks was evidently taken aback. For
reason it seemed that he had not expected per
practical reply to his question. No true philos
does. Blessed be them that mourn!" he
whispered, after an interval. We'll, maybe; b
easy overdone" He winked at the grave, as if
was some pleasantly understood between him
Colors appear different in different lights.
There's no way of tellin blessing by its
looks. Twas just such day this thirty
years ago this month of June, when great
flood of water came down the valley yonder.'
I've heard my father tell of it," | said.
He came near bein drowned that day"
And then | went on under the stimulus of
an expression of establishment which showed
upon Mr. Dankss wrinkled, kindly old face.
my father was Twin here then with my
grandpa and grandma. Maybe it was my
father you meant when you told about
tllS DOy Will Gully Ildli WIZ neatly SOI
drowned | suggested. I've heard he was
a boy once"
Like as not twas, now" chuckled Mr..
banks, shifting his thigh. "'Twould have
been just like him, wouldn't it? Anyway,
the boy, whoever he was, was out on the
river in boat that day, fshin'. He shouldn't
have been there; but l reckon he saw the
boat, and just simply couldn't resist takin'
a voyage into deep water. And maybe there
was a man who wanted some nice gravel to
make driveway with, and he was gettin' it
on the river bank while the boy was fishin'
from the boat and probably he kept an eye
him, KNOWN that most anything
liable to happen under such circumstances.
Probably he was Just backin' his wagon down
for another load, when the waters come
swoopn' along like ten million starved cats
after fresh meat. The man hit his horses a
lick, probably, and they started for home
1icllety split, shakin' the box off the wagon at
the top of the high bank. Likely when he
got to the top of the bank the man turned to
look back. The boys boat had been dashed
into tree, and had gone on down the stream
bottom up, leavin' the boy hangin' to limb
OF the tree, his legs in the water to his knees,
and the water pullin and tuggin' to break
him loose
1T was my father" l cried exutantly
" know the story. He was hanging to a
limb of the tree, and he was almost ready
to drop into the water and be carried away
lifeless, when he was rescued by man in a
wagon box"
'FSho!" exclaimed Mr. banks. You don't
say
Yes, and when the man put his arm
around him to take him from the limb my
father tainted away, and when he got unfainted
he was lying upon the river bank with a GRO
young men and women around him, and he
found out who twas that saved his life"
Mr.. banks was silent for a moment staring
grave. Il suppose now he said musngly,
the man who rescued your pa just tied one en'
long rope to the wagon box and the other enc
tree, and then skinned off his clothes and t
long pole and pushed himself out to where 20
was danglin' and picked your pa off the limb.
l suppose he found, when he got back with 20