The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1907-03-07
Her Little
Brown Boy
BY L. q. MOberfy
Copyright. by Joseph b. Bowles)

life. He scarcely took his eyes OH |
the soldiers and horses. and each ma
neuver in turn he watched with alb |
sorbed interest.
my goodness!" he exclaimed
breathlessly, as the men and horses
went through each wonderful perform
ance. "1'll have to be soldier, moth
er. couldn't be anything else.
could II"
No sonny" shs answered softly:
and n she sighed, well, nobody no
ticed 1t; and If her eyes grew dim
with tears. no Cne saw them, because
t.ey were fixed on the little brown
boy, and his were glued TO the arena.
It happened that on the day when
his neither and he were at the mill
tary tournament, very great and dis
tinguished commander was also there.
He was so great a man that when the
audience realized his presence they
rose to their feet as one man, and
cheered him until the place rang with
Tie sound again ana again. The little
brown boy clambered upon his chair
IO Etl Il Ebbu NlfN vi NAt htips pA'
the eyes of the small, eager-faced boy
and the stalwart keenfaced man met
The little boy was waving his cap In
his small brown hands. and a smile
rippled over the great soldiers face
end a light sprang into his blue eyes
as he met those adoring brown ones
HE smiled at me, mother. | say
wasn't a lucky chap? My goodness!
Id like to shake hands with him:
only. of course. he wouldn't shake
hands with little chap hike me-
Wait bit, little brown boy, the time
may come!
A boy--like a cat-has nine lives,
/ fancy; and this boy, in spite of va
riety of accidents sufficiently alarming
to turn grey the hair of the most hard
ened mother, did escape with life and
limb. and grew from little brown
boy into a big one.
But though he altered in size, he re-
mained the same in nature-loylng,
tender-hoarted, straight and strong.
n boy TO make his mothers heart
swell with PRIDE very often.
His care for his little mother" as
he called her when he shot up to be
a head and shoulders taller than she
was as chivalrous and thoughtful as
ever, and | think that If she had eX.
pressed the least shadow Of dislike
TO his entering the army he would have
given up what was the ambition and
dream of his life--to be a great sol.
dier. But Mrs. Liddell had not been
a soldiers daughter and a soldiers
wife for nothing.
That is the way with mothers.
Theirs is the pain and the watching
and waiting. at home, whilst the en-
pire claims their darlings for its own!
This mother was like all the rest.
She quite counted the hours when
the order went forth that Denis Lid
dell was to join his regiment in
Egypt; and she went with him to
Southampton with smiling face and
a breaking heart. Her little brown
boy was all the world to her, and he
was going away, perhaps for ever!
a Wlue bITttC0 VI utStTI
Away. in the west the sun. a blood
red ball, was sinking TO rest IN a clear,
brilliant sky, throwing long, level
rays across the battlefield. The
famous charge was over, The battle
had ragged fiercely. On every hand
lay the dead and the dying, but the
fight above their heads did not cease.
In the midst OF the fiercest fighting
rode a hrown-faced boy, his eyes shin
ing, his lips set hard, his face grim
with the stern elation and excitement
OF this his first taste of war; and when
the great charge was over his features
relaxed a little, but his eyes shone
still
Suddenly voice beside him ex-
claimed Good heavens, where is
Renton? He was hit-iust now-back
: there-amongst those fends.
Good Heavens"
Without word or syllable the
brown-faced boy turned his horse He
looked at the ma7, whose words had
been spoken gaspingly, breathlessly
because of wound received in that
great onslaught. He leant little
from the saddle and touched the 9th
er mans hand, his eyes fiyed on the
white face, whore pain was already
carving deep lines.
I'm going back for Renton," he
said, quietly.
Great Heavens, mani It's sheer
impossibility. Why-Iiddell. it's rid
ing ack-into-hell-"
His lips were more tightly set thar
ever, but his brown eyes still shone
though verify II seemed as though hs
had ridden into hell itself. Evil-faced
Dervishes closed round him, the
groans of the dying, the cries OF the
wounded mingled In his ears with the
fierce shouts of the foe. cash across
the check sent the blood raining dowf
his face, binding him for a moment