The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-03-07
LiIa's Brother.

-arn with the rush OF sunshine and melOdiouS
Nth the hum Of bees and the voice of child sing
mo behind a row of cUrrant bushes. On a bit of
-een grass under creaking clothesline basket
= clothes and down at the foot of the clothespost
ben- form. a head bowed upon two hands, with
he face hidden by the palms. Around and around
oas the swinging line, the fresh morning breeze
ls away with the sheets already drying and still
the head is not lifted, and still the clothes within
.Bo basket wait
The singing back of the currant bushes ceases.
pair of blue eyes peer over the tracery of green,
md then form gdes forward and soft arms cir
le the head of the mourning one lovingly
IT wouldn't, Lila. You know it makes your
had ache so. just keep singing all the while, and
then the tears don't come. Try
The older girls head is quickly lifted and face
,ar-tained and flushed is exposed.
"Ir seems, Elsie, as though l could not hang
mt those waists OF Robin's-for the last time you
know: and week after week they've swung upon the
rne can't do it,"
The younger girl with arms still around the
ahers neck, looks off at the waiting basket.
Il would if | could only reach"
This her sister seems not to heed, but continues
holly:
And only last week he was sitting out on the
fence there with you all the time was at the lines
and once or twice [ looked over and thought what
pretty picture you two made, with the green
around you"
Yes said Elsie soothingly; adding, And it
almost seems as if he knew then. for he kept all
the while talking about-oh all sorts of things just
as he would, you know. And almost the last thing
before we got down he asked if / thought that when
God took folks to heaven he ever let them come
back again. and said he didn't believe he'd like 60
inc off and never coming back to help any more"
Lila's breath came with faint CULVER
And we thought he was going to prove such
help, being boy! How proud he was of that
Poor Robbie And what did you tell him, Elsie.
when he said that about going off and not coming
back again! Z"
II didn't know what to say cause you know,
Lila the doctor said weren't to help him think
about such things but help him not to think, be-
cause he thought too much; and | just turned
him off. the way you did, you know. and said l
guessed whatever way it was it'd be all right; and
that made him cOntented as could be. and he
heightened up as though he'd got something nice
and cried Why. of course! Whatever way God
fixes things. we know it's the very best way And
be slipped down and went running after the chick
ems, and didn't say another word about it,
While her little sister had been talking, the
older girls face lost something Of its hard express
SION but at the words of her little brother the face
frightened again, and with a long breath she arose,
slipping her sisters arms from off her, and turned
10 her waiting task.
The child seemed to think her mission ended,
and returned to the shady place where her doll rest
ed and the among the Tapping clothes was left
10 herself Resolutey she lifted the bingham
waist. with threads of blue checking it. and giving
n a hard, defiant snap, hung it straight upon the
lne pressing the pins down upon it close and hard,
just as her lips were pressing close and hard But
when She smoothed the dainty sleeve. and touched
the broad collar that she had so often laid back
from the little brothersdelicate throat her self
control gave way and with cry, Il can't, [ can't"
her face was again buried in her hands. and stand
ING there with the basket beside her she wept bit
ry, while the blue waist waived in the sunshine
as though to mock her grief
Its not the best way! It's not the best way"
lT heart cried out, rebelliously "He all
mad, Elsie, and I; and the only boy!"
Even after the remainder Of the waists were
sFinglng upon the line. and the basket empty,
Ias heart kept up the fight and echoed, at is not
The best way"
Day after day the cry echoed night after night;
and II was during these nights-often spent at her
open window, with the even breathing of her little
sister upon one side, and the hush of a summers
night upon the other-that the cry was loudest and
most defiant and hardest to silence.
Bur as the weeks went by and the tender green
9gan ~ creep up around the edge of the grave they
mad made. Lila's heart changed; no longer did it
'Eel continually upon the bitter things connected
WITH her brothers fitting, but sometimes the sweet
,iags cirrled around and laid hold upon her.
Bless him." she cred one night, as, leaning over
ne window sill, she raised her face to the starlit
heavens where the sweet earnest face seemed some
way eu.hrined. How fast he viii find out things
now And she laughed to think of the eager lit
brother then chided hirself for laughing But
'oueh She chided, the trace of the laugh touched
@ face and softened it.
After this it was easier for Lila to think sweet
thoughts of little Robins life in the Beyond. And
3nAlng. she forgot TO weep, forgot herself, and
1e bitterness Of her bereavement somewhat dripped
away from her: and thus began to creep in upon her
new life, to dawn hopes she had heretofore hardly
-.o cose-orly believed in generally. And finally,
until yr-,-E f.l foo lhrISt win
hons s''N'
must live close" she cried one night with
a-ed to the stars that seemed to answer her
g.l' here Is so much pressing in. ! cannot live
lnoui God that is near" And in the morning,
s,; The Hush lay upon the hills, the thought was
.I mere. Il must live close And when the dewy
1sNl came again, 1t was not gone