Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-01-17

to move forward. TO become distinct
shape. Ana presently one could dis
Germ the rude outlines of a human fig
IRE bowed beneath a heavy burden.
Nearer and nearer 1t came and now
there could be no mistake. 1t was the
old negro with his backload of can
teens.
The boy waved his hand and tried
to shout. 1t seemed an eternity be
fore the old man saw him and hurried
forward
Dat yo Massa," he mumbled Use
been a-lookin' TO yo'. Pears lax
couldn' DIES recomember which uns
wuz 70, ennyhow. Heah's yo watah"
He fumbled among the canteens and
finally lowered one. The boy drank
eagerly and while he was yet drinking
the negro moved on.
And now the star shine was the only
light ON the battle field. The sweet
spring night had settled noiselessly
down and the wind blowing lightly
across the water brought faint, cool,
delicious odors from the fresh mead
ows beyond. The boy lay with face
upturned to the sky across which the
milky way trailed its tilmy length. He
had been trying to count the stars one
by one but the effort had made him
drowsy and he now lay In gentle
languor that was neither sleeping nor
waking
The day with its exciting scenes
had faded from his mind He saw
only the rugged mountains of Yer
mont, and the pretty white village
nesting in the valley through which
the wild little river hurried on Its
way TO the sea. Always splashing,
foaming, bubbling, and yet the boys
knew of many a good swimming hole
| overhanging willows. And the long
quiet street where the old men and
children gathered in the cool of the
| day, and the brown school house with
| its rosy-cheeked mistress and flock OF
untidy lads and lasses. And the
church with its dim, cool interior, and
| the leaf shadows which the naples
east through the blinds upon the floor
| and his mothers house, with the orch
| ard and Well sweep, and his mother
herself with her pure pale face and
silken brown hair lightly sprinkled
| with gray. Poor mother, how lonely
! she must be tonight without her boy
! He could see her as of old sitting In
| her little low chair with the shaded
lamp upon the table beside her and
| the Bible open in her lap. And Edith
his bright. tall sister whom he haC
| always thought more beautiful thar
any one he had ever seen, she woult
be kneeling at the window with hei
folded arms upon the low broad sill
and her head upon her arms, gazint
out into the night and thinking Of him
Now the years swing suddenly back
ward and he was a little child again
| at home, The late northern sprini
time filled all the river valley ant
the orchards were laden with fragran
bloom. Under the great apple tree b.
the old well sweep he was being swuni
| by Edith. How delicious II all was
the sweet, liquid sunshine, the per
fume of the apple blossoms, th'
weightless white petals drifting dowr
upon his head, the free, swift motion
of the swing and his tall, strong sis
ter with her laughing brown eyes anC
bright rebelIous hair. How green th'
| grass was-no, Is and the skies how
blue. Just look. Edith, there is neyel
the filmiest rag of cloud TO mar theii
perfcctness Now higher higher
higher still. straight up among the
boughs where the brown bees are hum
ming All, he can go no higher, III
is sinking earthward slowly slowly
slowly He shuts his eyes. His sis
ter's gay laugh rings in his ears.
Edith ~ he cried, 80. Mother :" 49,.
And the star shine falls tenderly upon
his young dead face.