Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-02-10

Seesaw, and we need no whip,
Nor spur nor rein to guide;
The coast is clear for Jolly trip
The way is cool and wide.
Toss me low and I'll toss you high.
& Dip to the earth. I'll mount to the
sky
So on our journey, merrily,
We ride, ride ride!
Nancy Byrd Turner In st. Nicholas.
END OF THE RAINBOW.
On his way to the big room at the
top of the house where the little boys
slept, Bobby happened to glance out
of the window, and cried out at the
sight OF a brilliant arch spanning the
sky. His exclamation brought to his
side rosycheeked Norah, who was
passing through the hail.
cts rainbow, alanna," she said
wistfully. 'If you could get to the
fut of that rainbow. 1navourneen,
you'd find what you wanted most Of
anything In the world"
Bobby went to bed while the sun
was still shining. At bedtime he
wanted mamma worse than at any
other time.
But tonight he hardly thought Of
the coming terror. OF darkness, and,
almost for the first time since mamma
had gone away, he did not quietly
cry himself to sleep with his head un-
der the Rehabilitation here when
little boys cried there was no one to
cuddle them up close and comfort
them. He knew what he wanted
most Of anything in the world, and
he knew the foot OF the rainbow was
down in the field by the creek
where the little boys had gone pick
nicking once-and In the morning he
would go there and find mamma.
In the morning. as soon as he was
out Of bed, he ran to the window and
peeped out under the shade. But there
|, was no rainbow, and In his amaze
ment he caught at the window shade.
which made 1t fly right up to the top
with Jerk, and the cross woman who
helped the little boys to dress pulled
him away, and wondered why he
wanted to give her so much trouble.
Bobby could hardly eat his por-
ridge and milk. until the thought
came to him that one couldn't see
so very much OF the sky out of ii
window. But out in the playground,
he still could see nothing but blue
sky and more little white clouds.
The rainbow had gone away while
he was asleep, and now he would not
know where to look for mamma.
Every day after that he looked up
at the sky. But the rainbow did
not come back. Bobby would have lik-
ed to ask Norah where rainbows went
Tito, hut Norah worked in the kitchen
band he seldom saw her. ;ai
And then, just as his hope Of find
ing mamma was beginning to fade.
the rainbow came back Bobby had
not been thinking much of 1t Just
then. The little boys had been hav-,
ing grand game OF soldiers. Bobby
marching proudly at the head Of the
procession carrying the flag. When
1t started to rain suddenly and the
soldiers scurried for shelter, all at
once he saw the rainbow, clear
across the sky, its foot in the field
by the creek, Just where 1t had been
before. The door in the big gate was
open. Dropping his flag, Bobby ran
out and down the road as fast as
he could go. He forgot that the lit
tie boys were forbidden to 90 out.
side the gates alone; he forgot his
mortal terror of the COWS feeding
along the side OF the road-he forgot
teverything, except that, at the foot
OF the rainbow, he would find mamma.
He came to the little creek span.
ming the bridge at last, spent, out
gnf breath, mud-splashed from the
wet dust OF the road. One glance
showed him that the field was empty.
And the rainbow, now scarcely to be
seen, seemed as far of. as ever. Bob
by began to cry. But he continued
Ito run on as fast as his breathless
little body would let him. calling,
''mamma, mamma" in high voice.
He came presently to high iron
fence. Through the bars Bobby saw
green grass and gravel walks and
flower beds, like those in the park
where mamma used to take him on
Sundays, but at the ends Of nearly
all the flower beds were white stones
OF varying shapes and sizes, which
Bobby did not remember to have
seen In the park. Bobby went In
side, and after a moments hesitat-
ing glance, darted forward joyously
For beside one Of the littlest flower
beds stood mamma.
Mamma" he cried.
She turned at that Joyous cry. but
Bobby stopped. Mamma had never
looked like this-all In black, with
something black falling ON her face
and hiding 1t. But when she threw
/ it back and he caught glimpse Of
bright hair, Bobby knew that 1t was
mamma.
Il had to run so fast. for 'fraid
you'd go away" he said pantingly.
ooh, mamma, wanted you SO bad"
She kneeled down in the damp
| grass and put her arms about him
and looked at him with such strange
inteneness that again Bobby grew
troubled at her unlikeness to the
| mamma he remembered. She was
crying. and mamma had always been
laughing. He tried to draw back, but
her arms frightened about him and
she drew him to her, holding him
| against her breast so tightly that he
could scarcely breathe. And then
Bobby grew suddenly comforted. for
/ just before she had gone away to
heaven mamma had held him like
this.
"His hair. his eyes. it is my own
boy whom God has sent back tofme,"
she murmured. and held him tight.
Over her shoulder Bobby looked up
at the sky. The rainbow had quite
1 gone, but both had found what they
wanted most in all the world-Bob.
| h, ,nokhnr'c 1nva. tho wouou&o