The Columbus journal., 1910-09-28

VI - Soss~sy Wv
Twas just about to get up and 60
home, bein' tired of that foolishness,
when I heard . little bird waking up
away off in the woods. and call sleepy
like to his mate, and I looked up and
see that Ruby was beginning to take
some interest in his business, and cit
down again. It vas the peek Of day.
Thelight came faint from the east, the
breezes bloved gentle and fresh, some
more birds walked up in the orchard,
then some more in the trees near the
house, and all begun singin' together.
People began to stir and the gal OPEN
ed the shutters. Just then the first
beam of the sun fell upon the blossoms
. lettle more, and it techt the roses on
the bushes, and the next thing it was
brod day; the sun fairly blazed, the
birds sung like they'd split their little
Threats; all the leaves was movin', and
flashin' diamonds of dew, and the
whole wide world va bright and
happy Is . king. Seemed to me like
there was . good breakfast in every
house in the land and not . sick child
or woman anywhere. 1t was . fine
mornin'.
And l says to my neighbor. THAT'S
music, that is!"
But he glared at me like he'd like
to cut my throat.
Presently the wind turned; it be-
gan to thicken up and . kind Of gray
mist came over things; got low.
spirited directly. Then silver rain
begun to fall. l could see the drops
tech the ground. some flashed up like
long pearl earrings and the rest rolled
away like round rubiea. 1t was pretty
but melancholy. Then the pearls
gathered themselves into long strands
and necklaces, and then they melted
into thin silver streams, runnin' gold.
en- gravels, and then the streams join.
ell each other at the bottom ofthe hill,
and made brook that flowed silent,
except that you could kinder see the
music, specially when the bushes On
the banks moved Is the music went
along down the valley. / could smell
the flowers in the meadow. But the
sun didn't shine, nor the birds sing; it
was . foggy day but not cold.
Then the sun went down, it got dark
the wind moaned and wept like lost
child for its dead mother and l could
"a got up then and there and pretched
a better sermon than any l ever listen.
ed to. There wasn't a thing in the
| world left to live for, not blame
thing, and yet I didn't want the music
| to stop one bit. 1t was happier to be
miserable than to be happy without
being miserable. l couldn't under.
stand it. I hung my head and pulled
out my handkerchief and blowed my
nose to keep me from cryin'. My
eyes is weak, anyway; didn't want
anybody to be a'gazin'at me a-snivlin'
and it's nobody's business what ! do
with my nose. It's mine. But some
several glared at me mad as blazes.
Then all of . sudden, old Ruben
changed his tune. He ripped out and
he raved, he tipped and he tare.l, he
pranced and be charged like the grand
entry ut . circus. 'Peared to me that
all the gas in the house was turned On
at once, things got so bright, and l hilt
up my head, ready to look any man
in the face, and not afraid Of nothin'
It was q circus and . brass hand, aud
. big ball all goin' on ut the same
time. He lit into them keys like a
thousand of brick; he gave 'em no
rest day or night; he set every Twin
joint in me a-goin'; and not bein' able
to stand it no longer. jumped. sPrang
onto my seat, and jest hollered:
"Go it, Rube!!"
Every blamed man. woman and
child In the house riz Oh me and
shouted, "Put him out! Put him QUIT
"Pnt your great-grandmother's griz.
zly.gray.greenish cat into the middle
of next month";" says "Tech me, If
you dare! paid my money. and you
just come a-nigh mel"
With that some several policemen
run up and ! had tn simmer down.
He had changed his tune again. He
bop.light ladies and tiptoed fine from
end to end ofthe keyboard. He play
ed soft and low and solemn. l heard
the church bells over the hills. The
candles of heaven was lit, one by one;
saw the stars rise. The great organ
of eternity began to play from the