The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-01-24
NJ I.awRENcE ALFRED CLAY.


tCopyrtEDt 1871, ny ASsoStSN@H
Literary Press
In the village where Major Lee,
retired on half pay, had taken up his
residence, il was generally argued by
the villagers that he was dictatorial
and without sentiment Moreover,
he was blunt-spoken and Kicker.
He had ran a regiment, and he tet
IL his duty to run the town. his
wife and his daughter Nellie We're
well liked. but the people kept clear
OF the major. He didn't carry a
loaded gun with him, hat he had a
very sarcastic tongue.
And yet underneath his blur. as his
own family knew, Major Lee had a
heart, and that heart was filled with
sentiment. - He had revealed it on
several occasions, and now the fam
Nv parrot had died, he was almost
In tears. That tiis. saa pr st,v'tfsss atr4Fe
endured the presence Of s'lua W KING
parrot fer a single hour was mat
ter OF astonishment outside the fam
lily. but he had endured her Tor three
years. That her death should bring
. look OF melancholy to his face
caused certain people TO think they
had done him injustice.
Poll was dead. She had been found
on her back beneath her perch, with
Of her Ii was a case of old age and
being too good. The major was the
one TO discover her iifeiess remains,
and for the frat time in fifteen years
he was so choked UP that he could
not eat his breakfast
Cad, but it's tough-it's tough"
be said to wife and daughter. We
had a mutual affection for each other
She would swear when ] told her to,
and shut up when / raised my finger.
Each of US had come to understand
the moods OF the other. She knew
when ! wanted To take my nap. and
knew when she wanted to take hers.
/ believe she thought OF me when
drawing her last breath"
But. papa, she was good deal or
a nuisance, after ALL" replied Miss
Nellie.
Not bit OF it--not a hit. Moth
Ing of the kind
but she swore at the minister and
called him names
THAT was just one OF her little
ways to keep things moving along
She didn't know she was swearing
She thought she was getting of d
joke OF some kind, and the minister
should have understood IL So"
Il don't think people liked to hear
z lfeT S3uh HhlhS.
Then, AS / told three or four OF
them. let them lump IT, There's
something wrong about people whC
don't like to hear the notes OF an In.
noceni bird. / can't bury her with
the hnnors of war. but she shall hay,
grave under the apple tree. and
then. daughter. | want you to write
on obituary on her. 1 want 1t In
Verse. and I'll send it to the village
paper to he published"
''But, papa, can't write poetry
protested the daughter.
Then teach yourself. You've go'
brains enough to grind out some
thing
The poor old bird was carried GU
and buried. and an hour later Miss
Nellie sat down to the obituary. Hel
father. gave her fifteen minutes ant
then asked If II was finished Al
often as every half hour he appeared
with suggestions and words tina
rfymed, and when the day had passed
without the poem being finished ht
more than limited that the Struggling
x pas+ess hadn't her heart in her work
Even when the tiTe-verse poem wa
placed In his hands, a day later, hi
insisted on such alterations that 4
could not he looked upon as a fin
ished product for two days more.
That obituary was inclosed with
tender hand 10 the village paper. 4
note from Major Lee accompanied II
lie requested that 1t be published II
the next issue. and In conspjcuou
place He didn't exactly assert tina
1t was gem OF a poem, but left tht
editor 10 find out Tor himself.
About the time poor Polly was do
ing the dying act the editor ant
owner Of the paper was twenty mile
away and saying 10 n friend and chun
in the city.
II hate 10 break into your vacation
Clarence. old man, hut I'm In a fix
4 Cot to go West to settle up an estate