The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1913-01-10
By
John WhitcOmb

busv i'm his mifd anu ~ IT,, dear children
Each word and syllable VI ~ hoart and done its
talk had found its way 10 nls n0' never had been
work within. sweeteT S''"'
spoken g.. ,,t,,r;ot,sly as man need
- SOC il The early morning p'eeSe ,ih If
",'n l:r ,,ns came loaded with the uies'r
tros, fo,yers birds caroed merrliy Ito"t 81, IN
~ I'LL. ,rccs the insect world Drohe ~ 1iror
orc Great universal symphony, me NIUE ,d ,bsn
,;nnIcd chcerilv past the wooded lslahu' di,u I'D
,lio I'm came gently over the mountains I'os
81 ~, Gorgeous rays rejecting the , Gew u,of
ICON, rrSr;ads of buds and blossoms. Ing noass
bold Of thc planter had just begun to sur uoss
sbool thcir shaggy. drowsy heads ana nes,o
rubbed their heavy eyes in apalhy; lnI Iat,;oe
ray. ~ morning light that stole through ia''''s
door and window found Florence sun S''N pR.,.a
little more light little more warmth h.ts
moro ,varbling of the birds without ana uI
cleaners ewes were opened Was 1t cream Vi
tho NIGHT. still towering about herr she saw heI
husband with their newborn infant III MS ans
10 laid il gently bv her side and bending SONY
over her as though she still had slept and ne
had feared to wake her kissed her score OIL
times. called her darling wife, and wsheG net
and all beneath that roof happy long New leSI;
Blessed wife II seemed as though new WORM
had opened before her with iresh existence
and when he took her hand in his, and asked her
TO forgive him all the past to look only TO inc
future. rich in each others love- Florence could
not speak, but tears OF happiness, more eloquent
than words, told all she had TO tell
That was a busy, busting day Tor all the
household. As usual upon the first day OF the
year in that locality, the slaves crowded in alter
the morning meal with their simple gifts oil
"a 1
pineapples. and many other tropical fruits came
pouring in, as though all the corners OF the earth
had been robbed for the occasion. II some fairy,
reversing the story of Cinderella instead Of trans
forming fruit into carriages had converted all the
vehicles OF the land into fruit, there could hard
" have been greater abundance than was
hcapcd in the planters ample yeranda on that
morning
Every one perceived how changed was the
manner and tone Of the master, and many were
astounded to see how he worked at something
that was evidently in preparation. Under va
rious pretenses, he contrycd to dispatch the
children upon errands all the day then the din.
ner hour came, and then evening and then they
were told TO prepare for the New Years fete. As
the whole family walked down the avenue OF
palms and rose apples towards the bridge, one
lone exclamation OF wonder and delight burst
from the childrcns lips. Pretty iestoons OF
bright green leaves and blossoms Of many coors
dropped across their path from tree to tree at
intervals hung, swinging in mdair small cocoa
nut lanterns further on. at each end of the
bridge, was an arch of cycrgrccns and fruit:
while midway between them stood the very al
tar that Rose had the evening before wished lo
sec there and stranger STILL upon its summit lav
turning like some Sacriiicial monster, the idcnl-
cal canoe the dctcstablc canoe, that had so often
robbed them Of their dear papa
Wonder seemed never ending upon that e,cnt-
iul evening Well might the children feel as
tonlshed al all they saw, and ask inwardly If il
were not dream. Why, there was the little
mound ON which Rose and Edward had stood tbo
previous night deckcd and ornamented as they
""u '',ueu 100 their play! Some wizard OF the
WOOD, .dd transformed the simple spot 10 a
.Ss',c ,Iohc NhIc. stranger STILL there was
inc identical bower by Us side that Rose had ,,,,
lurcd IN her mind iull Of an sorts Of rctr.sb
lnent,. here too, were the horn-plavers ami
The bund old negro harper And as tbc n,r,,. Wv,
preached from the bridge. surveying al r,i.
WORK ol lairyland. the bras, and ,trpecd ,,n';,,
welcomed them with such a voluntary ss a,,;,o
'ook away the chlldrcns breath 9'''~
~ would need some time to relate .,,- t.if r
What occurred on that joyful evening b,,, 49,.
lenture TO tell how happily everything 80. "o
~ no" old lerrc was made free man r' ia,
.'c goat was decorated bv Roses hand ,,;, ~"
new garland OF ribbons and flowers. ,rd Ii Ln..'
~ INC very midst OF some intricate niecc ' ~ now'
ing hru'u' insisted on joining in ,be s,,r ~ uSn.-
80 PPTs UP many vigorous dancer b, ,hc fous
:" MS noIns and utterly pcrplexng and bov v liz
,eEo, every Kind Of dance figure thai tV%ue,
island , 1s, o. The guests had DISAPPEARED the ,a.
i,Su was once more quiet. and 5gsir S,' l1'e
bn t"I brightly upon leaves and ogiycri NC moon
hui ms night two walked there How 's grass
ow nappy did their heart, bea, tbcr T'sieaLy
wbis6,rc ,io ~, toward their home the n,r,cy
thing l.i IN, ~ 9l' vic that there was vct a ~.
lie Raj ny s"io,a which he would break ~ b Se
MARRIED e e, Ione SO earlier lest it should bs ,r
man 80, pressure Of the day lie was r,,; ;aoS