Evening star., 1914-07-15
LITTLE CHILD, MOUND,
IN THE MIDST Of TREES
Absence Of Father Among Mysteries
Over Which Wee Maid
Ponders.
Carries Food to Him, and That
Leads to a Most Startling
Revelation.

There is a park in the vicinity Of WASH
ington Of almost infinite width and
breadth, in comparison with the smaller
suburbs Of the city. Its green stretches
seem to go for miles in all directions, cut
here and there by the we'll kept roads
that bisect 1t. Dotted far and wide are
substantial. pretty houses.
The roads are filed in tho evenings
with hurrying automobiles: the homes
contain happy people. Little children run
about on the green lawns. The sky is
blue as 1t can be out there in the park
1t looks to be as innocent as nature can
make 1t.
But nature plays many strange tricks.
as witness the tale Of little Violet and
her playmates. Who would imagine, for
instance, going down one OF those beau
tiful roads. under the arched green trees.
that not a hundred yards from where
the carriage or automobile rolls is a new
made grave?
Doesn't Know Father Is Dead.
But there it is. with tombstone at head
and foot, with flowers usually heaped
upon 1t. Here is buried little Violet's
father. He died early in the spring.
Violet. being but four years old. was un-
aware that her father was dead. and to
this hour is still in ignorance OF the fact.
1t was never explained to her what that
green mound meant. She was not old
enough to understand. her folks said.
Violet knew her father was there. but
she did not connect the grave and her
father as one. in some mysterious manner
which a happy nature has saved Tor her
children-her real children.
W in1a r1yift n
..bobbed" head, know of death and the
grave? Her father had gone away: her
father would be hungry and need some
thing while he was away, she knew: her
father was somewhere around the little
green hill. So she took her father food
every day.
Estate a Large One.
The family estate in the suburb is
a large one. Down slopins hill lies the
grave, hidden from the house by pair
of large trees. Hero every day Violet
took her father food in a little china
bowl. Her mother humored the chid' al
lowing her to make her daily trip.
At first she was accompanied by some
older person, but finally this escort was
given up and the child allowed to make
her way alone to the place behind the
two trees. There was no one TO moiest
her. they thought.
There was no one to modest her. Inc
sun shone above. little singing insects
hummed in the grass beneath her feet
when she went to bring her father food.
The folks at home knew she put IT on
the grave; they knew she brought the
bowl home empty each day
One day Violet came back from her
trip to the grave smiling. as was her
happy nature. Her mother watched ner
running up the path to .he house. In the
mother eyes she was like ray of the
sun come down to walk the eartn
Talks of 'Pretty Things"
She came up the steps
pretty things" she laughed. Pretty
things
What are pretty things. dear?" asked
her mother.
But Pretty things. pretty things was
all she would say
The next day her brother and mother
determined to follow her to the grave.
to see for themselves what the pretty
things might be. Flowers. most prob
ably. they thought. but 1t was best to be
sure. So they followed her.
Down the path the child hurried, as
fast as she could without spillin8 the con-
tents of her china bowl. 1t was a blue
edged bowl, and filled with food for
father. She hurried on
The two trees hid her from her mother
and brother, but they heard her bubbling
laugh of happy childhood
Pretty things" they heard her say.
They hastened their steps and emerged
into the space between the two trees.
There Law the grave Over it the arched
branches of the trees hung low. sweep
ing the ground on either side. while the