The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-06-07

| thing like you can walk away out TO
that cemetery! No, indeed; you can't
do any such thing. And you mustn't
tease me about any flowers today
either. Your mother Is getting along
all right, and I'll have her up in a
chair by another week; but she can't
be bothered with a thing as yet"
Tommy's dimpled chin quivered.
and evidently he wished to protest:
but the voice of the nurse went stead
lily on, without giving him a chance.
Now. Tommy, you've been a real
good boy, and I know you've had a
hard time of 1t; but you Just be pa
tent few days longer. and your
father will he home from England,
and your mother sitting up In her
pretty pink wrapper. a-smiling at
both of you. Now you run along"
she added. as she saw that Tammy's
/ face frightened involuntarllY at the
| prospect.
But the sunshine died out of his
eyes again as she turned away. Tru-
| ~, 1t was hard luck that ne must
| spend Memorial day lonesomely at
home, when his grandfather had been
an officer in the Civil War; and he
could never remember a single Me-
mortal day before in his whole life
I when his father ana mother had not
taken him to the cemetery to see
the flag placed on the grave and to
help heap the place with lovely flow
ers
In April, Tommys father had been
called unexpectedly to England on
business and. before the cablegram
announcing his safe arrival had been
received, his mother was taken sud
denly Ill. She would not allow q word
about 1t to be cabled across the ocean,
and the doctor agreed that there was
no need of alarming anybody. He
| wrote to Mr.. Adams, himself, assur-
Ing him that his wife would be in
the best of care and that nobody
was to be uneasy. Tommy was glad
his mother was better. glad. too, that
his father would be home in a week
more: but the two weeks of her III
ness had been hard for h.m.-Tha
house had to be kept quiet, mothers
room was a forbidden place except
for half an hour morning and even
ing. the new maid could speak hard
ly a word OF English, and only Katie.
the cook, seemed really familiar and
honey.
All that was bad enough, and to
have no Memorial day WAS worse. He
wandered despondently over to the
church, where ladies were sorting
ituNSaS IN lIS SCGl LdhiGS with jIiIl
the few flowers which his own gar
den had yielded. Two or three la
dies inquired for his mother; hut
they were all too busy to take much
notice OF him, and his sat down on
the edge OF the platform. wondering
what to do next
"Oh. dear" said one lady, after a
while. 1--WE shall not have nearly
enough. The season Is late; and the
rains have beaten the bushes, sq
that 1t is perfectly pitiful.''
Don't you wish Mr.. Wilson would
give us the run of his greenhouse
for once z" asked pretty young la
dy, sprinkling a basket of flowers
that were already beginning to fade.
Yes. but we needn't think OF
that And we certainly have no.
money to buy flowers. If we send
those extra carriages for the old SOL
diers. But we have not enough"
Tommy was struck with d.smay.
Not enough flowers to go round! Then
his grandfather's grave might not
very other side OF the cemetery. where
the soldiers always went last. why,
1t wasn't to be endured. He rose
and walked away, impelled to go to
seek flowers somewhere.
You see, Tommy had a very deep
and sincere feeling about the good
OF Memorial day. Every year his
father had told him the story OF the
company that marched from Little
field in the early days OF the war.
He knew the names OF the men: he
had spelled out the inscriptions on
the Soldiers monument: he had talk
ed with those that remained: he had
touched the old flag which they
! brought back when the weary
marches and the terrible battles were
over; and his heart had been fired
with eager desire to be as brave and
true some day as his grandfather
had BEEN
Remember. Tommy" his father
used TO say. you ought never to have
TO fight for your country, as your
grandfather did; but every man who
| Is worth anything knows that he must
live for his country in one way or
another. and serve 1t honorably. He
| must care too much about his coun-
| trys honor to forget what others
! have done to save 1t or to be care
| less about his own part" Tommy
used to promise he would never for
| get
He could think of no way to get
| flowers now, unless he asked Mr..
Wilson for them. as the lady had said.
! w nat dlu Sne say ABOUT puNfhs some I:
1 Perhaps Mr.. Wilson would sell
some. Why yes. of course. Per-
/ haps he always sold them: for what
could any man do with all the flow
ers in that long greenhouse If he
kept them just for himself. and they
said he never gave them away?
| But he couldn't ask his mother for
money, and he had only ten cents
/ of his own. unless he took the gold
! dollar his father gave him when no
went away--~that dear little gold dol
| lar that he meant to save at least I'M
| til Christmas. But then, this was
| Memorial day!
So Tommy ran home as fast as ne
could, crept upstairs softly without
disturbing his mother or tho nurse.
and brought down the gold dollar
/ and the two five-cent pieces. AS he
| went through the back hall. Katie
/ called him into the kitchen.
| See tfie lovely custards I'm after
maxim for your supper. me darlint.
| And amt 1t good that your mother
| is getting better the day? And here's
| piece of maple sugar for you; and
| list hould on a minute, i've some
thing else for you under the cup on
! the table,