The Benson signal., 1916-05-27

A.
EANM&N his barn door one morn
~ ing in May. Already the
cherry blossoms were
sending down their white shower of
petals.
In the opposite corner of the barn
door sat the chairman of the select
men of the village. He had just paid
Reuben what the farmer considered a
wonderful compliment
"Of course" said Reuben, II expect
to be present at the exercises that day.
'Tain't often this town has centen-
NAL, and amt likely to see another"
smiling whimsically. when l heerd
the Guv-nor was comm was more'n
anxious to go, cause he's got name
like an old friend of mine-nicest boy
you ever see-shot way back in '64 in
a skirmish-same night got this hole
In my leg. l kinder think the Gov'nOr
may be some kin of his'n. Maybe I'll
have a chance to get speech with
him"
Sure you will. We don't care for
oratOry, Mr.. Henshaw. We want plain
facts, and you'll give us those. Good
morning.
Long after Mr.. Whitney's top buggy
had disappeared over the crest of the
hill, Reuben sat in the barn door and
unused. In Imagination he was back
in the autumn morning long ago, when
the fifteen volunteers of the little vii
lage marched away. How gay they
were, or pretended to be! The maple
trees had spread Haunting carpet Of
scarlet and gold for their feet. The
leaves rustled merrily as they march
ed heads up, faces front. The girls
waved and cheered, but the mothers
knew and hid their faces. He could
see his mothers white face now. We
smiled, as he recalled Samantha's face
that morning, round and rosy, with a
wealth of curls On either side, and
blue eyes meeting his eyes shyly She
had pressed a small package in his
hand when he went to say good-by the
evening before. He waved his thanks
as he passed her in the crowd Dear
little daguerreotype! he had 1t still,
faded but beautiful to him. He must
go and tell her about Mr.. Whitney's
compliment. She would be glad to
know. Samantha was always glad
when honors came to him.
AS he reached the kitchen door, Sa-
mantha came down the steps to help
him. Putting her hand under his arm
she said:
why, father, didn't know but I'd
have to come and get you Thought
you'd fallen asleep"
II was dreamin', ma, but / wasn't
asleep. ] was way back in war time.
Al Whitney was here this mornin' to
get me to make speech at the Cen
tennial. "A Tribute to Our Boys of
81 he said was to call It, But
amt goin' to put no such high-dyin'
title as that on it. If they want an
account of how our boys fit and suf-
fered and died. can give it."
That's so, father; no one can do it
better But won't you be afraid talzin'
to the Guvnor and so many folks?"
Reuben laughed softly. Nov,
mother! the Guv-nor amt day older
than our little Tom would have been.
And just like s not Tom would have
been Guv'nor if he had have lived.
No | amt mite scared
Joe, the hired man. had double work
for several days after Mr.. Whitney's
visit; for Reuben spent many hours at
the old desk in the sitting-room. writ
ing his ruscript Iaboriously.
At last the great day dawned, bright
and clear. Preparations had been 60
ing on for several days in the village
The hotel and post Office were gor-
geous in flags and bunting. Flags
hoated from many house windows. At
one end of the common huge tent
had been erected, and there the speak
ers would face the assemblage An or
gan had been placed in front Of the
rostrum, and choir of village boys
and girls drilled for the occasion. The
band from Upper Hallam had volun-
teered their services. In front of the
hotel was placed dining-tent to &C.
commodate the overflow. The village
was astir early, and long before ten
o'clock, the hour set for the exercises
to begin. the church sheds were filled
with horses, carriages, express wag-
ons and farm wagons, while long
line of nondescript vehicles, with Of
ten Indifferent locomotive power, lined
the fences. Purveyors of badges and
postal cards wandered up and down
and the toy balloon man arrived early.
The entire township had poured its
full measure OF enthusiasm into the
village; and in the home gatherings
were brought together for the first
time sons and daughters who had