Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-08-24
What Raynon Saw

were wonderful Aunty would sit
there and sew or read while Raynon
made great discoveries. There was
a big round castle with so many little
people in it. Raynon asked aunty
where they all slept. Their home
didn't seem big enough for them all.
Aunty said that they had galleries I'M
der the ground. She showed Raynon
tiny houses which were just like the
castles on the hill, only that was
many. many times larger. The gal
leries, she said, opened into long pas
just like hotel.
On the castle there was huge
dome, built of yellow and brown
stones and plasters, with now and
then a block of beautiful, shiny black
or white. There were many round
doors and windows set with such love-
ly rock jewels and plaster ornaments.
With aunty's glass they looked like
diamonds and topaz and yellow pearls
and pink something's and shiny black
stones different from anything that
Raynon had ever seen. The plasters
were in such odd, pretty shapes. The
easements were broad and sloped a
little to the open entrance, and some
times, when Raynon was looking at
,hem with her glass, little friend
would appear with jolly round head
and bright eyes.
Raynon would put her finger under
the doorway and he would come right
into her hand He was SO quick in his
movements that she had to be spry
to keep him out of her sleeve She
would take a long twig and by chang.
ing it from one hand to the other she
could keep him on it and watch him.
When he reached the end he would
try so hard to get off, feeling out into
the air for another road to travel. He
couldn't seem to see far in the light.
She supposed being so much in the
dark underground places made the
light binding to him.
One day she put him down and fol-
lowed him with the glass to see what
he would do. He went very fast over
great stone desert, stopping now
and again to investigate a curious
curly bit of lichen or climbing COB
let-shaped monument with its red
jewelled top. After looking for some
time from one Of these, he climbed
down and again started off faster
than before.
Raynon wondered if he had spied
or smelled something he wanted. He
kept sturdily on for what were prob.
ably hours of his time and miles of
his distance, and at last he came to a
beautiful forest. On the ground we're
luscious red and yellow plants that
he seemed to taste as if they were
very good and under the glass they
certainly looked delicious to Raynon.
All about were the trunks Of tall
trees, almost transparent. with a
sunny light in their very heart cen.
/, tiers. They were soft and smooth as
satin, but thick, though Raynon could
almost see the sap.
| Her little friend rested here awhile
and looked about him. Far, far above
+, his head the great trees were topped
with marvellous foliage, keeping of
the sun, but filling the forest aisles
with radiance instead of gloom. The
tree trops were of milky white, al
most star-staped in form, the edges
touched with blue fro mthe sky, and
the centers with sunny yellow. Hun.
dreds and hundreds of these trees
spread in vast forest about him and
he seemed to feel and enjoy their fra
grant shelter. Raynon could imagine
how welcome 1t was after the long
hard toll owe rthe barren rock in the
burning sun.
| At last the traveller started off to
explore and worked his way far into
the forest depths. Raynon kept push
ing aside the tree tops to watch his
course, but she was very careful to
shade him from the hot sun. Sud
denly he stopped and, raising his
head, either shifted or listened, then
turned and hurried in another direc'
ton; and there he found a wounded
brother. They seemed so glad to be
together. Raynon thought they kissed
each other. Then the most interest.
ing thing happened. Raynon's friend
started to carry his brother Slowly
they passed out Of the forest shade
Then friends Joined them and helped
In relays they carried him tenderly
| &c