The Topeka state journal., 1919-07-26
STARS PEEPHOLES
Little Lad Has Unique Idea
About the Heavens.
Thinks God Looks at World
Thru the Moon.
CLOUDS BELONG TO The devil
Boy and Father Discuss Un-
known in Twilight.
Wonder Thru What Star
Mother Is Looking.
CLOUDS BELONG TO THE devil
BY F. F. LoNGENEcKER.

He was n pretty young chap but the
grace Of a young pagan, seemed his
natural heritage. Still there was an
air about him that suggested deeper
| attraction than his physical aspect
1t was in the late dusk OF a summer
/ evening He walked up the steps OF
! the porch to sit down for a quiet chat
with his father who was alone in the
swing.
They talked Of many things in the
| deepening shadows of the twilight.
The father retained a lot OF the boy
in his mental makeup. He was in
complete harmony with the lad. He
had an entire sympathy and complete
understanding for the simple, direct
logic of boyhood. He understood its
joys and disappointments; he compre-
hended the ambitions and fears and
the gradual lifting of the rosy clouds
Of illusion.
one gathered from occasional alIu-
sions. softly spoken, in tones of hun
cry aloneness that made them cling
the closer to each other, that the
mother was dead. 1t was true. She
had been dead for several years. Still
cold evenings OF winter and still again
on soft summer nights when the
thought must find expression.
How Lad Reasoned.
4 thought so beautiful; so exquisite
in its sheer artistry of vivid imagina-
ton as to achieve conception only in
the mind OF chill struggled for ex-
preston in the boys mind.
During a period of many minutes
of absolute silence on the part of
both several times the lads lips
quivered around an open mouth but
a recurring hesitation on liability to
frame his thought to suit him held his
voice chained.
Finally. Did you ever think, Dad"
he said, his eyes high in the heavens
among the stars that had increased
in brilliancy with the heightening
gloom that the stars in the heavens
were little peek holes? All the angels
look out of them at night to see what
people are doing. Then there is the
moon. That is the place God looks
out. But He is mighty busy. He
looks out at our part of the world for
two weeks and then He goes around
and watches the other half of the
world. But He always leaves all the
angels that are related to people in
this part of the country to look out
of their little holes in the sky every
evening. So when He leaves things
in charge of the angels lots OF bad
things happen, for it is not so light
as when He is here. Isn't. that right,
Dad, isn't it?"
yes, son." was the reply.
''Then the clouds belong to the
black and dark, full of crime and bad
things. So he covers up all the little
holesl in the sky and there is no one
to watch. Most anything can happen
then
Shadows Growing Longer.
There was little spell of silence.
A fairly stiff breeze blew a rapid sue
cession of heavy clouds across the
moon. The flickering shadows of the
trees assumed alarmingly grotesque
shapes and danced back and forth
among the trees and shrubbery of
the yard in a weird dance of myriad
hobgoblins. It was fearsomely fasci-
mating to watch them and wonder
what they would do If they were real
ly alive playing around out there in
the yard under the trees. Uncon-
sciously the youngster moved little
closer to his dad.
The procession of clouds ceased
after a time. The wild, storming
gusts of wind died out to an occa-
sonal murmur of a gentle breeze
again. The stars were again promi-
nent. This time It was on the milky
way that the young chap centered his
attention.
There is a whole pathway of lit
tie stars up there" he said, they are
so little and jammed up so close to-
gether they haven't any room at all.
Do you spoSe they belong to all the
little children who have died?"
Perhaps" the father returned. I
never thought Of 1t that way. but,
after all, you must be right. There is
no reason why children should not
have their stars If grown up people
have them"
The boy became weary of the talk
after a time. His body relaxed after
a while. Soon he was sound asleep and
I ~
fathers knee He dreamed of a search
thru the heavens for a star-hiS
mothers star.
The man looked long, searchingly
thru the sky. A heavy. hungry sigh
ending up in a choking sob escaped
him. This is the only star 1 have
now" he murmured as he picked up
the boy and carried him into the
house.