The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-04-26

He had no sooner said 1t than O
cry broke from my lips, and / sank
down upon the grass moaning and
sobbing. I lay amidst the ruins Of
the simple faith of childhood. 1t was
as If the world and all It's joys had
come to an end.
Aunt Deel spoke in q low, kindly
tone and came and lifted me to my
feet very tenderly.
"Come. Bart, don't feel so about
that old melon" said she, at aint
worth 1t. Come with me. I'm going
to give you a present--ayes I be"
I was still crying when she took
me to her trunk, and offered the
grateful assuagement of candy and
belt, all embroidered with blue and
white beads.
snow you see, Bart, how low and
mean anybody is that takes what
don't belong to 'em-ayeS! They're
snakes! Everybody hates 'em an
stamps on 'em when they come in
sight-ayes
The abomination of the Lord was
in her look and manner. How Ii
shook my soul! He who had taken
the watermelon had also taken from
me something I was never to have
again, and a very wonderful thing it
was-faith in the goodness Of men.
My eyes had seen evil. The world
had committed Its first offense against
me and my spirit was no longer the
white and beautiful thing it had been.
Still, therein is the beginning Of wis
dom and, looking down the long vista
Of the years, thank God for the
great harvest of the lost watermelon.
Better things had come In Its place
understanding and what more, often
l have vainly tried to estimate. For
one thing that sudden revelation Of
the heart of childhood had lifted my
aunt's out of the cold storage of a
puritanic spirit, and warmed it into
new life and opened it's door for me.
In the afternoon she sent me over
to Wills to borrow a little tea. l
| stopped for a few minutes to play
with Henry Wills-a boy not quite
year older than I. While playing
there I discovered a piece of the
rind of my melon In the dooryard. On
that piece of rlnd I saw the cross
which I had made one day with my
thumb-nail. 1t was intended to In
| I--daiieaftte that the melon was solely and
wholly mine. I felt flush OF anger.
II hate you" said as / approached
him.
II hate you" he answered.
| you're snake!" I said
| We now stood, face to face and
breast to breast, like pair Of young
ROSTERS. He gave me shove and
told me to go home. l gave him 9
shove and told him I wouldn't.
pushed up close to him again and
we glared into each others eyes.
Suddenly he spat in my face.
gave him a scratch on the forehead
with my fnger-nails. Then we fel
upon each other and rolled on the
ground and hit and scratched witt
feline ferocity.
Mrs. Wills ran out of the house ant
| parted us. Our blood was hot, ant
leaking through the skin of our faces
a little.
"He pitched on me-" Henry ex
| planned.
/
go right home-this minute-yot
brat! !" said Mrs. Willis in anger
Here's your tea. Don't you ever come
here again."
I took the tea and started down thu
road weeping. What bitter da.
that was for me! / dreaded to fac
my aunt and uncle. Coming through
the grove down by our gate l me
Uncle Peabody. With the keen In
sight of the father Of the prodigal sol
he had seen me coming "a long wa.
Off and shouted:
swell, here We bel was kind o
worried, Bub."
| Then his eye caught the look OF de
lection In my gait and figure. He hur
ried toward me. He stopped as
came sobbing to his feet.
"Why, what's the matter?" he aske'
gently, as he took the tea cup ffon
my hand, and sat down upon his heels