American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1919-01-03

- AAaA1 80
cry broke from my lips, and / sank
down upon the grass moaning n
sObbing. / lay amidst the ruins OF
the simple faith of childhood. 1t was
MS If the world and all its joys had
come to an end.
Aunt Deel spoke In a low, kindly
tone and came and lifted me to my
feet very tenderly.
"Come. Bart, don't sfeel so about
that old melon" said she, sit amt
worth it. Come with me. I'm going
10 give you a present-ayes 1 be|
L was still crying when she took
me to her trunk, and offered the
grateful assuagement of candy n
n belt, all embroidered with blue and
white beads.
"Now you see, Bart, how low and
mean anybody Is that takes h
don't belong to 'em-ayesl They're
snakesl Everybody hates 'em an
stamps on 'em when they come In
sight-ayesl"
The a~bomlnatlon of the Lord was
in her look and manner. How 1t
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 1t
was-faith In the goodness OF men.
My eyes had seen evil. The world
had committed It's first offense against
me and my spirit was no longer the
white and beautiful thing 1t had been.
Still, therein Is the beginning Of Wis
-. - I..Itnaw luxty,, tho InnU ufGtn
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
| have vainly tried to estimate. For
one thing hat sudden revelation OF
the heart of childhood had lifted my
aunt's out of the cold storage of a
puritanic spirit, and warmed 1t Into
new life and opened its 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
a year older than /. While playing
there / discovered a piece Of the
rind OF my melon In the d%ooryard. On
that piece of rlnd l saw the cross
which l had made n day with my
thumb-nail. 1t was intended to In
dicate that the melon was solely and
. wholly mine. 1 felt a flush Of anger
= 81 hate you" I said as l approached
= him.
IA "I hate you" he answered.
you're a snakel !" I said
We now stood, face to face ant
: breast to breast, like a'pair Of younl
: ROSTERS. He gave me a shove ant
told me to go home. L gave him
shove and told him J. wouldn't.
pushed up close to him again ant
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
u upon each other and rolled on tn
~ ground and hit and scratched wit
~ feline ferOcity.
~ Mrs. Wills ran out of the house an
parted us. Our blood was hot, an
y leaking through the skin of our face
~ Il little.
y "He pitched on me-" Henry e1
- planned.
/ couldn't speak.
eco right home-this minute-yo
ct brat" said Mrs. Willis in anger
" Heres your tea. Don't you ever CON
here again."
AZ 1 took the tea and started down II
III road weeping. What n bitter ia
/ that was for mel l dreaded TO fac
ne my aunt and uncle. Coming throuG
the grove down by our gate | mn
IN Uncle Peabody. With the keen i
ne sight of the father of he prodigal sc
he had seen me coming "a long wa
as off, and shouted:
u swell, here we be- was kind
worried, Bub."
de. Then his eye caught the look of d
lection in my gait and figure. He hu
lu- ried toward me. lie stopped as
came sobhing to his feet.
TN "Why, what's the matter2" he ask
he gently, as he took the tea cup fso
te- my hand, and sat down upon his hee'