Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1921-01-20
MARVEL DAY
BY MYRTA A. LITTLE.

Boy pdn was lonesome, so lonesome
there were tears in his blue eyes and
a choke in his throat. But he clutch
ed his fists manfully in his patched
pockets and he tried to get up real
stride for the ruts Of the frozen road.
There was a heap o courage tucked
away IN Boy Dams heart, and a heap
o. faith.
Besides, Boy Dan was running away
from the home with no mother In 1t,
running away from the loneliness, TO
find a real mother and real dad and
a house with a fireplace and kitten
and q fishing rod and baseball, all
today, and a dog named Jip. There
was reason enough to stride ahead,
indeed.
Once Boy Dan had had a father
with sandy hair and eyes like his, ana
tanned face and nice kind hands and
a smile. And once Boy Dan had had
little dark-skinned mother who loved
him TO pieces one minute and threw
saucepans at him the next. Once she
had hit Boy Dan so hard that the scar
stayed on his wrist. She hadn't lived
very long, and all the women Boy
Dams father had had to cook for him
hadn't been nice or patient or neat.
So, after while, one day, Boy Dams
father had taken him to the home, and
he hadn't smiled when he left him.
Boy Dan knew he was very sorry.
That was years ago.
All that time, Boy Dan had been
planning to run away. Now he was
doing it.
The day was lOnesOme-just gray
clouds and a brown earth, and hud-
died piles of leaves. Only the little
cedar lane looked cheerful. And right
in the same town, little woman was
lonesome, too; Miss Sarah Graham,
who lived at the Cross Roads in the
brown cottage with the woodbine over
1t.
Ten years before Sarah had lost
dear friend. They were to have been
married. But one evening the man
had been late in coming to take her
for their walk through Cedar Lane,
and when he had come Miss Sarah had
sent him away without meaning 1t at
all. lust for the sake of hearing him
refuse to go
Then the marvel happened, as mar
yels will come to pass Boy Dan ana
Miss Sarah met right in front of the
little town square, where the rows OF
cedars began to form Cedar Lane.
Miss Sarah stopped and put her hand
on the boys shoulder.
"Son," said Miss Sarah. Then she
flushed and wondered why she had
said it. "Where are you goingT she
| asked.
"Nowhere. said Boy Dan, Except
to find a mother and"
"Where do you live?" asked Miss
| Sarah.
Boy Dan told her. and he told her
he couldn't stand it any longer with
out mother.
Suddenly Miss Sarah spoke. iii
take you to my house, boy I'll let the
home know. Wen have our dinner to-
|
gether today"
The boy chuckled might S well
tell the home folks I've found moth
err, guess, for keeps" he said. Il like
you. Guess I'll stay at your house all
the time" He hesitated. Have you
got daddy"
81 live all alone" said Miss Sarah.
would you be lonesomeT
"Without dad l would" Boy Dan
told her. "Come on
"Now we'll go find our daddy, SAID
Bov Dan with sturdy purpose, drag
ring his new-found mother toward the
nath of cedars and the little town
square.
Chill though it was, there were men
lounging in the square, tanned men
and untanned men, dark men ana
sandy men. And there was one man
who began to look hard at the trudg-
ing boy.
All at once he hurried over from the
bench and clutched Boy Dams hand
and looked quickly at the little SCARED
wrist Then he knelt right down ana
Rugged Boy Dan close and whispered
jerky things.
"M boy. Dan. 1 couldn't git the
courage ter go ter the home and not
take yer along back with me.
The man looked at Miss Sarah. start
ed to speak, leaned closer, thrust out a
trembling hand.
"This is my new mother, dad" said
Boy Dan firmly. shes awful nice.
Guess she's cold. She's shakin.' Glad
yer come long. Well be startin' home
all of MS, now we've got together" He
stopped us there fireplace and a
kitten?" he asked.
Eyes" said Miss Sarah family.
"May l Gomez the man asked.
The last time Miss Sarah had heard
him speak he had said, IF you SEND
me away l shall not come back again.
And here he was. Truly such ways
ore marvels. How had it all come to
pass?
why. there was heap o. courage in
Hoy Dams heart, and heap o falth.
And II was marvel day in the morn
|