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THE BRIDE'S WELCOME. What, did you say, was my sister Bayin’? “No luck comes an’ when the it strayin', eyes are green.” Tak« that folly turn color Green is the luckiest seen. Isn’t grass green for the eyes to rest in? Aren’t the tre of the same sweet hue? Mind vou thin, lien she starts her blue. jestin’, I’d love you less if your eyes were What was my little brother shoutin’? “Hair that ’ud match our red cow’s tail. » I’ll lie with him an’ stop his floutin’ With a kind little word from the tip of a flail, You, with your hair where the sunshine ranges, Like the autumn light on the beechen track, Is it me would be wantin' changes? black. I’d love you less if your hair was What was my poor old mother croakin’? “Never a cow and hens but few.” Widows, 'Tis Cushlu. all is they’ve sore provokin', left do. often that to knittin’, She, with her lame back, there at her Angry with pain, and sad to be old— Mind you this, when she starts her with twittin’, gold. I’d love you less were you hung Alice Fleming, in The Academy. •••• «**e n ' - ir o • * «s o««»ocQseeooosec 0800 estooscesaesseaesseeaoc*** tn © 9 it i i By F. HADLANI) MAVIS. «■ m O**999999368C96**90999*9*99898Se9SeS99*9999**«) • ra¬ ft 9 • 98*9 • 999 Hayano and Mine sat together on a little hill on the outskirts of a small Japanese village. It was springtime. Cherry blos¬ soms floated above them in big white clouds, with just a faint suggestion of pink, as if a sunset were dreaming a far away dream in its petals. The stars were beginning to twinkle in the vio¬ let robed sky, and the sound of laugh iter came and went in the gentle breeze, mingled with the tremulous note of a temple bell. “How very beautiful it is,” said Mine. I wonder why the spring taps at my-heart and calls and beck¬ ons, and bids me sing and clap my hands and rejoice. I think the very gods creep across the sky to-night, a great company looking down at the cherry blossoms. See, the movement of their robes almost blows out the stars, and some of them seem to change into roses and violets.” Hayano laughed softly and ca¬ ressed her arm; then he let it fall gently upon the silk flowers of her kimono. “I have a fancy,” said Hayano, nolemnly, “that my little one must be In love this springtime. Beaten San tries so hard to make people fall in love with each other at the coming of spring.” “Does she?” replied Mine, making the dimples come and go in her cheeks. “I wish I could fall in love with you, Hayano; but you are so honorably ugly, and your heart is so full of learned books, that 1 can only come to you as a friend. “I have often pictured you as an old ascetic, sitting under an Indian sun, with birds making their nests in your hair, while you squint and squint In the effort to always keep in view the end of your nose. Does it not seem funny that Nirvana is to be found at the very eml of our noses?” Mine laughed merrily, and a broad, good natured smile played round Hay ano’s mouth. “Did I ever tell you about Tessan?” continued Mine. “Yes, I thought so. He wont out to do battle with the Russians, the shining Sun against such a grisly, covetous Bear! A few days ago I had a letter from Tessan telling me he was on his way to Japan—and, friend Hayano, he wait¬ ed ine to become his wife.” Did lie?” replied Hayano, hiding his feelings as he looked at the dis¬ tant sea with a pathway of moonlight streaming away to the horizon. "I wish you both all happiness. h Mine looked at him for some time. Perhaps this school teacher, this son of a charcoal burner, this man, whose outlook on life seemed so quiet and cold, felt the tapping of springtime just a little, too. “Life, »» said Hayano softly, it re minds me of that pine tree over there. With its thousands and thousands of needles it is weaving a great picture from the stars. And the stars go out sometimes, and the pine trees fall, and so the great white pictures are broken; but life goes on just the same: » *» “You are sad to-night, Hayano. Let’s talk about soldiers, about bat¬ tlefields and brave deeds. Oh, there Is music in the cannon's roar. I love soldiers, Hayano!” “Yes, yes, of course you do!" said Hayano. And you love Tessan, do you not?” “I think I do," replied Mine, who seemed more like a child than a •woman just then, "I shall always want you as m.v friend, You will al ways be my friend, Hayano, will vou not?” “Always,” replied the man. “And when I am in trouble,” con¬ tinued Mine, “you will come to this same spot, here, underneath these cherry trees ? ” “Yes,” answered the man. “Tell me,’’ said Mine, "is there any love in your heart for me?” “Little one,” replied Hayano, soft¬ ly, “does the sea always rush up upon the shore and make the stones dance? No, not always. Sometimes it is silent. I am silent to-night. I love my work. I love trying to impart to children that which has delighted my ofrn soul. And perhaps my greatest joy is to see a child catch at the books I love and love them, too. I desire only your happiness, Mine. If you are happy with Tessan, I shall be happy too.” “Yes, yes, my good friend. Ob, I am longing to see Tessan again so, so much! He will walk bravely with a gun and a sword, and ever so many brave looks will come out of his eyes. And he will be wounded a little— only a little, Hayano, for the honor of Japan. Oh, there is another stand¬ ard besides the standard of battle. It is called the standard of Love! ” With a little cry of delight, Mine jumped up and ran quickly down the hill. Hayano still sat under the cherry trees, and, with his eyes wide open, he dreamed his dreams. Just as the dawn appeared he, too, descended the hill. No gladsome shout came from his lips. He walked slowly, and springtime tapped at his heart, and every time he heard her tapping, he said: I will not let her in! II. And Tessan came to the little vil¬ lage where Mine lived, and thrilled her heart with battle stories, and frightened her a little with his de¬ scriptions of how the Russians once fired upon a makeshift hospital, and how a Japanese soldier, made mad with cruel wounds, did mock battle with the trees. Much more she loved to sail with her lover upon the river, where the lilies grew, and where they drifted into peaceful backwaters, hidden with drooping branches that had a way of stroking the blue sky with every breath of wind. Here all the world seemed blotted out. She forgot Hayano, and saw only the handsome face of the brave Tessan. It was so these days passed by. In due time the little village was gay with a happy marriage—the marriage of Tessan and Mine. III. A year went by. Mine carried a merry baby boy upon her back. But Mine was not merry. For the last few months Tessan had grown cold toward her. He used to go away to Tokio and remain there for several days. At last Mine knew why he went 1o Tokio, and the knowledge went deep down into her heart, and left it aching and sore and very lone¬ ly. Once when Tessan returned to her, he said that, as he did not want her any more, he had obtained a di¬ vorce—a divorce because she did not make rice quite as he liked it! When the trouble came she thought of Hayano—Hayano, the good but neglected friend of hers. Many times she contemplated asking him to meet her on the little hill, and just as often she tried to banish the thought from her mind. Why should she trouble him now? And yet, eventual¬ ly, she did write to Hayano, and he replied that he would meet her. And so it came about that on a certain spring night Mine journeyed up the hill, where the cherry blossom hung like a beautiful pink-white cloud. Her baby boy laughed at the moonlight. Mine wished that he would not laugh quite so much now! How steep the hill seemed to-night, and how long the way! She rested many times on a bowlder, and once she thought she would retrace her steps. Then she caught sight of a familiar figure looking in the direc¬ tion of the sea. Once more Mine pressed wearily forward, nearer and nearer to that calm form so peace¬ fully waiting for her coming. It seemed to Mine that Peace sat under the cherry blossom, and she wanted Peace to-night. Just as the little mother reached her destination a cloud covered the moon. She put out her hands eagerly and touched the sileut form. Is that you, Hayano?” Yes,” replied the man. « I am so Slad you have coaie. I have not seen / you for such a long time. You are In trouble. I could tell that by the touch of your hands in the dark. Tell me all about it, little one. It eases a heart so much to reveal a sorrow to another, does it not?” “Yes, Hayano, I think it does, just a little.” And Mine squatted down by his side, and remained silent for a long time. “Little one, I am waiting for you to tell me about your trouble,” said the man, gently. “And J,” replied Mine, “am wait¬ ing for the words to come! My tongue and throat are so dry to-night. Have patience with this long silence of mine. I cannot speak yet!” a I will wait,” said the man. “I know what that silence means, too! it Mine pressed his fingers very tight¬ ly in her own for answer. “Dear Hayano, have you heard any¬ thing about me of late?” “No, little one. I have heard of your marriage, that is all.” The baby boy cooed softly to him¬ self, and then laughed because he held in hi wee hand a cherry blos¬ som. “What was that sound?” said Hay¬ ano, hastily. “That was my child, my little boy. He is very happy to-night. I don’t think it’s very kind of him to be quite so happy to-night!” “I am so glad yo.: have a little child,” said the man, eagerly. “Some day I shall be able to teach him, glad in the thought that he is your child.” “Hayano! Don’t talk like that! It hurts me. “Listen. Have you heard of the fisherboy, TJrashima, how he married the beautiful daughter of the Sea God? “Oh, yes! But please tell me the story again.” tv * Tis a sad story; hut Urashima is very much like other men. His beau¬ tiful wife gave him all her love in that great palace under the singiug sea, where there were wonderful jew¬ els, red and blue and green. But presently Urashima grew restless. He wanted to go away and see the world again. His wife gave him a box and told him never to open it. But when Urashima had seen the world he opened the box. A wonderful cloud came out and sailed away into the blue and vanished. And Urashima became a very, very old man and never went back to the palace of the sea again.” Mine paused, and then continued: “Hayano, if a woman’s heart is big with love it cannot hold a man for long. Like Urashima, he goes away, and never comes back again. He opens the box of the woman he once loved and scatters the sacred treasure to the four winds. Tessan was like that. And now he has put me away But it is better so. Watching his coldness grow, day by day, was terri¬ ble, terrible! I wish the spring had not tapped at my heart. I think it was the ghost of a spring long ago that tapped!” Hayano gave a half stifled cry, re¬ leased his hand from the grasp of Mine, and silently took the child into his arms, and caressed the small head and felt with one finger the tiny wet mouth, open a little in wonder. “Hayano, Hayano, what is the mat¬ ter?” said Mine, in a pitiful little voice. "Oh, I wish the clouds would go away from the moon. I want to see your face again so much!” “But it is such an ugly face, Mine,” said the man, trying to laugh with burning tears in his eyes. "There is so much feeling behind it, dear man of my heart!” Hayano started. He had never heaid Mine speak like that before. 1-Ie went on caressing the child, and a thrill of unspeakable joy quivered through him when small fingers wriggled against his chin. “Hayano,” said Mine, very tender¬ ly, “I want to tell you something. I want to tell you that I never loved Tessan as I love you now. A year ago you desired my happiness. Dear lord, all my happiness is in your keep¬ ing now! ” "Wait till the moon comes out be¬ hind the clouds,” -was all Hayano said, as he rested his face against the small head of the boy. Presently the moon shone forth and lit up the quaint figures sitting under the cherry tree. Mine, with a sharp cry of pain, saw her old friend in the robe of a Buddhist priest, a priest holding in his arms a little child as if it were his own. Then Hayano said, in a voice husky with emotion: “Little one. I cannot marry you now. I have entered, the service of the Lord Buddha. I have taken the vows of celibacy, and they cannot be broken. I have always loved you, Mine, but I did not know until to-night, until it was too late, that I could make you happy. And the pine trees work with their thou sand needles star pictures, and the wind comes, and the pine trees fall without having finished their weav ing; but life goes on just the same, doesn’t it, little boy, that I shall teach some day?” Once more the moon became hidden in a cloud. There was silence under the cherry blossom; but the far away waves broke upon the shore, and they seemed to murmur, "Urashima!”— Black and White._____________ . * ANTHOINES’ MACHINE * ■V i m H. wmi mm .•if 1 Tf ’■•V «... m if N*j if y' •!< w - ’ r’ it ANTHO/NE’S MACHINE WORKS, Fort Valley, Ga: if- 111 ,,.. r 'M ii !; • mu •- 31 •r- LIVERYMAN. 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