1937-04-29 — Page 25

THE CHINA MAIL THURSDAY SUPPLEMENT, APRIL 29, 1937

OUR

BROTHER MARK

Mark was cheerful all the time and he was always thinking out new stories to tell

I

..but happiness is a frail thing

WAS sitting on the wooden

well covering throwing stones. at the frogs below. when Lucy, who was younger than I by a year, came out and told me that our brother Mark would be home from abroad on the following day. I was so pleased that I could not but say anything for a while, went on throwing stones at the frogs.

"Who's going to town to meet Mark?" I asked.

"Don't know," Lucy said, "but we won't."

"Why?" I wanted to know. "No room. Father and mother will want to go, and there isn't room for more than three in the sulky.'

"We could sit on the floor." "What about Mark's luggage?" Lucy said. "There's the shop- ping, too."

"I wonder what Mark will look like," I said.

W

*

*

*

E had not seen him for two

years. He had gone away when he was twenty.

"Perhaps he'll be a good deal like father," Lucy said.

We were up early in the morn- ing in case there should be room for us in the sulky, but mother said it couldn't be managed, and that anyhow we would not have long to wait.

Lucy and I could not help get- ting a little impatient because time before they took so much they got away. At length they were away, and we ran down and opened the gate for them.

"I hope Breeno doesn't jib,” Lucy said as we watched the sulky turn into the main road. Father seemed to be in a hurry, because he kept flicking at Breeno with the whip. The iron-shod wheels rasped on the stones, and mother swayed a little against father.

"Bréeno won't jib coming home," I said. I didn't think it likely that he would jib on the way in.

The sulky had just pass-

the ed out of sight

wheels throwing the light back like shields, Breeno's hooves setting one after the other, his tail swinging against his legs.

-

"They might come home early," Lucy said.

*

E did not expect that they

WE

we continued to watch the road.. Every sulky drove right past our gate. We were still waiting an hour after tea. It was quite dark and we were watching for a yellow light. It was very quiet. There was no wind, and the only sounds were the burring hum of mos- quitoes and our quick slaps them.

at

lantern, hung on the back spring, swinging with the gait of the horse. The circle of yellow light expanded, decreased, and then ex- panded again. Then I was sure. Father pulled on the reins op- posite the lemon tree near the porch, and Mark jumped out and shook hands with me. Then he picked up Lucy and kissed her and swung her up in the air so that mother cried out because she would be in the thought Lucy lemon tree.

"Here they are!" Lucy cried. There was a yellow light in the distance. It expanded. Then we could see the sharp ears of a horse, the light on the nickel of the harness, a

three people! / Lucy said, but I sure. The sulky

"It's Mark???

could not be came on in the

yellow circle of

light. We could see the hurricane

**

OTHER

was very excited.

Mshe tried to carry the suit-

cases into the

house, and Mark

took the three cases from her

and managed them so easily that mother said:

"Look how strong he is, John!" Lucy and I could not help look- ing at one another. Father was proud, too. He laughed, and went on unharnessing the horse. All the harness was wet with Breeno's sweat, and it gave out a pleasant warm smell. When Breeno was free he shook himself and trotted away down the paddock,

"I bet he didn't jib. home," Lucy said.

."

coming

We all laughed. Then we went into the house. I could see how excited mother was by the way she prepared tea. She could not: do anything right, and when we did sit down everything wasn't on the table. All the meal she was getting up for something.

"Let me get it," father said

once.

"You wouldn't know where to get it," she said.

*

WE well

*

*

our

"E sat talking until it was bed-time well past hour, but father said we could as It was this was a special treat.

late when finally we said very good-night. Mark's bedroom was next to mine, and I went in there to ask him if he would go mush- rooming before breakfast.

"There should be some big ones after the rain," I said.

Mark thought it would be a wonderful idea, and we talked so much about it-that, mother called out:

"Will you two kids stop talking and go to bed?"

Mark and I laughed a lot at that.

Just before I fell asleep I called out:

"Mark! Six o'clock?" "Yes.

Good-night, old chap." I was awake, at five. I went and

woke Lucy, and then we moved

to very quietly along Mark's room and looked in.

He

was asleep, so we sat down on the floor and waited for him to

brushed his' hair back and sprang out of bed.

"By jove." he said, "I hope I haven't kept you kids waiting.”

*

*

0 one was as good as Mark

Nat finding mushrooms, and

before long we had filled the bas- ket which I carried.. I like the sweet earth smell of mushrooms. Once Mark found a big one, and he had to help Lucy when she cut it. He steadied the

white knob of mushroom and put ote hand on top of hers while she sawed with the knife through the tough stalk.

"Listen

up. After a while he stirred an ang 150

saw

opened his eyes. When he a us, he sat up very quickly and

to the knife squeak- Lucy said.

We came back just in time for breakfast. We could have found (Continued on Page 8)

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