Mohave County miner. [volume] (Mineral Park, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1882-1918, 1890-06-21


lsng."
And I saw the creature struggle;
and the drops stood odt On her. =.
And ! ssid. Surely be who stands
beside her will help herr"
And he beside po answered, He
cannot help her; fhe must help her
self. Let her struggle till HE u
strong"
And / cried, AT least hs wjll mot
hinder her! See, DO moves farther
from her, and tjshtens the cord be-
tween them, and ID drags her down."
And he answered. He does not un-
derstand. When sbc noves she draws
the band that blnds them and hurts
him, and he moves farther from her.
The day will come when he will un-
dcrstand, and will know what she Il
DONG. Let her once stagger on TO her
knees. In that day he viii stand close
70 her and look into her eyes with
sympathy
And she stretched her neck, and the
drops fell from her. And the creature
rose an inch from the earth and sank
bank.
And I cried. %. she IL too weaki
she cannot walk! The long years have
taken all her strength from her. Can
che never mover
And he answered me. See tho light
In her eyesr'
And slowly the creature staggered
on to its knees.
And awoka. and ali IN the aast and
| to the west stretched the barren earth
| with the dry bushes on II. The ants
ran up and down In the red sand, and
the heat beat Hereby. ] looked up
through the thin branches Of the trees
at the blue sky qyerhead. ! stretched
myself, and I mdsea over the dream
had had. And fell asleep Again with
my head on my saddle. Add In the
ferce heat had smother dream.
saw desert and j saw o woman
coming out Of 1t. And she came to the
bank Of dark river; and the bank
was steep and high And on It an old
Tho banksof al African river are some
/ times hundred feet high. And consists OF
\ deep shifting sands. through which In the
course OF ages the river has worn in sisanae
man met her, who had long, white
beard; and stick In his hand, and on
Ii was written Reason. And he asked
| her what she wanted, and she said, II
am a woman, and am seeking for the
Land OF Freedom"
And he said, ut Is before you"
And she said, Il see nothing before
me but a dark. flowing river and q
bank steep and high. and cuttings here
and there with heavy sand In them"
And he said. "And beyond that?"
She said. Il see nothing. but some
times, when shade my eyes With my
hand, think see On the further bank
trees and hills. and the sun shining on
/ themr'
He said, THAT Is the Land Of Free
DOM"
She said, How am / to get therc?"
He said, There Is one way. and one
only. Down the banks Of Labor,
through the water Of suffering. There
Is no other.n
She said IL there no bridget"
He answered, None"
She said. is the water deep?"
He said, Deep"
She said, lis the floor wornp'
He said, 1T Is. Your foot may slip
at any time. and you may be lost
She said, Have any crossed A.
ready?"
He said, Some have triedT
She said, lis there q track to show
where the best fording is?"
He said, 1T has to be made"
She shaded her eyes with her hand,
and she said. Il will CO."
And he said, you must take of the
clothes you wore in the desert; they
are dragged down by them who 20 in
| TO the water 20 clothed
And she threw from her gladly the
mantle of Ancient-received-opi
she wore, for 1t was worn full Of holes.
Aud she took the girdle from her waist
that she had treasured 80 long. and the
moths few out Of it in a cloud. And
he said, Take the shoes Of dependence
OIL your feet"
And she stood there naked. but for
one white garment that chung close to
her.
And he said, 'that you may keep.
! So they wear clothes in the Land OF
Freedom, In the water II buoys; IL
| always swims.n
And saw on Its breast was written
Truth; and II was white; the sun had
not often shone on 1t; the other clothes
had covered it up. And be said. Take
this stick; hold II fast. In that day
when 1t slips from your hand you are
lost. Put it down before you; feel
your way; where 1t cannot find a bot
tom do not set your foot"
And she said, Il am ready; let me
CO."
And he said, '.No--but stay: what b
that--in your breast?"
| She was silent.
He said. ''Open 1t and let me Sec"
And she opened it. And against her
breast was tiny thing. who drank
from 1t. and the yellow curls above biz
forehead pressed against It; and bis
knees we're drawn up to her. and be
held her breast fast With his hands.
And Reason said, ''Who is he. and
what Ii be doing here?"
And she said. See his little wings
| -n
Aid Reason said, PUT him down"
And she said, He Is asleep and
he Is drinking! ! will carry him to
the Land Of Freedom. He has been a
child 50 long. so long l have carried
him. We will walk together there,
and bis great white wings will over.
shadow me- He has isped one word
only to me In the desert-.Passionf
have dreamed he might learn to say
Friendship in that land"
| And Reason said, 'tPut him down.