The herald., 1894-06-03
a LONELY CHRISTIAN.

WnlCu KNEW niD WE'LL anu Wulcu uOuDb-
less he knew too we'll, as man knows
something that has not been pleasant to
him, and the pain and wickedness and
hollowness of which have been forced
upon him by grim experience.
Grimes name was the only thing
about him that offered any poetic sug-
gestion and was not lightly passed or for
gotten by those who saw him every day.
The legend of that old man whose dirge
has been sung these 60 years-whose
coat was old and gray and buttoned down
before in every version of that irrever-
emit elegy-is the common inheritance
of all the English speaking race wher-
ever they wander. The ragged urchin
twanged it endlessly in his ears from
behind the corners of shanties whenever
his bent figure came in sight Even the
grownup Texans who lounged, gambled
and traded horses at the suffers store
repeated it to him as o standing joke
that could not be worn out But he
paid no attention or diverted the topic
when he could and hobbled away slow
ly, ever muttering to himself something
that nobody heard OF needed.
The residence of this song tormented
old person was rough and canvas COW
cred shanty situated by rambling path
in the midst of a congregation Of such,
some better, some worse. The place was
known by the denizens of the neighbor-
ing post as Shutdown The open and
unfinished quadrangle and the square
stone houses that had all home
less and dreary look were some
half mile away. Fort Conoho was
confessedly hard place, all Of it.
Shutdown was its foster child, filled
with stranded emigrants, cattle herders,
gamblers and men who had no occupa-
ton. Out toward the bleak northwest
Llano Estacado stretched its endless
leagues of rock and caotus-the widest
land beneath the flag, governed and
owned by the Comanche and utterly
useless and tenantless for all time, save
for that Saxon savage almost as wild as
he
But Shutdown, struggling up from
the little rivers side, sat with its shan
ties under the lee of the post, fully con-
filling in its military neighbor. Here
were privileged to come and remain
through the windy Texas winter all
men, with due proportion of women,
them to the far verge of civilization.
Thither came the cattleman and watch
ed his wild herds on the neighboring
hills until returning greenness warned
him off upon the California trail
Thither returned the man who had ac-
complished the wonderful journey, laden
with fortunate gold Bearded, broad
brimmed and belted, here lounged
small army of guides and trailers, play
ing shrewd games at cards, drinking
San Antonio whiskey and at intervals
shooting at each other. The gaunt and
long footed Texas girl, chalky, yellow
haired and awkward, minced from cabin
to cabin with neighborly gossip and did
her calico and green ribbon shopping at
the pine counters of the traders stores.
There wcre urchins many, coatless and
shoeless from January to December, who
were as the calves of this corral Of hui
mainly. Here, too, was that pink of the
border, the dashing stage driver, who
for $40 per month every day ran the
gauntlet through so miles of Indian
haunted desolation, and who at the end
Of his trick" rewarded himself with
two days of dalliance with the bellies of
Shutdown, to whom indeed he was as
the apple of their pale eyes.
And among these people lived Father
Grimes, and these were they who sang
the ancient ditty to him as he passed
BY. What his occupation was nobody
knew or cared, but they
: lowed" he was "well heeled" and
had little tucked away somewhere. "
IN the particular condition of society
II rather want Of all society-that en-
7ironed him the inquiry into Grimes
business would hardly have gone SO far
Is that had it not been that his daugh-
or occupied conspicuous position as
he prettiest girl at Concho and was
amous alike for the brilliancy Of her
heeks and her dresses. She and Father
9rimes lived alone, and it was scarcely
bought of that at some former period |
mother had been necessary in the
lsual course of nature. ''Old Grimes
nd his gal'' filed all the Grimes hori-
on.
1t would be entirely in accordance
nth good taste if it were possible now
describe dutiful daughter, entirely !
evoted to her aged father and resenting (
ne verbal indignities daily heaped upon
i'm. But the facts, as somewhat dimly
altogether forbid Of all
40 mans troubles, his daughter was
robably the greatest. She was not
aunt and angular, like the other ladies
Shutdown, as arule Her cheeks were
Ike peonies, and her round figure had
perceptible jeilyish shaking as she
'alked. She disturbed her fathers
umbers with hoydenish laughter while
10 hours struck small in the night
atches, and while her many admirers
aid and would not so. She was O
'quette besides and refused to comfort
10 paternal heart by assuming the hard
ltles OF Texans wife. Sary Grimes
as wild girl, possibly not bad crea-
Ire, but, as it might have been ex-
'essed in AN eastern village, ''liable to
talked about''-one of the social pun
hments not much dreaded, however,
the region Of Fort Concho. There
as, fear, o consciousness in her face
henever she passed man in the road,
ID 1t Is equally to be feared that her
udent chastity had but little sugges-
Oh OF snow or crystal in it, but as belle