The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-06-16
LONELY CHRISTIAN.

Grimes was his name-tOld Grimes"
he was called by the irreverent world,
which knew him we'll, and which doubt
less he knew too well, as q man knows
something that has not been pleasant to
him, and the pain and wickedness and
hollownessu Of which have been forced
upon him by a 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 whosedirgc
has been sung these 60 years-whose
coat was old and gray and buttoned down
before I'm 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 Q standing joke
that could not be worn out. But he
paid no attention or diverted the topic
when hs could and hobbled away slow
~, ever mutterisg to himself something
that nobody heard or needed.
The residence Of this song tormented
old person was q rough and canyas COW
cred shanty situated by q rambling path
In the midst of o 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 o home
less and dreary look were some
half mile away. Fort Concho was
confessedly q hard place, all of it.
Shutdown was its foster child, filed
with stranded emigrants, cattle herders,
gamblers and men who had no occupa-
tion. Out toward the bleak northwest
Llano Estacado stretched its endless
leagues Of rock and cactus-the widest
land beneath the flag, governed and
owned by the Comanche and utterly
useless and tenantless for oil time, save
for that Saxon savage almost as wild as
he.
But Shutdown, struggling up from
the little rivers side, sat with It's shan
ties under the lee of the post. fully eon-
fding in its military neighbor. Here
were privileged to come and resaain
through the windy Texas winter all
men, with o due proportion of women,
whose tastes or whose occupations led
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 &C.
complished the wonderful journey, laden
with fortunate gold. Bearded, broad
brimmed and belted, here lounged a
small army of guides and t~railers, play
ing shrewd games at cards.. drinking
San Antonio whiskey and at intervals
shooting at each other. The gauntnand
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 were urchins many, c~oatless and
shoeless from January TO December, who
were as the calves Of this corral of hu
mainly. Here, too was that pink Of the
border, the dashing stage driver, who
for $40 per month every day ran the
gantlet through so miles Of Indian
haunted d~esolation, 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.
j, 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
precisely knew or cared. but they
lowed" he was well heeledf and
, had a little tucked away somewhere. =
In the particular condition Of society
! or rather want of all society-tfiat en-
, yironed him the inquiry into Grimes
business would hardly have gone 50 far
as that had liz not been that his daugh.
ter occupied a conspicuous position n
the prettiest girl at Concho and was
famous alike for the brilliancy OF hel
cheeks and her dresses. She and Father
Grimes lived alone, and it was scarcely
thought of that at some fogRaer period
q mother had been necessary in the
usual course OF nature. "Old Grimes
and his gall filled all the Grimes hori
Z zon.
It would be entirely in accordance
with good taste il ii were possible nov
to describe a dutiful daughter, entirely
= devoted to her aged father and ~resentint
the verbal indignities daily heaped upor
him. But the facts, as somewhat dimly
remembered, altogether forbid. OF al
the mans troubles, his daughter wa
probably the greatest. She was no
gaunt and angular, like the other ladie1
OF Shutdown, - arule.. Her cheeks wer'
g like peonies, and her round figure has
n perceptible jellyish shaking as Oh
walked She disturbed her father
slumbers with hoydenish laughter Will
!, the hours struck small In the nigh
q watches and while her many admirer
q staid and would not 90. She vas
i looQuette besides and refused I'd conafor
the paternal heart by assuming the bar,