Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1900-10-25
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Beyond the Mountains
BY Frank N. plitman

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Copyrighted. 1900. Daily Story Pub. Coz
The birds were singing blithely in the
valley and on the mountain, and there
was a Joyous echo in the girls heart,
as she trippcd along the rough path
way. Barbara Graves was going away,
and she was glad. All nature was
awake early as II to bid her n fond
farewell. The old Danes children
knew her step and loved her voice.
Her feet barely gave the caressing
grasses time to kiss them, so quick and
graceful were their spring; her pretty,
brown hands were filled with flowers,
for they seemed to leap into them, af-
fectionately, as she passed. A gor-
| geous butterfly majcstically foated be-
| fore her, and a brown lizard winked
good-humoredly as he glided along.
The white kitten. its leg tied loosely
to the gate-post, pleadingly mewed,
| and Barbaras heart smote her, as its
cries grew fainter She could not take
1t with her. Alas! now that she was
actually going, the kitten represented
SO many things. Yet after all the part
ings Barbara's heart was glad. She
| thought 1t was because she was going
away; but 1t was the Joy OF the hour
and the place.
She was really going beyond the
mountains at last! Hitherto the vii
lage academy had been her ambition.
Now, 1t was the city-the city, far
away and beautiful!
Barbara walked rapidly. and was
nearing the brow of the mountain,
when a gun-shot hushed the melodies
around her. In graceful circles an
eagle wheeled slowly up the steep as
cent, his mortal wound not lcssening
the majesty OF his bearing; and the
man below only knew he was wound
ed by the birds slow progression.
Reaching the summit, the goal of his
last struggle, the king OF birds alighted
on a wall OF natural granite. YEARLY
his great pinons dropped, and with an
effort he turned about and gazed into
the valley below. A place to die worth
having struggled for and risen to! Far
down the wheat fields cleaned in the
light o. a perfect day; the cloudless
shadows fell DER meadow and wood
land and. family borne on wandering
bits OF wind, the tinkle OF distant pas
turc-bells arose like muilied music.
The eagles piercing eyes saw far
across the verdant fields the purple
haze which wreathed the base of the
opposite mountain, and away to the
south the narrow passage through
which had crept the parallel strips OF
steel OF the iron highway, DER which
had come the man who took his life.
Who but he possessed "the wings Of
the morning" and could go forth early.
,raverse the valley untiringly through
out the day, and at evening mount up
with wings as eagles?" He had ruled.
but mans vigilance and thirst had
o'ertaken him,
The exultance Of n glorious fight
came upon him; once more his pnions
felt the impulse of their former
strength, and he flew swiftly upward,
and circled majestically about for
awhile, then dropped, YEARLY. and a
film came over his eyes
Isn't he a magnificent specimen"
oh it was cruel Of you,' exclaimed
the girl, reproaChfully. II have
watched him ascend the heights, bat
tling against wind and storm; and he
has taught me courage and given me
inspiration and ambition" There
were tears in her eyes, and a sob in
her voice.
Cad A nice greeting" he NUT
tered; and not one man in hundred