The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1902-01-16
THE SUNS FINGER.
nv Z. y. nsEEa.


Beyond che slkali and cactus Of khs Arf
coma desert lie~ the red ilae Of the Colo
RADIO, and beyond that the land cf rossnnee
and Of dFt3aa. There, In a diatrsos apart
and Of itself. lived Father AHselhao He
bad been born aud raised IN the placr. lie
knsw each stone and tree aud hut and
moving thing. Here he bad thought the
deep thoughts and dreamed the lofty
nteaHts that had he'd him 20 tho bosom Of
The church. aud noW he walked among his
teople, blsck-robea and loving, = ysritahls
Incarnation Of good. Aud the single people
hyed him, a. simple people viii, giving
him full measure OF faith Ahd confidence.
rs knew them all-lian and ssnrhez and
pschila, Teohlo, Conception and Pasqual;
lrssd IA their joys and hopes sorroweG In
their sorrows and deicatsi and, eoaDteling
and aiding walked with them dowh the
stony read Of life. Il was ane, on a SUM.
msr'g evening, TO see Father Ansclmo stand.
ina on the azoteo oi the house, gazing over
tho broad valley where the corn was riBen,
ING, and the people, with noise and laughter.
acre coming dowE the lanes toward home:
for aS loved 90 gather biz fogk 10 him In otR
allembTacing glance.
Tlaa they lived quietly, these people, vn.
tl tle season Of the great drought. One val
not apon forget those days Year upon year
the lraEeR sun looked down pitileas and
tearlas. Year By year Che bsrvests bu1ne4
an the ields until the stores Of corn were
gone aud there were none from which TO
draw. Day BY day the frames s=-=w gaant
and th, faces iull OF wonder that looked
upon Father Ansrlmo in inquiry. And then
came psstiieher. aud al last despair.
Stricken for fault unknown, they folded
their blankets about their bowed heads,
and wtth he simple st0irism Vi their race
awaited death. There mas little wailinK or
complaint, The low murmured "Ah Di0sl"
could scarce be heard beyond the threshold.
but none the less vas the grief intense
Mad the sun beat down upon the fields.
and the dust grew deeper upon the roads,
and The world meiled farther and farther
away, and the rains or mcror came not.
Passing from huute 10 house where the
grim visitor had brcn or was awaited. Ia
Their Ansclmo poured out his need VI com,
fort, coincidence or encouragement; but hia
heart was heavy and his feet leadcn upon
the stones. And when, vorn.nui, Ia sought
The shadow Of his patio and the simple 70.
seshiaeat which gave him strength 10 en-
durc, qtill Ia memory The mild eyes looked
With wonder into hb, snd Che soft voices
murmured "Ah Diosl" in that strange no,e
Of establishment and inquiry 10 the days
grew, and the horror And one night Ia
Their Anselme, sitting IN tie deep shadow
N the garden Of the plaza where the few
trees were siiii alive, beavd low-murmurcd
conversation:
'|aaave de Dios. Pablo, the aEuAdor,
died today"
''hoinbre. Inc sxuadorF'
81 he was too weak The loug fasting
had made him 80 lie was not tie strong
nan he had becn."
"And Monica 80
Dead too"
"Ah Dirs, How will IL cni!''
Who knows? They ny that from the
grea, valleys to the north corn could be
had II one bad the money TO buy"
"Bui with wha, r1ald we buyg"
Even 30. There Is nDthins I'D in good
time val provide"
The voices sank to silence, ard Father
Ansclmn sai iu thought Corn TO be had
for the purrhasibK2 Bai how to buyf These
vre,ehed people who bad been stripped long
gincc. The motry eaald Il hc hadY Aye.
Path. That viii remove mountains And
payer are not all things g'vea to him
who asks?
The soft saadals Of Father Ansslmo made
;.tt'5 as;-e ::s.ss che tlARs IS hr PASSED ~
the aisle 81 the CHAPEL at midnight and
kuecled at shc altar for prayer. We'll he
PRAYED and long, with an abiding faith, be.
lisviua that By some miracle weuld his
prayer be answered Bot the dark shadows
IN the ehals, answered not And still .he
father prayed. The night passed and the
a - l.. 10
Gradually the light broke in the east aad
the broad sun arose and shot les beams
across the stricken land; and Father A I
selno prayed And as be PRAYED long line /
of light entered at The windoN and made 4
q golden glory among the Taiters; and L !
moved like pointing finger along the roof /
and down the wall; and on sudden II III 4
the altar loft where the tFesaare~ Of the 1
church lay. and where the great picture Of |
the Christ hung sheltered in its golden 1
frame. and Il lit tbs frame with twofo.d /
glory and paused. lingering Then flashed 4
5 thought upon Father Ausclmo and a rev. /
station like blow, Gold for the corn; here /
Il w=s, here IN tais frame Bot how To 4
rob the church. the Christi God forbid the +
sarrileRr. And there came stiii. small 4
yoire. The San Of Man hath net where 4
10 las Ills head" What need had lie then /
OF golden frames lie who had scoraed the /
riches Of the world. Still Father Anselno /
shrank in horror. And the light, travelling |
awoke the face ii the Christ, that face Elofi 4
fed with is tender eyes. and there lowered |
there a smile which seemed TO say: Fear /
+ not This do In my name
And the sun rose higher till the whole
chapel was fuH Of light, AHA for the tirut /
time In many weeks a birds cong broke 4
upon iiis iTIBTHIua cir. Then Father An, |
selma crossed himself. and. rising revcrent- I
~, approached she great altar. and he took
the golden frame which for so maDy years
bad been the aws and wonder ot the peo-
pie and he left the picture OF the Christ
apon the altar. thinking ii well that this
homeless son Of Man should he within
Code hands And Father Anselmo passed
out, carrying the frame beneath HE robe,
and before many days the suleTings Of the
patient people we're relieved Hut Il IL
question which IL discussed even to this
dag, whether she holy father committed
sacvilege In thus robhing the church. Some
say it was = mifacle.--San Francisco ARgo-
nAns.