Mexico Missouri message., 1903-04-09
MOSES
THE POEM OF LIFE
IN THE FOOTPRINTS
OF PROVIDENCE.
BY TOM BENTON l..
CHAPTER II.-CHILDHOOD.
Until the first five years be spent
A child is lamblike innocent"


The first experience of David
Moses in wrong doing began one
summer harvest day. His father
and the hands were grading wheat.
David, not quite five, followed
along the swaths. A partridge
flew up and began to give the
mournful sound when disturbed.
David saw the nest. The hand
spoke to him as he was admiring
the nest full of white eggs aud
said, Don't touch those eggs,
that partridge is sitting; the eggs
are moi good" He went on his
way binding the golden sheaves;
but David seemed riveted to the
spot. Surely those eggs are good
he thought, l will take them to
mother, so he placed the eggs in
his hat aud went to the house.
His mother said. David, fear
those eggs are not gOodi 1 will
break one and see." She did so
and the little unmatched bird d
showed itself. "Ohl David, these
eggs must go back to the nest;
come, show me where you found
them" Quite crestfallen the lit
tie boy went as he thought to the
very spot where the nest was, but
it was not there; after spending a
long time looking for it, his moth
scooped a little nest in the
dust aud there placed the eggs,
hoping the mother-bird would re-
turn. David, hope you won't
rob any more birds nests, it is
/, wrung0-tAis was the hrst and
, last bird that David ever robbed of
its little eggs; tho he saw many
Uncle Albert, the negro man,
D was taken very ill of pneumonia
The family physician came, but ht
3 seemed to get worse. David;
father went to Columbia to SEND
, the doctor out. Not being in, he
t met a mercurial little French doc
| tor who had attained some note as
a specialist for lung troubles. He
= told him of Albert's sickness. Tht
, doctor said, "Ill go right out and
\ see him" When he came to the
house instead of coming into tn
family room, he went by it an,
directly to the cabin. David. full
of excitement, ran and said
"Mother, there is a man in the
cabin, let us go and see what he
is doing" They went; when en-
tering the door the man said, "Dr
) Dutch, madam, DIR. Dutch. DR.
Dutch saw MIR. Moses in town anC
he told him to come and see hi
sick boy, madam, and he has jus
examined him and finds him yer,
y sick, indeed" He then poure
is some medicine in Il spoon anC
a raising Uncle AlberFs head CAV
him the liquid, but no sooner ha
he done so than the man strangled
u gave a few gasps and fell bac
IS dead. David went out, and whe
his father came, told him DR.
\ Dutch had killed Albert.
s Not very long after this one o
Albert's bOys-he had three Rice
Eli and John-Eli would tax
. great delight in taking a shuc
g and shaking it run after the chick
Q ems to see them run and cacklC
X One day the chickens ran to th
- field lot aud Eli followed, shakin
his shuck saying, "Jibber, iibbei
: jibber, jibber, jihber, jibber,
d when the chickens after which /
l. was running scampered under th
& corn crib. This crib was built I
hewed logs and had a punched
! floor. Eli followed as far as |
could under the crib to reach Il
e chickens and got fastened; he eou
IS not go either forward or baekwar
n He set up terrible howl al
the family huntl
!, some time before they found Il
. little negro, they had TO take mp
u puncheon out Of the floor to G
4 him out.
Ceptain Moses was fine hOrs