The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-12-08

] LCNNl HSiitl AlIilE dpOuN II. Ntl ht
had once looked after sheep.
/ 1t was quite dark now, and the houses
| were not so close together Then The
| Captain suddenly let it be known that
/ supper would not he undesirable. Sill
| labil looked about him. Here was Il
brightly lighted house. People We're
/ going in and coming out Sillabil Went
in too. There was Il table spread with
/ all sorts of good things. \ pleasant
being stood beside it smiling till the
/ gold filling in one of his teeth remind
! ed Sillabil of the star outside.
Help yourselves. gentlemen,' said
/ the pleasant being.
/ OF course Sillabil helped himself, and
his host was so polite as to feed the
/ Captain with delicate morselS.
"a delegate, of course:" he whisper
ed to Sillabil. You seem to be cooler
headed than most of the others. |
hope your ward is going all right
Sillabil had had sufficient experience
with his wise manner to see that it
usually succeeded, so he now tapped
himself on the forehead. At that his
host laughed and slipped roll of bills
in his hand.
For your ward or yourself" he
said.
Sillabil wondered. and it made him
suspicious. so he moved toward the
door. Here gentleman accosted him.
What did he give You for the
wardt" this gentleman asked. OF
course Sillabil knew what ward was,
for the good lame man had told him
that they were coming TO the ward to
get the Captain and drown him. So
he showed the gentleman the roll of
bills and tapped himself on the fore
head
"Of course he is" the gentleman
said, for he'll never get in
Sillabil edged his way out into the
night. And there was the star He
followed the glinting light All ut
once it disappeared. He stood there
lost. lie was in the dark, no houses
near, only trees. He had never before
been alone in the dark. His mother
had taken care of that.
"Captain.'
The Captain rubbed up against him.
Sillabil peered about him. Then he saw
the star and made for it. The Captain
| growled. This had ever been a note OF
warning, so Sillabil went more care
fully. Then he discovered that what
he had taken for a star was only 4
small light down upon the ground.
"Who is there?' a sharp voice cried.
1t was a woman's voice.
Tie light was Il feeble fire made OF Il
few sticks. 4 woman was warming
her hands over it.
81 am looking for my mother" Silld-
bill said she is where the daisies
are"
The woman looked at him. Then she
laughed shrilly.
Poor foolr' she said. There is on
ly one mother in the black world.
Don't you know it is raining and cold
Come nearer and warm yourself
Here is your mother'-and she tapped
the gromd-"Mother Earth"
"No"' laughed Sillabil.
"Then here" said the woman and in
dictated some tall walls, part of which
were tumbling down. This is Mother
Church Unfortunately she is crum-
bling away. She was not fine enough
for her children, so they deserted her
for a new palace. Come in. No one will
drive us out of the church now This
is a place where people used to pray
for what never came to pass. Did you
ever pray
For answer Sillabil got down on his
knees.
Lord" he said, as his mother had
taught him, protect us poor, clouded
wanderers in the night and lead us to
thee at last, where the rough places
Shall be made smooth
The woman rubbed her hands to-
gether over the flaming wood
you are tired" she said. "'You are
worn out
She took off her shawl and spread it
upon the ground.
II don't need it." she said. -'trry to
sleep"
The light Of the fire showed Sillabil
figure carved in the wall 1t was the
figure of man on a cross On the
cross, on the mans outstretched arms,
on his thorn crowned head multitude
OF sparrows were huddled.
"He was the friend of the sparrows,"
the woman said. HE was despised
and rejected. He wrote with his finger
in the dust. Let him that is without
sin cast the first stone he said. He
was poor and homeless, as poor and
homeless as you and l."
"Poorr' cried SillabH. Il am not
poor" He opened his hand and dis
closed the roll of notes that had been
given him in the house of feasting.
With an exclamation the woman
grasped the money from him.
Sillabil laughed and tapped himself
on the head. Then, to show the woman
that he always remembered what was
said to him, he repeated: HE was de-
spised and rejected. He wrote with his
finger in the dust Let him that is
without sin cast the first stone he
said" The woman threw the money
from her. And under his deserted
cross I have found the only refuge of
fered me this night" she said. mo,
no, doggle," for the Captain was show