The progressive farmer and the cotton plant., 1905-08-22

shower after shower. or day-long and nigbt-long.
Dripping the trees and sobby the earth and iran
tic the streamets. And the river colors and sWeHs
and surges rising higher and higher till 1T over
leans its banks and rushes madly down the valley
AWAY now to the Big Rock and see the river
demon foaming. The edge of a fertile field torn
off up-valley and mingling in the waters; rails
snatched from fences; oat-bundles, corn-stalks
and new-mown hay; logs stolen from the saw-mlli
yard; water-gates and footlogs; uprooted bushes
and trees; chunks and dead branches mnumerable;
all being devoured and borne onward by the
freshet. Andy ou can see it all from the SERENE
mmovable Big Rockl
Spectacular Big Rock!
The debate at the Academy is over, it is 10
o'clock, and the last half-mile homeward must be
travelled alone. No moon in the heavens, and the
star-shine is too feeble to penetrate the deeper
valleys. Dark was the road around the bend OF
the river by the overshadowing HILL it was enough
to make boyish heart beat faster-for who could
tell but that right here he might meet murder
Gus robber, prowling mad dog, a cannlbal bear,
or a deathful ghost? If only he can reach the
Big Rock, he is safe!
Alas just as swift-walking feet touch the rock
there is snarl in the bushes by the foot-way. 1t
is hungry opossum on his night-search for food
and absolutely no harm is meant or possible. But
never mind little quicker step would not hurt
then little faster and still faster till after dead
run the home gate is entered shut, and latched
Then halt: and the stars twinkle down a mis-
chievous smile, and the river rlpples with laugh
ter!
Scary Big Rock!
Saturday afternoon.
The work of the week is over and preparations
for the Sabbath are in order. Off then to the Big
Rock, and off with sweaty, dust-inwrought appa-
rel, and head foremost in the sun-warmed river!
Swimming forward, backward, and aside; diving
downward for sand and forward for distance;
floating on the surface or sinking fiat the bot
tom; racing with "ducking" having splash
battles with comrades; chasing melons or apples
in current and eddy; treading in the water or
measuring it's depth, descending full length with
up-stretched hand; and finally soaping and scrub
bing and plunging and emerging as clean as
Naaman from Jordan!
Cleansing Big Rock!
But, alas, the former glory of the Big Rock is
gone There is now barely enough sand and dirt
in it's hollows and crevices to support a bit of
Japan clover, bunch of poison oak and few
shrubs of sycamore, black willow, poplar, and the
like: Its old-time mantle of earth has been torn
aside by it's assailants and now it lies here on
the left bank of the river naked to sunlight and
storm. The big ants and the lizards crawl over it
unmolested. The old spruce which shaded it has
died and its decaying form is the temporary
tombstone of a past that is gone forever. The
road has forsaken it and fed to the hillside edg
ing the valley. The Big Branch has leaped from
its alder-lined bed and now unhindered it sauciy
cores the side of the Big Rock before it joins the
river few yards below. The river itself, form
erly deep and dignifed used to pass slowly by and
always in a beautiful eddy made deferential bow
to the Big Rock but now it has sacrificed depth
for swiftness, and so hurries almost irreverently
by. No beaten path leads to it, weeds have taken
the place of trees and things are not as they
were.
Things are not as they we're; but whatever they
are they were. And so-thank God for the Big
Rocki
HIGHT G. MOORE.
Raleigh N c.