The San Francisco call., 1906-10-28

SUBJECT OF the Witte-osaioSo' Oto
king King Cotton: Only slim,
good -nat6red black boy. Lazy2
No. iust loves TO live and enjoy life.
Gabrl realizes he IS dependent on his
sovereign. but just then the King is
very young. and small and puny. His
Majesty is so tender that the chill air
OF spring withers him. and he droops
until the sunshines bright and hot
Where IS the sin of his young sub
sect taking day Off There is none.
Gabr'l makes brave show TO his
mother, Aunt Rose, as he starts for the
cotton field to chop, and chopping
means so cents a day and rations. But
Gabrls flesh is weak. and he knows
where blackberries abound with their
rich, why globules, ara where they
throw their long vines over the hill
side. The rains have furrowed foot
holds in the yielding clay for the long
heel OF the chopper, and no banks
were ever too high TO climb or descend
when once he had view OF the long,
green trailers lying cool and moist
with drops Of dew.
Gabrl has an eye. too, for the beauty
OF the new morning. He often hesi-
tates before planting his celebrated
heel down among the growth. and
sometimes. but not always, picks
aside a morning glory vine covered
with delicate blue-cupped flowers
holds it between his thumb and first
hnger and gazes down in the well and
drops it back in the tangled mass.
He looks at the jungle OF vines and
wonders II there are any snakes. casts
his fears 10 the morning a. and with
q sigh Of deep content wac in knee
deep among his new treasures.
He cannot forsake this slanting field
OF fortune. It is true he left Aunt Rose
with the idea in her head that he was
preparing TO donate so cents and
findings" TO the family fund. But his
departure from dU-- illustrates how
fate wove the thread.
Aunt Rose might cut out that thread;
Gabr'l never would How could he help
running right into a berry patch?
One chopper less will not make much
difference. and II It made all IN the
world it would be the same to Gabr'l.
Already his leaky straw hat is half
filled with berries and very soon he in
tends TO pull up the red bank and cast
himself on the grass under a fine hick-
ory tree he happened to notice on the
way TO the field.
- 4-T-s
OF ants among their moundlike homes
OF brownish sand, and wonders why
they are so busy and what they have
to say to one another every time they
meet and part.
lie gazes at them a long time, and
then turns over where the sun has a
full fling at him. In turning he sees
several turkey buzzards soaring high.
very high. in the blue air. circling
round and round. They stay up there
so long and look so lazy that he Won
ders II there is anything dead in the
wood; he does not care II there Is rhe
sun is getting nearer and warmer. and
GabrI succumbs to his inclination for a
nap. which he takes forthwith.
He knows it is u O'Clock from the
long. lusty shout he hears from his
friends in the cotton field. and he hears
the deep sound Of the dinner bell from
the farmhouse. lie rolls over and
wipes his sweaty face on his shirt
sleeves and casts his eyes on a large
caterpillar that is creeping UP and
down on a low-hanging bough directly
over him. Becoming tired OF the cater
pillar. he raises on his elbow and lis