The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1906-08-18


wall-thc only picture in the little bed
room. Iii the foreground, between two
wall, of water which reared them
selves on either eide in defiance OF all
natural laws, tat. bearded. complaccnt
stalkcd a hcfcUrCIn Moses. Behind him
trailcd the children OF Israel. looking
while ON the horizon the Egyptian hosts
sadly out OF perSpcctiNe-wc threat
cncd ON every side by curling waves ot
gigantic proportions.
1t had hung there in the same place
for years, but il was only Sirce the day
he had been brought in from the barn,
his right side useless from a stroke OF
paralysis. that Daniel Crosby had Civ
en- the ancient, smoke strcaked wood
cut more tl1ah' a passing thought He
had been. aware, OF its existence in a
vaguely familiar way. II it had been
taken down he would have missed it.
He knew from TIE !ftfe 'tnlderneath it
was supposed TO Represent the passage
of the Red Sea BY the, chiltlteh Of Is
rael, but heretofore he had never taken
the trouble to notice further detail,
save that it was yellowed, by age and
badly smirchcd III places by smoke
irome the adjacent Kitchen.
But now it was'different AS he, lay
there on the bed practically helpless
and the June DAYS went by-ln mQnoto-
nous succession, -hc found himself cN-
amining the picture infinitely during
the long, wakciUl daylight hours when
lie breeze nutcred the chintz curtains
the windows and the bees drpned
mong the blossoms of the syringa
ushcs just outside. =.
ltrcanc ~ llme-to hlNc An uilMAnIf
Dmc fascination Tor him. lie began
; wonder Inrt how many children OF
'racl were represented in that cut and
} satisfy lnmNcli OH that point he tried
me and again. t. count them, begin
mlE with the two patriarcha! gentle
men Just behind Moses, but AWAY, at
the thlrty-iourth the heads resolved
themselves INTO blurred mass that de-
ned further enumeration. DAY alter
day. hour after hour h9 counted pa
ticntIy and steadily his anger at his
own h,lpIcNoncrs III the matter and his
resentment ct the blurred heads grew
stronger. Try as he would t. divert
ms lnuld to "thSr things 1t always re-
turned pcrtinacluuNIN t. the picture and
the al absorbing que ,t1"n OF how
many children OF Israel there would be
II he could once succeed IN counting
them aII lc grew by slow degrees t"
nate that PICTURE yet VITA TINS hate the
iaNrnail"n was u" whit Ic,N>cned. n
deed the stronger grew ms hate the
more frequent became ms c"untlnsS
lint'I at last ne realized ne could know
no peace OF Wlnd until the picture was
taken from the room;
1t seemed the simplest Ut matter t.
nave a picture rrm'Ncd rom the walls
ct hcdrr"rn. ut III I)anlrI Crosby :,
case there, were G"mpi'c1ti"nN, ANA
THESE c"nfpI'cat1HlH EN IN the TACT that
the only person t" whom he could Nug-
gcNl that Inc picture be taken down
was ms Wlic, andi between crosby and
ms Wlir there had existed fourteen
year, "l stubborn, unyleidlng silence.
1t had come as the CLIMAX OF numcr-
Gus petty differences, hey had wran-
gIrd long. and lfrccIy. NJ the end 81
1t Ahbv Crosby had burst into flood
OF bitter, rcbcIIlOus tears
gu can rest assured ot one thing,
Dan Crosby, she mad Sobbed wretch
eddy. Il wont never, never open. my
mouth t" YOU again ; long | live
lie had smiled Ill superior fashion
/ 4 80