The Washington times., 1906-01-21

anu AAOeSN IL % CeE19
times low, fiat and leaden-
hued they slide by in sullen thous-
ands, or now and then a transparent
cleaning sphere, rejecting on its
rounded sides all of heavens blue,
plain and white, slow sailing clouds,
goes floating by, a thing of beauty
and of joy. Bubbles-hurrying, rush
ing bubbles-with one halted in your
path perhaps or toucn1ng you light
ly in passing by - tnen on again!
Where from? Where to? Breaking
reforming hosts - bubbles on the
stream Of life!
We were high up in the mountains
and all day long my thoughts had
been turned to my distant home; for
strange as it may seem it does not
matter how many miles Or the fat,
black prairie land l may put behind
me. it's only when the mountain
ranges upheave themselves between
my home and me that l am seized
with morbid fear I calamity OF
grave illness causing sudden recall;
and shudder at the dreadful dis
tance dividing me from the imagined
sufferer. All day ! had Deen shut
up in the private ea-, a victim of
homesicllness and imaginary trouble,
so the weather being fine l promised
my small four-footed travelling COM
panion that l woulG start earlier
than usual for the theater, that he
might have a little run, and after
dinner | inducted the wee Tbs, all
quivering, starting, rearing with eX-
citement, into collar and mighty bow
and we started.
Over in the glowing WesJ-where
the mountains lifted themselves in
amethystine silhouettes against the
golden mountains that IN the
East were already chilling into gray
grim and repellant; with ever in
creasing awe l gazed at them; gazed
until l felt myself the meTest atom.
Surely, | thought, all those holy men
of old, who fed into the mountains,
finding strength and help and joy
there, must have turned to them in
the morning, when their giant forms
were bathed in rosy light; the rents
and assures of their scored sides fill
ed with the purply bloom of ripened
grapes and bases still deep in sill
very mist Things of such beauty,
strength and promise might well lure
the world-wOrn. sin-weary TO rise
and fee to them-but not, oh, surely
not!-at eventide when grim and
cold, some of their mighty masses
take on sentinel-like attitudes,
strangely watchful - aud others
shaped like prehistoric monsters,
crouched ready to spring at the word
of command, halted since a million
years perhaps. The carriage stopped
so did my dreaming. | sent the
maid and the inevitable leather bag
within, dismissed the driver and then
turned my attention to Tibbs-whO
to the casual eye. was but an ami
mated tangle of hair, pierced by two
brightly dancing eyes, but to those
who knew. he was liou-hearted, low
ing and loyal to his little doggish
soul. For. though you shake your
head, some dogs have souls-oh. yes
they surely, surely have!
Like a small alarm clock, wound
and set, Tibbs waited tensely for tn,
smiling question: DO you want Il
go?"-then sounding the alarm b,
sprang into action, kicking. scratch
ing. pushing his way Gown the from
of my dress to the sidewalk and lib
erty AS | walked slowly after III,
red bow-glancing, cleaning errati
caIly on ahead, smiled at the quie
emptiness of this city street. In it
whole length, | murmured, | an
the only human being-and at tha
very moment l saw approaching m
Iaan. There being no one else &
lock at, / naturally observed hin
rather closely. He was old and yer
poorly dressed, but clean and tidy
His starchless white shirt and il
old-time, turnover collar showed n
a