Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-06-22
THE SHEPHERD
lie Lost Nothing BY Being Tus ,sA,,
When Pleasure callsa

lanterns Joined his and Hav sld ~.
nIekerlng lights played on ihs lHal q,
a girl or the eager face u o thld al
upon the little eoheer, that ihg minis,
Gowrle. was giving to all ite wilma
FOR the most part the sblllvY hu,,,
no hin, Of race or degree, until A. b.
little crowd gathered IN p5dht
room. where the fare Of on 90 lam 4,
n motley crowd Of village people
rude benches, q platform screened h
lain Of turkey red, and On allsup n |
ration which resulted 10 hskuy /.
nothing could spoil the yiyidnsa }
mountain holly or the grace Of Il, =
pine.
As the boy slouehed toward & ,sl
s,opped him. She wore a knitted IA,
and her cheeks riyalled the rolorss
headgear.
"Gude evenin',' she said anl n,
eoanettish glance from her bright sya
returned her greeting,
The boy walked by her side llll,
wardly but unabashed, lie was u N
lived IN in the hills II was he N.
lave. and the girl was his chosen nin
Ter the festivities they would 20 Up d.
nath together, and he would Kiss b,
door Of her fathers cabin, and that Va.
,ha,r betrothal. They sat together q
from, bench. and sang from The nui \
hook. The boy sang softly He vaa
IL, ont his voice in that little room, e
only on the monniaintop that The de-;
rang loud and clear as he chanied vi
chorus TO his sheep. The though, 4
sbsep brought uneasiness. Up ihsr
maintain the Rocks lay waiting iot 1,
come and open 10 them the shelter
she'd. but the temptation to 20 aplsir
bad been great and the smile o. ID,
checked girl. the music, the lights *
eompanionship had lured him from itf
watch under the stars Then the It'd
pered TO him, and he forgot care, util
liz later an outer door opened, arl
stenped In with sof, snow lying 10 HI
OF his plaid.
"It's snawin,' said the boy.
The girl nodded, but kept her eyes G
stage where four small girls recitsd
In unison.
Again the boys thoughts few |
mountain where the snow was boFil 1
curling and drifting against closed
closed TO the patient flock as, nose
and body TO body for warmth, they ID
for the shepherd who did not come
Al last he moved restlessly. I've ~
90 he said TO his companion.
al
"Its fearful storm, he vhi9al
"Hear the wind--and the sheep ore o't
''They amt a-going to hurt, she q
pered back, IAN you're to gang hans /
me
',your fathers here. he said
"If YOU don't stay and now she It'd
ened enormously ''if yau don't SOY
cae hame wi Ted.
The boy looked mp at her rose'rsd 'i.i
her blue eyes, and the thin scarlet line ~
/ lips.
'But the sheepi' he said uuceriaiHly
She smiled. sure now Of her conquest
tell you them sheep amt a'goin 70 1T
she repeated, and once more turned Peg
tention to the platform.
The new minister was speaking stitl
asticaliy. yearning TO move his leihars; ,
pie. The boy listened with a glowing I
/ Through the long hours Of his ehildhM
had sat in the sunshine and dreamed O :
deeds With the awakened impulses
youth he had tramped the forest and :
dered what life meant to the men who
not Of the mountains. And now be
for the minister was voicing the dociHH
endeavor. II was not emotion that maas
world better but energy; one must not
dream, one must do. The great men
those who were faithful to little things
Remember that tonight we make Z.
but in the years to come we must WORE
said finally, work for the souls thit
without the fold: and as the shepherd
for his sheep. so must we care for tho~
are astrsy.'
''As the shepherd cares for his sha
The words struck the boy with the
of a blow. He half arose in his seat
the girl reached out O restraining hara
STAY she commanded; but the
looked at her with unseeing eyes.
81 go to find my sheep he said ai'
her.
]
He found them in a close, gray
against the shed. The wind howled 81
them, and the snow was piled high 81
their withers, and those who were n
the door stumbled in stifiy when thi
unlocked il. Inside was q rude ire
and wood was piled beside it. TIE
built a great fire and the poor creatuFs
treating before the blaze, lay down q
troden straw with soft sounds Of ca
Then the boy brought in two weak eve
laid them close to the flames, and VI
them anxiously until they revived and
gered back to their fellows.
For long time after that the boy
front of the fire and thought of the girl
would go home with his rival and
would part at the door. The boys
flushed, and his hand clenched as he til
of that parting Would She
He went to the door and flung II
Outside the stors were blotted out the
ragged, and the snow whirled. He felt
between him and the girl there was
rier as of an unknown world. He had
his duty, and she had not understood
she cast him off for that, let her 60, He
cared for his sheep. He went in and
down before the FIRE, his great coat d
around him.
Let her gol Let her gol" sang the
ing flames.
Let her gol Let her go!" echoed
raging winds.
Then came voice of comfort from VI.
"You cared for the sheepl You cared
the sheepl"
And so he fell into deep sleep, com
ed, but his cheeks were wet.
In the morning he broke path DOVE
mountain. The sun shone and the SKY
blue and the world sparkled clear ana
after the storm. When he reached Gel
clearing he stopped and gazed over tue
tening expanse towards the girl hohr'
Suddenly, his eyes were caught BY
of pink. Through that white. white W
the girl was coming TO meet him, AZ
came up, he put out both hands and tooA
smaller ones in his. ~ had to go Ne
The girl felt new dignity in his man
She blushed and trembled, then her I'ps
cred. 81 went hame wi father
sobbed, her cheek against his coat
Into his face came all the tendernes,
awakened manhood his rough hnses
back little curl that blew about the "
temple; his voice thrilled. =. r.
m glad We didna gang hame vi ~
he said, simply, 'an that We ken 'uS'
was a-feelin'." ,.,,
She did not know-would never A".'