The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-11-12
1E,'' GIFT
BY r.2RY PAIN

To commercial cor slderations that we
now find so cha aing and civilized.
1t was springtime, and the world was
young, and the sf1 was shining.
BY the footpath on the hillside sat
a young shepherd, eside him were
two young lambs VII -ewita he hal
lust started In the IlneSs or pro-
fession OF being a Ncphard. The
lambs had nothing to { but eat, and
they were doing 1t Wig 'usly For
the time the shepherd hal othins to
do but think, and as 1T spring
time and he and the world e both
young, you know as well as what
he was thinking about.
There came a maiden tina. way
(These shepherds have all the ck)
Her hair was golden and some hat
brief but curly. She sat down AMI be-
gan to play with one OF the LABS.
The shepherd Joined in the 81 ne
After he had caught her round The
waist and kissed her twice on me
ear because that was all she allo~ed
him to get at, she said she mus 30
| going on.
The shepherd caught up the LAM
she had been playing with and put
it in her arms.
| What she said, lis that for me?'
"Yes,' he said, IL you will have
| It,"
"All of it?"
He nodded. laughing, She held up
| the lamb and kissed it, looking out at
him with bright eyes as she did So
He took step nearer, and she ran
off. calling back her thanks.
So there was half the flock gone.
The shepherd sat down and went on
thinking much what he had been
thinking before.
| Presently another maiden came that
way. fReally. these shepherds are
too astonishing) This maiden had
red hair that would have made a
painter mad for pure joy, and she
had tied it up with blue ribbon;
and that blue and that red went to-
gether much better than you suppose.
So the shepherd began to talk to her,
without previous introduction surety,
| security or preliminary fees. She
did not mind it in the least, because,
as | have already explained this was
in the bad old days, which, | ami
thankful to say, now are gone forever.
She had gray eyes, and looked far.
far more poetical than she ever was.
she sat still and listened to the hoy'sl
praise of her. which made pleasant
music that spring morning in herl
ears. Her wide sleeve fell back and
showed how beautiful her white arm
was.
II should like to kiss that said
the boy, reflectively.
She neither moved nor answered.
So he did as he liked. And then she
sprang to her feet, for she remember
ed that she had to go to neighbor-
ing farmhouse to buy three pounds
s of bacon exactly like the last. 1t is
a sin and a shame that girls made for
q poetry should have to do these things,
But it occasionally happens.
do take that lamb with YOU said
the shepherd.
you don't really mean it?" said
the girl But at the same time she
| undid the blue ribbon from her hair
wherewith to lead it home, and as
she fastened it round the lambs neck
/ she said how sweet IL was Of him,
\ Her red hair tumbled in a charming
disorder. | hate to have to say that
| she went on to buy the bacon; 1t is,
unfortunately, true.
So now the shepherd was left with
no flock at all, which is generally
/, considered, | believe. to be an irritat-
ing thing to happen to a shepherd.
Then. walking quite slowly, there
came along another maiden. 20.
alasl poor shepherdD She looked
, straight before her, with big brown
ewes that we're fun OF wonder and of
faith. Her midnight hair fell over
her shapely shoulders. She was
dressed but in rags. and doubt II
she really had received a superior
education. To the boy these defects
: meant nothing. He knew that his
true love had come at last, and there
I was a main in his heart She passed
Il nv him i'm silence. He ran after her
, and caught her by the hand.
Have found you at last?" ne said
in a low voice. 20. my beloved"
This was little rapid. The girl
turned and looked at him, and he
was a good sort of boy to look at
y He persuaded her to come and SIT
: nv him on the grass. and told her that
! he was a shepherd.
But you have no flock"
II had one once" he said; i had
two lambs. 1t was hundred years
% ago."
where are they?"
. "a maiden passed this way, be
said land | gave her one Of them"
"And the other?"
well. a maiden happened to
Z 81 see" she said. Did you kiss
It them?"
!, "It WAS a hundred years ago" The
n boy said dreamiiy.
i She seized his hand and bit IT
"A wow you are punished enough" she
= aid esince il seems 10 you u hundred