Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-09-06
AN ADOBE DIVINITY
Or the Fair Exhibit That Did
Not Get Entered
A LITTLE STORY OF MELON DAY
Whose Pathetic Incidents flight Ia
spire Some Philanthroplst TO
Build us a SanitarIuni
on the tiili.
nr O. II. I.

nv u. II. 7.
on the dry and barren hillside the
site chosen for the express reason
that il was above the irrigation line
and so best adapted TO be the dwell-
ing place Of a victim Of the white
plague. there stood tent through
whose canvas waiN the fresh air
might peTeolate without producing
draughts. and upon whose roof the
burning sun poured It's hot but heal
ing rays The situation had a view
OF the tree einhowercd town. with its
active life, on the right hand, and on
the lci, tho quiet restfulness OF n
green eNpause OF alfalfa aud bee,
fields. In the tent. seated in an old
time wooden rocking chair. made
comfortable with quilts and pillows.
sat young man near about the age
OF -, on whose cmaciatcd face the
only speek OF color was the hectic
Hush which bciokcned the consuming
fever iha; was slowly burning up his
vitality. On camp table drawn up
beside the chair were a number of
small clay figures that had been Whit
tied from the hardened scdimen, clay
that covers the lateral banks and the
bed OF the irrigatinR bitches when tho
Hood waters OF the July rains subsidc.
The work was so elcveriy ehiScli-d
that one must conclude no novice
hand was guiding the pocket knife
and the few other small tools of 4
wood earvcr's kit that lay on the ta-
bic. The workman was not novice.
He had completed an apprenticeship
in model making for plaster and staff
work and stucco designs and had just
fs,t III. rts,,.a aasa
tion as designer in the plaster works
in an eastern city when that raeking
cough assailcd him. How rapidly Il
made ravages on the finely chiselicd
face and form tina, Nature had stamp
cd with the goodiy promise of
strength and talents. How strcnu-
ously he denied to himself and to
those around him the truth of the
doctors diagnosis-"consump
Yet here he was in the tent on a
bare and sunburncd hillside. n young
Samson shorn of his strength and
futilely tugging at the thongs with
which disease had bound him.
Outside the door OF the insect
barred tent-her stove, her cooking
equipment and herself exposed to the
direct rays OF July sun-stood the
mother OF the invalid. preparing for
him the dish of scaldcd milk that
was the comforting stimulant under
which he pushed on with the clay
work before him. He had conceived
the idea OF making novel exhibit Of
Melon Day souvenirs at the Arkansas
Valley Fair that was going to bring
enough money perhaps to pay the
doctor bill and was also going 10 ad-
vcrtisc the workman in new line of
souvenir making that might be the
means of comfortable living for a
family of three. For beside the tired
scuiptor's chair stood brother, a
boy of Il, whose sunburncd face and
wced-staincd fingers betokencd en-
ployment in the adjacent melon
patches and beet fields. He stood
looking alternately at the little table
laden with the finished carvings and
the Jumps of unshapened adobe and
the chips of the carvcr's tools and
then into the thin and tired face of
the elder brother. On his own face
was written world of admiration
for the work upon the table and OF
love for the weary worker of the
clay.
"Thrcc new pieces done today,
Harry. And they're just beautiful.
You're the new St. Gaudens and Rog-
crs OF America. You're going to Eu-
rope to study, and I'll earn the money
to pay your way, eh mother?'
Eyes. Billy. From plaster of paris
to Paris and plaster, from adobe mud
to Carrara marble. Who knows?"
The sick boys face had only wan
smile, and he drew from off his shoul-
der the hand of the young brother,
that, loving as the touch was.
yet rested too heavily on the
weakened frame.
Then he answered bravcly: Eyes,
Billy, and then I'll earn the money
for you while you are learning to be
the great cartoonist of the American
press. You know Homer Davenport
started life as horse jockey, and
that's lower down i'll the scale than
beet-wceding and 'dobe souvenirs"
THAT reminds me OF scheme
thought OF today-but it's going to be
a surprise"-and Billy stopped short
with his hand over his mouth to pre-
vent the escaping secret. But his face
glowed with the joy OF anticipation,
and he went on again:-
"This is lust the end of July. More
than month yet to the fair, Harry.
You'll have enough pieces by that
time to stock stall Mother is saw
ing up enough of my beet money. to
rent the. space and pay the entry fec;
because we're going to enter your
work for a special prize in the art
class. There won't be anything like
yours on exhibition. Here's your
real Rocky Ford souvenirsl" cx-
claimed Billy. in affecting practice
as the booth spieler. =,
Done in real Rocky Ford marble