The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1908-12-18
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The
Indian Herd Boy
1@G0:

The Englishman came riding over
the fields at sunset. He had been out,
to canal, where the people were
Wrangling over water, and he had
made the peace and was tired of strife.
So he rode back alone and watched
the sun sink behind the mountains,
and breathed the cold evening air,
and loved the dry fields and the bar
rem scrub of the wide river plain and
the peace of the lonely stiffness. As
he neared the village he saw a little
ragged boy tending few bony COWS
which wandered about the fields and
sought for the rough, coarse grass
which was the only heritage. well,
little boy, how goes it, and whose cows
do you tend here?" Greeting" said
the little boy. "One of these cows Is
my own and the rest belong to my
neighbor, who pays me shilling a
month. There is no grass for the cat
tie, and they are hungry; but this
land is always dry, and the cows give
little milk What does your father
do, little boy, and where does he
live?" my father died some years
ago, when | was quite little, and now
keep the house. There is my moth
er and my little, brother to support,
so tend the cattle, as we have no
land of our own. That red COW is
ours. She is good COW, but old, and
gives but little milk Yet we live,
for God is good" Hold my horse,
and let me sit here on the bank How
can you live on one COW and keep
your mother and brother, even though
you tend these few bony cattle?"
''The neighbors are kind and give me
what they can; but, besides that, we
have the shrine"
"The shrine, what shrine?" There
that heap of stones, with little flag
flying above it. That is my grand,
fathers tomb. He was a very holy
man, and performed great miracles.
The river and the skies obeyed him,
and many followed him. He was rich,
but now the times are changed, and
we are poor. He used to ride upon
lion, and it. obeyed his will Now. +,
fear even to hold your horse, lest 1t
should bite me. You see, Lam
very little boy and timid.%, HYou. are
the son of a lion, little one, and must
be brave; then you too will ride upon
lions back. Was your father also
holy?" "YesA he was holy man, but
poor; and the people followed other
saints; yet he had some followers, for
his fathers sake. OF these now but
few are left" Have you also got fol-
lowers, and are you also holy?" 81
have some followers, but l am not
holy, for I am only a little boy, and
cannot read or write, and have not
read the Holy Books. Yet there are
some who remember my grandfather's
fame, and they come to me and give
me presents, and l pray for them.
They come to the shrine to pray, and
sacrifice for them, and they make
offerings, sometimes an egg, or even
fowl, now and again a goat. l pray
to my grandfather for them, and he
hears ME and remembers that am
his son. So he speaks to the Holy
Prophet, and the good God hears the
Prophet and gives us our desire. My
grandfather was very holy man.
take the offerings for myself and for
my mother and my baby brother, and
thus we find bread. We still have
list of my grandfather's disciples,
but now men go elsewhere, and we
make no new disciples. would not
If could, for l am a little boy and
ignorant, and how should | make dis.
ciples?"
But your grandfather made them,
and entered them in his book?"
eyes, my grandfather made them.
They came before him and begged his
intercession. Then he took lock
of their hair and cut it off by their
heads and burned it, or dropped it in
running water, and he entered their
names in his book, and he grasped
their right hand in his. So their soul
met his soul, and they were his follow
ers, and he held their hands. How
shall mans soul approach his Maker,
all sinful as he is, unless a holy saint