The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-08
THE BOOK OF GOPHERS

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Behold there arose a mighty king in
the land of Gopher and the report of mis-
great riches went out through the whole
earth. And the king sat on his throne,
with his men of business on his right
hand and his bankers on his left; and be-
fore him and behind him there stretched
great plains bursting with. the fat of the
land.
And this king said unto those on his
right and on his left: Come let us rea-
son together | have built me an hundred
store houses. and the floors thereof over
flow with wheat and with barley and
with corn and with flax; and the waters
of my mills for the feeding of the ma
tons; and the shores of the mighty
river, even of the Father of Waters, are
| hedged with boards from the north which
shall be to me for gold and for silver.
Come, therefore. what shall we do that
our greatness that went before. And
they took counsel together.
And the Queen of Sheba heard in her
own country of the fame of the king OF
Gopher and she came with great train
| to prove him. And she bowed herself
before him and said: Oh, King live for
ever. / have come to see with mine own
| eyes thy exceeding prosperity
Thou art welcome my sister, inasmuch
as ] perceive that thou art a modest wo-
man, seeing that thou wearest hat
| that forever conceals thy face from the
| forward gaze of men, whereon are cur
| ious plumes to put out the eyes of those
who come too near. and seeing that thy
garments are fearfully and wonderfully
made so as hide all semblances of a wo-
mans shape. Now. therefore. as thou
art a modest woman. ask what thou
wilt and 1t shall be granted unto thee
Then answered him the queen and said:
Though Solomon in all his glory was not
| arrayed like unto me, yet under the nat
| | carry a brain, and within the curious
raiment heart, and / would fam under
stand with my brain and admire with
my heart the exceeding greatness of my
| lord And the king arose. and his coun-
cillors. to show the queen his exceeding
prosperity, and they went forth from the
gates of the palace.
| And behold the charots ragged In the
streets and jostled pne against another
| in the broad ways. They seemed like
tol hes and they raced like lightenings;
and the city was filled with boys and
girls playing in the streets thereof so
that the chariots jostled the children
and some did they knock senseless and
of some they did cut off the legs. yet the
chariots stayed not, but went their way
and no man needed.
| Then came a boy forth from a dngy
building which is, being interpreted, a
school. and the boy did cast a ball, and
| the ball crashed through window and
| the guards of the city did hale him
away.
Then said the queen Oh, king, live
| forever! Why doth no man heed when
the charots jostle. and why do the
| tho haxy hot hrna ifpt
| the window?
And the king answered: There shall
be nothing hid from thee. my sister. The
| streets are for the chariots and not for
the boy: and it were bitter thing that
tine charioteer should slacken his speed
Bat the boy hath destroyed property and
property is sacred-yea more sacred than
ought else, seeing that children abound
but the dollar Is hard to get.
| Then the queen answered and said
Must not the young child play, and shall
not the boy cast a ball? Where be the
Fairgrounds that the young child may dc
that which pertaineth to youth?
The king spake: Behold the land cost
eth many shekels of gold and of silver
here where the houses stand hard by
each other. and shall we spend much
money for a young child's play? Three
miles out there lie Fairgrounds. Let the
boy walk thither II he would cast a ball
Then said she to the king: 1t seemetf
a strange thing unto me that out of your
abundance We buy chariots. but We have
naught to give the young child room that
he run, and throw out his arms and legs
and breathe deep bresths into his lungs
and rejoice as a young boy should. Ant
now behold the boy Is taken away ant
stitch In his seat of sinners. Shall he
NOT come out from there a sinner him
himself?
Yea said the king. but ! cannot take
the time of nightly men of valour tt
consider a young child's play. Let the
boy look to himself.
And the queen looked within the houss
which Is, being interpreted, school, anc
behold, many children, and some witt
bright faces did listen to the teacher
and some with eyes that did squint like
as If they could not see, and some will
dull faces as those who hear not, ant
yer others with open mouths as those
VINO cannot breath through their noses
Then said the queen. wherefore do "
teach those who cannot Learn? Why dc
We not heal the eyes of these children
that they see? What shall 1t profit G
boy II he knew how to bound Afghanis-
tan, and what shall 1t avail him If he
can do partial payments. II he hath moi
the body of well man? And 10, these