The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1910-08-19
THAT PECULIAR GIFT.


She stood at the corner Of busy thoroughfare
where people were constantly passing and repassng.
She was yourg and beautiful and her garments were
all OF gold. But the people needed her not as they
passed though she called to all of them; young men old
men. middle aged men and youths. But her voice
SO sweet and low that many passed unhearing, an she
never called to the same one twice. Some passed her
nditferently, others contemptuously and one in the
first flush Of manhood and full of the pride of life,
scofed at her and mocked her. but another heard her
voice IN the distance and hasened to clasp her his
arms. Then the young man noticed that her garments
were all OF gold and he said regretfully 'Wha have
done? What have done?"
Then she said to the other in surprise, 'Dost thou
know me-, And the man replied Long years have
listened for thy voice. All my days have longed to
gaze upon thy face" And he barred his head before
her and she that his hair silvered about the
temples and there were furrows on his brow but his
face was full of patience and strength and hope and
determination as he casped her hand in his, she
answered, Follow me"
She led him from the city beyond the COOL green
meadows, to place where two roads stretched out be-
fore them. One road so bright and beautiful in the
sunlight was bordered on either side by fragrant
flowers while the other rough and stony, bordered
by brlars and thSteS, but she chose the latter road
and he followed her. The briars caught his garments
and there were many obstacles in the way, but still he
cung to her and struggled on till they reached the
summit of hill where she bade him rest, and she
showed him little village nesting at the foot Of the
hill In the twlllghts sombre shadow it looked poor
and mean and ne thought with regret of the beautiful
SiIy hS DSAllu, UuI ENC SIlOWeu HllL
things and pointed out possibilities to him. and he list
ened to her voice till the shadows deepened and she
turned to depart. Then he held out his arms to her
eutreatingly but she said NAY, come but once in
the life Of every man, but he that harkens my voice
shall know both Prosperity and Fortune" And 10,
ne gazed after the maiden ongngy then descended to
the village below where he followed her instructions
and Prosperity to him. and by peculiar gift he
recognized many other opportunities wnen they came
to him, but he never forgot the first one.
One night he heard timd knock at the door,
knock low and tmid that without this peculiar
gift would have heard it at ALL He Mastered to open
the door, and coquettish maiden stood the thres
hold, then he knew that this the lady whose COM
entered
Another generation had risen. Again the maiden
as young and bright and beautiful of yore stood on
the of that busy street and called the passe
by, but the passers-by Indifferent the form
er generation had BEEN At last an old man with
flowing beard and faterng footsteps, clad in atters
hobbed past but he knew her and strained to catch
her voice. but it could not reach him. He was deaf
Then ne held out his arms despairingy toward her.
but she shook her head NAY, too late" she said.
y ou mocked me In your youth. come but once in
the life OF any man, too late too lae then he heard
her voice and clied out in grief, "Then | knew you
not but now know you. You are the Opportunity
that lost, the golden Opportunity that missed, be-
cause would not harken to your voice."
and he sighed, "Alas!
There tide in the affairs o Inen,
Which taken at the flood. leads fortune +"
But she did not hear him. Another man with that
peculiar gift" which men call foresight had heard
her voice and casped her in his armsh
CATHARINE THOMAS