The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1910-01-08
CALENDAR MOVED
UP A PEG
New Year the Day When Ev.
erybody Should Pay Up.
New Resolves Made.
TENDERFOOT's DOPE

Rtisly figure t nsPs rope made o.
heart strings and keeps forever pcaling
the bronze simmons to the multitude
within the city. With every measured
beat Of the great bell, the portal swings
open little from some unseen power,
and wild eyed aud afraid some victim
is given to the spirits Of the desert
who swoop down aud tear them, some
shTeikinR with fear, others with the
soddcn mask Of despair over their
faces, few with eyes that look out
calm aud unafraid into the bosom of
the midnight blackness Of the great
gaunt shadow that invests the city.
II s n long sad train Of sacrifices.
Comes now a maiden with flowers in
her hair, just from the bridal wreath,
aud M she IN swept through the gate.
there IN u glimpse of how strong
man suffers when he gives up more
than life itself; there IL no fear in
her fair face as she comes through
for her eyes are turned backward to
all of the olysium that IN left behind,
aud all the terror there IN ia death
is in the parting.
Another peal, and It is an old mnu.
bent and tottering with years well
SPENT IL almost seems to me can
hear his quavoring voice chanting a
hymn Of praise and Thanksgiving as
the pail falls over him, aud be j. blot
ted out Ut knowledge of his chill
dren aud bis children'p = children; he
has lived the life, aud he Is not
afraid Of the change before which most
Ut the world cringcs ~ u craven.
Another peal aud there. is the sound
of orphans wailing, ns a matron oi
mature and gracious presence is
swept forth, still holding cut her arms
to those who are left behind, whose mes.
sage of sorrow dies away IN sob
that moves the soul a. sue Ia swept IN.
to the abyss.
Another peal, and 1t il u young man,
in the arst flush OF his great strength,
torn from tho ambitions that underlie
his very soul. struggling against the
power 80 that the muscles stand out
un his arms aud shoulders, and his
neck ~ swollen with tangled tendon
aud sinew; he will not part willingly
from the stage; IL means too much Ia
him; ho is too strong, too powerful,
TO resourceful to be moved against hiS
will; and yet, he comes and he goes
a. quickly as those Others who have
gone before.
Another peal aud little child is
swept through the gates. This is
some new game, and he laughs IN his
glcc, aud tags the portal as 1t closes
behind him. lie stands with dancing
eyes aud nervous feet, waiting for the
next move. Somebody's little bad boy
who but yesternight WAS Kissed to
sleep with thankful hearts aud a full
realization of how much God eau give
to man and woman bct,des riches,
lsh footsteps and the prattle Of IA baby
voice, n dumb agony that is no earthly
comfort lle hesitatcs minute
when cloud falls down out Of the
dar kness aud he too is gone.
FILLED with the unspeakable horror
~ ths giving Of the innocent, | turn
to y, not knowing or caring where,
Before me lies the desert, aud dark
ness aud unspeakable night. Any
where out Of the sight of that sacri
fee. On into tho dar kness, over brok
en aud twisted masses of lava, that
turn beneath the feet, and rend the
flesh with their sharp points, at times
reaching up and throwing me, bruised
aud bleeding TO the Jagged ground
only to spring up and rush madly on
Now at last there is a sound, but oh
God, what sounds! The jccring cack
ling laugh Of a myriad of maniacs, exult
ing in the torment of fresh victim
aud squirting ON the winged monsters
that cross my path, darting hither and
thither with swollen and distorted
shapes, and leaving on my fevered
cheeks streaks OF inky slime from
their horrid pinions that will not rul
OF, that bites and stings in the heated
and quivering flesh. On and on AND
an, still on, striving with all the impi
aud aends Of hell, till at last with
one last effort, one last chorus Of de
moniaca laughter they arc left be
hind. The way is smoother now hui
Of false promise, for | zee that ! All
running along the shingls OF a might,
river, and burning with thirst, I fal
at It's brim TO drink--only discoye
that the sand that shono white in tn
darkness is made Of fragments Of hu
man bones, that the grass at the wa
ter's brim, 10 matted and twiste
strands Of women q hair and that th
river itself is flood OF blood tina
clots and unelots with the pressur
) of the flow, while out on its dar
aud forbidding breast are wrecks an
! wrecks and wrecks OF what were one
noble ships, but now nothing but flo'
sam aud 3etsam ON the great river O
/. death.