The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-05
A Man, q Mule and Christianity
BY RALPH II. SILVER

The moon, just going down, cast long
ponderous shadows across the stumpy
clearing. Close at hand in the east, the
mountain rose almost straight into the
air. The moonlight, shining fiat against
the mountain side. made visible far up
the heights even the leaves of the trees.
The whole mountain appeared to be NOV
ing in slow. dreamy, rhythmic motion
back and forth, caused by the swayins
shadows of the trees and shrubbery gently
: rocking on the night breeze. 1t all looked
like some colossal panorama thrown on a
curtain by a huge moving picture ma
chine.
In the center of the clearing stood two
buildings, house and a barn. The house
was SMALL one-storied, with a big stone
chimney at one end. A small yard had
been enclosed by a fence made from
Young sapling poles, but the fence was
broken down in several places. A sud
den little breeze swung the creaking gate
shut with slam, the noise sending
rabbit scooting around the house. Inc
man in the clearing dropped down behind
q stump.
The man was slowly approaching the
barn. A half hour had elapsed since his
tall. hazy-looking form had appeared at
the edge of the thicket. Every little noise,
he stopped. Sometimes he wriggled along
on his stomach, then getting into
shadow he hurried forward There were
no more noises the gate had ceased
swinging. His head had been visible over
the stump now for five minutes, like a
turtle looking over a log He started
again, on his hands and knees.
From somewhere way UP the noun
tain, 1t must have been far away. faint
swhoo, who. who" crept across the clear
ing. hit the other mountain and echoed
back still fainter, but strangely noticea-
BILE. He had not heard, his business was
of far more Importance than listening to
a boot owl
He had reached the barn and was try
ing the doors. They were locked. He
reached into his pocket several times and
then for few minutes worked at the
door. 1t opened and he disappeared. In
few minutes he reappeared in the moon
lit doorway and looked toward the mouse
for long time. At last he seemed salts
fed and was gone again. inside.
When he reappeared he was leading
mule. He tied her behind the barn and
returned. He soon came out with an
other mule. He mounted one and lead
ing the other, he started back In the
direction from which he came. From
the edge of the thicket, he looked back.
All was quiet and as he had left it, the
shadows were getting longer and the rao-
bit had returned to the front yard
II.
1t was an exceptionally large crowd OF
people. They had just finished their
picnic suppers and the gay, strengthened,
clear-eyed mountain girls were laughing,
teasing and flirting with the roughly gal
liant cowboys in their sombreros. Up on
the knoll some one stepped on to the
1plank platform and commenced hammer
ing a plowpoint Dishes and leavings
were hurried into the baskets and from all
directions the crowd began to move IN
toward the platform, swarming down onto
the little cluster of rude seats and bencnes
in front of 1t.
A mammoth beach tree stood in the
yarthest corner of the grounds. Its
smooth. twisted old limbs coming down
almost to the ground, gave 1t the sem
blance of a natural shelter, as II built py
nature for the protection of her children.
ALTHOUGH the trees were secluded ana out
of the way, from his seat on q. limb hall
way to the top the man could see that the
lecturer had mounted the platform ana
was talking to the crowd. the speaker
fnished and the notes of song came
floating through the leaves to the man in
tha tree. He liked singing and he mad
not heard music for years AS ne ilstened
70 catch the sounds, tense, strained
eager expression came over his face. he
climbed down-thoughtfully, hesitatingiy.
Tho watchfulness, the rear, the sus-
picious watching of others without pelns
seen himself, his cunning, sinking, guard
"a movements all had suddenly left him.
Now he was at the edge of the crowd or
people He noticed no one, but walked
along. his eyes looking on the ground, ms
hands In his pockets. the strangely TAMIL
lar vet absolutely unknown song again
sounding in his ears
OF a sudden he gave a start and STOOD
still. His hands flew to his head, for
. there seemed to be an ache there. 1t
seemed something that had been bound
there for years had burst Its chains. He
knew the song now 1t was one mother,
his mother, used to sing. Tears came as
he thought of her-he had forgotten that
he ever had a mother. He could see her
right now, just as she used to look. A
folly. rosy-cheeked little Irish woman,
singing ABOUT QeT WoTk hiiu toihAh6 W NASi
boy-him-he was her boy, about how she
wanted him to be preacher. Then she
died one night, happy, saying she was
woin9 to Him And he cried-and forgot
her, and now he was a man and.
He looked up. In front of him stood lit
tie groups of men, some talking and
laughing and others seemed to be In
heated discussion over something. tackled
70 a tree. that they were reading He
pushed his way through the crowd and
s read:
500. reward
for Captur of thief and
return of my black Muls
stold the Night Of June 4.
signed
Mike McCarty.
The words made a quick, painful i'm
preston on his brain. but he had not read
4 them until they were forgotten. He APP
peared to be in a sort of stupor He