Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-29

NMN wv OF crimson, shot horizontally across
A1gkk4 the low range of hills to the east.
MkN ALWAYS he rose with the daybreak,
MN when the rolling valley beneath him
W. seemed to defy eternity, in its clasp
of cool stiffness And always he
X stood long long, breathing deeply at
-AAA his cabin door, the pungenCy of
~ moses and waters and rocks keen
his nOStr1lS.
So remote were his preoccupaons
that little curiosity felt concerning him. though there
settlement of mountalnees IN the valley, with at
least white painted house, called hoel, to which
sometimes came summer tourists. 1t was known that he
was good and pous, and that he diligently searched the
Scriptures Long ago there had been rumor that
he was n1iser, who boarded vast wealth But that
too had died down. and been forgotten, with much be-
sides The small duties making for his material sub
sisence were nexorabe of yet, taking the
as whole they left him the bulk of his time tor dreams,
or vigIlanCeS medtat1OnS.
Thus the unnumbered years had passed over him,
when came the appointed hour
HE had stood as his daily wont, looking out into
IL that thn crisp halflght stirred by vagrant
rents of air-thc light that premOnltory OF day Soon
he must shade his eyes, for the morning Haunted sud
den binding crimson, vndictvey it would seem, lick
ing up all the pale stars in one leap OF flame
The briance too strong. For respite, he aVerted
his gaze toward the overhanging crag where his cabin
cast slant shadow against the gold-lghted gray
What faced him there? Some incarnation OF the glory
from which he had turned? Some gentle avatar OF the
dawn now herang itself with fanfare OF trumpets
Motioness family smiling touched all about with
the aura of sunrise the confronting Inquire was not u
of that old Bible which lay open on the table
inside his cabin 1t seemed to be clothed in robe
of white linen The faxen hair at this moment
LUMINOSITY reflective like gilt, parted and drawn
back on each side of the low straight brow. he eyes
had caught and still held the unfathomabe blue OF tar
away hills whose coves leashed the shadows.
The looked at each other, even as moment be-
fore both had looked upon the coming OF day For
a period that to of them at least seemed endless
word was exchanged Then the hcrmts features
passed strange trembling. and the girl pointed to the
zigzag path leading up the mountainside.
THAT way? ! see-perhaps.' The old man nodded,
still anxious, still uncertain.
ooh but | am much used to climbing laughed the
girl breaking the spell. She spoke with ndenabe
suggestion of some foreign accent; and, all at once,
where had been ervor and mystery and an awe
that was allied to fear now life and ami
nation For if answeringly, the great kissing sun
across the valley seemed to shake itself from its
lce of struggling colors and leap to the freedom of
level day.
@But surely-you will know me? There will be some
thing that tells you the girl paused and drew
closer "Look into my eyes she pleaded. Look well
at my features. Have you not them before? oh,
have made such long, long pilgrimage my
ALL risking the chance you might be dead-and have
so hoped and prayed YOU would see, that YOU would
know Oh, look closer, Look through recognize
me. a sob of pure eagerness choked back the flood
of words. Out of the blue of her eyes two teardrops
rolled and dropped at the herrnit's feet.
Into that valley" he made reply "when the noun
tain laurel has shed its blossoms and the rhododen-
dron CLEANS pink in the coves, many strangers come
each year They have threaded the mountains together
with the iron railway, like beads upon strand to be
told off BY idle travellers. And yet-et THINK Child