The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1916-04-21

their unceasing harch across the talr
plains of southern France, burying al
before them-fields, meadows, vine
yards, houses, churches. even villages
Leaving behind them only gray bill
lows, to which chung punches OF brack-
en-, a few starved bushes Of scrub oak,
and thickets of white and purple
gorse, fighting stubbornly for a hold
upon the shifting sands, with here and
there some struggling groups OF pine,
the protesting remains of a great for
est which wind and sand, and NE and
water had spared.
ION the seward side the great fur
rows, lying one within the other, were
bare and gray. The western winds lift
ed the Tight sands and dropped them
Just beyond the crest to drown ana
smother the shrubs which struggled lp
the leeward side. Here and there III
favorable places few scattered pines
marked the location of the ancient for
est to which the Greeks and the Ro-
mans, perhaps even the Phoenieians,
came for timber and pitch and LETT
their names on the shore to mark the
limits Of forgotten commerce. They
brought with them not only reckless
greed, but still more reckless flame,
which, cooperating with the steady
western winds and the sand thrown
up by the restless waves, ate away
the forest and left only the shifting
dunes-great sand pillows that crept
inch by inch and year by year, entomb-
ing more of the bright-bIossomed bruy'
ere and genets, no matter how brave
ly they fought for existence. leaving
behind them only dry roots, which the
'forestiers' gathered for their hearths.
March OF the Sand Dune.
whenever the foot OF the sand
dune rested, there was hopeless blight.
A little wiry grass grew in the shad-
ow OF the heather and gorse, on which
the sheep browsed under the eyes OF
solemn.faced shepherds perched on
stills and knitting as they watched.
On and on crept the phalanx OF the
terrible dunes, slowly but surely blight
ing all IN their path. not only Great
ing a desert but destroying hope. AS
long as the winds blew from the west
the dunes marched to the east; the
desert fires ravaged the Intervening
spaces: fiocks grew fewer, the desola-
ton more extreme. In the heart OF
sunny France desert was established
ever increasing In extent and threat
ening to stretch across its fairest fields
the aridness of the Sahara"
Then this consul of the United
States who also was a writer told us
how today 1.-THE dark squadrons Of
the min maritime are posted ON thou
sands of sandy slopes faithful gardiani
in the shelter Of which the vineyards
and wheat fields rest secure. The
gray dunes which were sweeping oyel
the land have become serried for
tresses which shelter civilization ant
prosperity"
So ends the gripping story told IL
an obscure corner of an obscure pam
phlet published as one OF Uncle Sam
daily consular reports.
Books and Presidents.
The White House is always tn
White House, but the atmosphere
: within II changes as the Americal
: people change their presidents. Tn
tastes of presidents and the tastes o
men who are not presidents differ ma
terially. II would be possible for
person of comparatively small discern
ment to learn something on enterin
: the White House Of the nature OF tn
I man who occupies 1t even II he al
a not know so much as the occupant
q name.
r Mr.. Wilson, like Mr.. Roosevelt.
o a student. Mr.. Taft also was a ST
y dent, but the studious desires of tn
three men have led them in differeI
T directions. The books In the Whit
y House perhaps furnish the best inde
g by which to Judge of the mental habi
Q OF the chief executive Of the Unite
, States.
/ President Wilson was lawyer D
n fore he became teacher. He stll
n lawyer. He has law books abo'
c. him standing cheek b. jowl, so
h speak, on the shelves with books
D. political economy and history. He
a deep student OF the histories OF
countries, but he 10 especially interel
o. ed IN the history OF bis own Ian
o What might be called political histo
O. az differentiated from other recor
n of the various nations particularly
N peals to the presidents mind and
Q, terest =,
Is OF course. In the library OF Mr. "
Of son there are scores of books up
subjects ether than those OF the i
Id and history. Poetry is there, with II
as good fiction. Added to these are ma
ID books on music and the composers
be music. The presidents family Is
en- voted to tAis art.
Ia Tsft's and Hooseselt's Books.
- When Mr.. Taft left tbs White Hot
- to make place for Mr.. Wilson ne 70
= with him a cargo Of books" Nsa
On ewery volume was big one and
heavy one. for Mr.. Taft's library lar
,' IL was devoted to the Law. OF cour
like Mr.. Wilson. he was interested
- things apart from the law. and be