Mexico Missouri message., 1916-02-24

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rusty spades from the debris in The old
mill, fitted new handles to them and
took the old darky, Bonifacio by name,
off with him to the depression. They
began the long task of digging out the
silt Of years Day after day, week
after week, they chung to the mono
tonous work. The darby worked like
an automaton. Work in itself to him
was nothing beyond the path to food
and rest at night. Labor made no de-
mands on courage-it had no end, no
goal But Gerry's labor was dignified
by conscious effort. His eyes were not
in the ditch but on the vision he had
seen of what Fazenda Flores might
be. He had fixed his Grant soul on
goal. The essence of slavery is older
than any bonds wrought by man. The
white man and the black in the ditch
were its parable. The dignity and the
shame of labor were side by side, para
doxically yoked to the same task.
Margarita and her aunt looked on
and smiled and joy began to settle on
the girl. During Gerry's first restless
week she had steeled herself each
night to the thought that she would
wake to find him gone. But now he
was taking root, It amused him to
dig. Well, let him dig. There was no
end to digging.
Gerry occasionally varied the work
of digging with making some knick-
| knack for the house The twisted
limbs of trees became benches to sup
plant the rickety chairs, clumsily
patched and totally inadequate to his
weight. In the same way he made the
| massive frame of q bed and BOnifacio
remembered an art and filled in the
frame with plated thongs. Work in
spires emulation. The women got out
their store of cloth. They made clothes
for Gerry and fitted out the new bed.
Pillows and mattress were stuffed with
dry bur-marlgolds that family scented
the whole room. With each achieve
ment the somber house seemed to take
a step toward gayety. Ruin and dilap-
idation put forth green shoots. The
gayety was reflected in the household.
They were united in achievement.
Quiet smiles were their reward to
each other and sometimes burst of
bottles and with the aid Of a bit OF
string cut them into serviceable mugs.
Margarita was happy. Her cup was
full All the dreams of her girlhood
were fulfilled in Gerry. A silent and
strange lover, but a man-such a man
as she had dreamed of but never seen.
To herself she sang the old songs he
should have sung to her and then
laughed as he nodded mild approval.
One evening he sat on a bench on
the veranda, fitting a handle into a
dipper made of a cocoanut-shell. Mar.
garita sat on the steps at his feet
She leaned back further and further
until she sank against his knees. He
stopped over her. She threw up hel
arms around his neck, locked heI
hands and drew him down. He kissed
her lips and sighed.
"Ah, do not sigh" she walled
Laugh! Laugh but oncew
Gerry did not grudge the months Of
toll in the ditch. AS he worked he
thought and planned. This ditch wa:
the very real foundation for the attain
ment of his vision. Deep and strong
and carefully graded it must be be
fore he cleared the sand barrier to thu
rivers surge The ditch was slow Of
growth but there was something abou
it which held his faith. 1t was rugged
and elemental. 1t was the ugly sourc,
of a coming resurrection.
When it was all but done he tool
Margarita and showed her his handl
work. He pointed out the little sluice
ways, each with its primitive gate, {
heavy log hinged on a thole-pin witt
a prop to hold it up and a stone t
weight it when down. On the Fazendi
side were innumerable little trenches
that stretched down into the valley.
But not until he led her to the clef
in the river gorge and showed her tina
half an hours work on the sand bar
rler would let the river into the grea
ditch did she understand. And thel
she caught his arm and burst into vic
lent protest and pleading. mo, no,
she cried, you shall not do it. Yol
shall not let in the river. The river
terrible. You must not play with il
1t does not understand. You think
will do as you wish but it will not. or
If you must, please, please play wit
1t below the rapids. There it is kinder
: 1t lets one battle. 1t let's one was
clothes"
Gerry got over his establishment an
laughed. Then he soothed her. Al
, ready the simpler phrases of he
|, tongue came easily from his lips. H
: told her that she was foolish and
little coward. She must watch an
see how tame the river would be.
The next morning Gerry was u
early. He was excited. From this da
the ditch, the parched slope, the va
!, ley would know thirst no more. Wit
. the long dry season even the gree
Z bottoms had begun to wilt. He calle
y Bonifacio and they started off to the
work.