The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-11-10
M E N, w o M E N
 A N D T H IN c 5

ing in Frank Derbys den, without doupt the most attractive place for compost tion I have ever found in all of my
 travels.
 Ever since we met at the Chamber or Commerce, when the Red Cross bull saie
 was on the tapis, Frank has been urS-
 ing me to run down and be his guest at
 his home 12 miles out from York; but
 this is the first chance I have had to
 accept his pressing invitation,
 But having found out just how at-
 traotive is his lovely place, and Jost how hearty is his welcome, he will have little trouble in getting a return Flsi' if he has any further desire to nave me as a visitor. I've been about whole
 lot and I know good thing when l
 find it.
 Frank IS up directing the construc- ton of a road Frank junior is at the Marion military institute at Marion Mary Kate is attending the High schoo' in Birmingham Carre has just ridden off to attend q country school; but AL lison, aged three, and the boss of the place, is here. He is miniature Frank Derby.
 Sunday morning I preached at the Presbyterian church at York, and at night all the congregation came to- gether and I preached at the Baptist church. I state this merely to show a low down trick which Frank played on Allison. I hate to expose him. put his youngest son had never been 10 church and baked when called upon to drive ia, but came around when told he was going to a show. But when ne saw me standing in the pulpit he whis- pered to his mother: Where IS the
 elephant and refused to be comforted
 and had to be taken out sNs
 After the services we drove back
 to the Derby home and the crowd being hungry, into the dining room we went and found that the piece de resistance was a delightful roast Frank 1t seems always in p~S,ing Allison if he VIII have any beef refers to it as bull Ills plate p,ns helped. but wanting more after he had eaten his portion, he sald' Daddy, give me some more bull" They say that the eldest son has his father s
 name, but the youngest one is the true
 chip off the old block.
 Inst a word more about Franks den. l There is one thing sure, if | ever want to write a book, know where am going to to put it on paper, TOT II fellow can't get inspiration from the outlook from it, he might as well ao- init that he is stranger to the dl- vine afflatus In the first place, it is large and airy. front view takes Tn I pine thicket on one side and on
 the other virginal forest.
 The only trouble is it just becKohs 1 one out of doors, and being unable to resist, | left my typewriter and wan dered out into the yard and Killed /, lot of time pleasantly by just potterlng around by myself seeing what l could
 find. ran across the marking of ar old well filled in before the war ana yet easily discernible in spite or the 1 fact that several generations had trod Ioverrdt It is silent evidence that white
 men had lived on the site of the Derby
 home for at least hundred years. It has been in the possession of the Derpys
 for nearly fourscore years.
 1 It Is a beautiful location for house. l ;r dirpnfinn
 and the lawns and meadows make 1t
 homelike and the fringe of woods adds l just the touch to make it picturesque. l
 walked beneath the trees as I noted the great variety of them. It's the land or l the great spreading oaks, it's the nat
 ural home of the big pines; it's the proper soil for the finest specimens or
 cedars it's the habitat of the hickory; ! it's the proper environment for the wal nut. In fact, it is one of the best sec i tions I know to study the native trees l of the state.
 Trees mean birds and those around
 the Derby place are alive with every l specimen known in this part of the l
 fly back and forth into the towering or spreading branches of the ones in the yard I was in such contented 1 frame of mind that even the shrieks of the blue jays could not ruffle my tenn | per. A brown thrush flew over my head and was soon hid in a thicket,
 and could have shouted aloud for joy
 as a Kentucky cardinal like a flame
 of fire, dartcd past me to the ravine
 below. It's the home of the mocling bird.
 1 While I am fond of the wild birds
 which fly here and there in the woods, 1 I am not going to pretend that l have l lost my love for the tame ones, and am ready to admit that the gobbling of a gobbe- filled my soul with pious thoughts of Thanksgiving. while the
 cackling hens comforted me with the thought of freshly, laid eggs, and the sight of yellow-legged bullets gave me
 Creams of sweet baked meat and the friers made my mouth water ct the thought of fried chicken. But one of my surprises was to scare up flock of cuineas which ran away into the hills, rending the air with their cries. 1
 I got down to the barn and saw the
 milker busy milking four Jersey beau- ties which mean rich milk. velvety cream and golden butter-peeped into