Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1920-04-22
LOOKING lNro YESTERDAY

White over the way on the NIL IN
shri1l tones, giving his morning or
ders to his family as he marshalied
them forth for their days labor.
Itook my gun, whistled to old Tony
and started. 1t was earlv re aa~.
was still on the grass, rejecting -
thousand little gems IN esefy, arvp,
the sun had not yet opened Its eye
upon the world, filing it with its
warmth and light. l strolled on down
the hill from home, old Tony going
ahead, AS was crossing little bot
tom looked and saw him skirting the
3sedge-clad hill beyond, and all at once
he flashed into a point with head and
tail high and with such rigidness and
such intensity that he looked like a
statue. Oh! what thrill 1t sent
through me. 1t made me think of
Raphael and Phidias and all the old
masters. | hurriedly crossed the bot
tom and went over to him. Walking
in front of him l flushed the birds and
got one, which he promptly retrieved.
From here the birds few to a little
woods Tony Immediately went as she
had marked the birds as well as L.
Now scattered or frestly-fushed birds
are very hard fer dog to handle in a
woods, through which, little stream
ran. To those woods Tony immed-
lately went as she had marked the
birds as we'll as l. Now scattered or
freshly-hushed birds are very hard
for dog to handle in woods,
especially if there are many leaves
on the ground, as the noise from
the rafting of the leaves, caused
by the approach of the dog, seems to
frightep than and they fly before the
dog can locate them. Old Tony
seemed to know this, and while at
other times very wide and fast rang
err, when in woods she hunted in close
and went as cautiously as if walking
on carpet of pins. We crossed
through the upper part CT the woods
without results, but just as Tony was
leaping up the opposite bank of the
branch he caught the scent Of a-bird
and froze into point that will always
remain in my memory. promptly
crossed over and flushed a single,
which just as promptly missed with
both barrels, II this wasen't a pretty
frequent occurrence with me would
have attributed it to nervousness
from the thrill had Just received.
Passing on from these woods we
crossed strip of stuhble, then
sorghum patch into another strip d
s4ubble, where, Tony going at a long.
gallop, caught the scent of birds and
stopped so suddenly that his monen-
tum threw his body almost completely
around. There. he stood in a half
crcuching, half-reverted position froz-
en- like an iceberg. managed to get
one cut OF this bunch We hunted all
that day and had many thrills and
duuou q Low uIluo W my HlSoSCi udS,
but the pleasure was in the thrilling
and act in, the killing.
Old Tcny has long ago gone to that
country from whose bourne no travel
ed has ever returned, and time since
then has rolled its years and marked
them on my brow. But those old
thrills that he gave me then l have
never forgotten, and they have con-
trihuted largely to my love for Gods
open country with its fragrance and
color and, music; and sometimes
wonder in my dreams if old Tony's
spirit is not, waiting over yonder
somewhere for the spirit of his mas
ter when he shall have taken his last
hunt and shall have put the old gun
for the last time in the corner behind
the door and gone to sleep to awaken
in Gods Acre, and there together we
will roam the broad fields of which it
is written will be the 'Tnheritage of
the meek"
'I've wandered among the flock and
herds
When my days labor were done,
And lain prone on the soft green's
ward
Held enrapt bv the setting sun.
I've seen great billowy storm-clouds
rise
And the rain in great sheets blow by,
The lightning-like fire ran red,
eGod help me!p in fear and trembl-
ing cried I.
I've beheld the moons soft, pale light
When sitting through the clouds it
fell down,
To old earth it bent its softness
With her color and fragrance all
round.
I've beheld Gods beautiful sunrise
In the dewdrops that sparkle like
wine,
And exclaimed in the rapture of the
moment
The hand that made 1t is divine.
I've looked at the crest, swelling
rivers IA
AS they flowed in their torrents to
the sea,
II X " - p. 4 ! II d IA .