The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1921-03-11
CHAPTER ONE
Which Introduces the Shepherd Of
the Birds

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The day that Henry Sink met and
embraced Gasoline Power and went
up Main street Land in hand with it is
not yet forgotten. Their little journey
produced an effect on the nerves and
the remote future history of Bingville.
They rushed at group of citizens
who were watching them. scattered 1t
hither and thither, broke down a sec
ton of Mrs. Risley's picket fence and
ran over a small boy. At the end of
seemed to express its opinion of Mr.
Sink by hurting him against a tele-
| graph pole and running wild in the
park until 1t cooled its passion in the
fountain pool. In the language of Hi
ram BlenkinsoD. the place was badly
''smixed up" Yet Mr.. Sink was the
object of unmerited criticism. He was
like mnny other men In that quiet VII
lage-slow. deliberate. harmless and
good-natured. The action of his in
tellect was not at all like that of
gasoline engine. Between the swift
ness of the one and the slowness Of
the other. there was a wide zone full
of possibilities. The engine had ac-
complished many things while Mr.
Sinks intellect was getting ready to
begin TO act.
In speaking of this adventure. Hi
ram Blenkinsop made wise remark:
"My married life learnt me one thing"
said he IF you are thinkin' of hitchin'
up wild horse with tame one. be
careful that the tame one is the stout
est or it will do him no good"
The event had its tragic side and
whatever Hiram Blenkinsop and other
citizens of questionable taste may
have said of it, the historian has no
intention of treating it lightly. Mr
Sink and his neighbours fence could
be repaired, but not the small boy
Robert Emmett Moran, six years old,
the son of the Widow Moran, who
took in washing He was in the ma
ture of a sacrifice to the new god. He
became a beloved cripple known as
the Shepherd of the Birds and alto
gether the most cheerful person in the
village. His world was "a little room
on the second floor of his mothers
cottage overlooking the big flower gar
den of Judge Crooker-his father hav-
Ing been the gardener and coachman
of the judge. There were in this room
an old pine bureau, four-post bed
stead, an armchair by the window,
small round nickel clock that sat on |
the bureau, rubber tree and a very |
laxative little old tin soldier of the
name of Bloggs who stood erect onea |
always looking out of the window. The |
Jay of the tin soldiers arrival the boy
had named him Mr.. Bloggs and dis
covered his unusual qualities of mind
and heart. He was wise old soldier.
t would seem. for he had some sort
If answer for each of the many ques-
ions of Bob Moran. Indeed. as Bob
NEW, he mad seen and suffered much
having Travelled to Europe and back
With the judges family and been sunk
or year in frog pond and been
lropped in a jug of uKlasses, but
through 1t all had kept his look of
nextinguishable courage. The lonely
ad talked, now and then, with the
ound. nickel clock or the rubber tree
II the pine bureau, but mostly gave
lis condolences to the wise and genial
fr. Bloggs. When the spring ar
ived the garden, with its birds and
lowers, became source of joy and
for the little lad. Sit
Ing by the open window, he used to
ak to Pat Crowley, who was getting
he ground ready for sowing. Later
he slow procession of the flowers
assed under the boys window and
reeted him with It's fragrance and
olor.
But his most intimate friends were
he birds. Robins, IN the elm tree just
eyond the window, woke him every
morning. When he made shis