The Pulaskian., 1921-04-28
CHAPTER ONE
Which Introduces the Shepherd of
 the Birds.

The day that Henry Smix met and embraced Gasoline Power and went up Main street hand 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 it hlther and thither. broke down sec ton of Mrs. Risley's picket fence and ran over a small boy. At the end of their brief mlsalliance, Gasoline Power seemed to express it's opinion of Mfr. Smix by hurling him against tele- graph pole and running wild in the park until 1t cooled it's passion in the fountain pool. Tn the language of Hi ram Blenkinsop. the place was badly 'smixed up" Yet Mir. Smix was the object of unmerited criticism He was like many other men in that quiet vil- lage-slow, deliberate, harmless and good-natured. The action of his in- tellect was not at all like that of q 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 Mir. Smix's intellect was getting ready to begin to act.
 In speaking of this adventure Hi ram Blenkinsop made a wise remark: My married life learnt me one thing" said he. If you are thinkin' of hitchin' up a wild horse with a tame one. be careful that the tame one is the stout est or it will do him no good"
 The event had it's 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. Mir Smix and his neighbor's fence could l be repaired, but not the small boy Robert Emmet Moran, six years old the son of the Widow Moran. who 1 took in washing He was in the na- ture of il sacrifice to the new god. He became a beloved cripple known as ! the Shepherd of the Birds and alto 1 gether the most cheerful person in the village. His world was q little room l on the second floor of his mothers l cottage overlooking the big flower gar i den of Judge Crooker-his father hav- i ing been the gardener and coachman ! of the judge. There were in this room l an old pine bureau, a four-post bed stead, an armchair by the window, small round nickel clock that sat on the bureau, rubber tree and very talkative little old tin soldier of the name of Bloggs who stood erect on 1 shelf with q gun in his hand and was i always looking out of the window The day of the tin soldiers arrival the boy had named him Mir. Bloggs and dis { covered his unusual qualities of mind and heart. He was wise old soldier. 1t would seem, for he had some sort of answer for each of the many ques- tions of Bob Moran. Indeed, as Bob knew, lie had seen and suffered much, having travelled to Europe and back with the judges family and been sunk for year in frog pond and been dropped in q jug of molasses, but through it all had kept his look of
 
 lad talked, now and then. with the round. nickel clock or the rubber tree or the pine bureau, but mostly gave his condolences to the wise and genial Mir. Bloggs When the spring ar rived the garden, with its birds and flowers. became source of joy and eompanionship for the little lad. Sit ting by the open window. he used to talk to Pat Crowley, who was getting the ground ready for sowing. Later the slow procession Of the flowers passed under the boys window and greeted him With its fragrance and color.
 But his nest intimate friends were the birds. Robins, in the elm tree just beyond the window woke him every