The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1921-04-01

tage was always referred to as City
hall and the weathered shed as the
tenement district.
What a theater Of unprecedented
art was this beautiful, big garden OF
the Judge There were those who felt
sorry for Bob Moran, but his life was
fuller and happier than theirs. Il is
doubtful II any Of the worlds travel
ers ever saw more Of its beauty than
he.
BE had sugared the window-sill SO
that he always had company--bees
and wasps and butterflies. The latter
had interested him since the Judge
had called them "stray thoughts Of
God" He loved the chorus Of an Au.
gust night and often sat by his win
dow listening to the songs Of the tree
crickets and katydids and seeing the
innumerable FREELY lanterns flashing
among the flowers.
His work was painting scenes in the
garden, especially bird tricks and at
titudes. For this, he was indebted to
Susan Baker, who had given him
paints and brushes and taught him
how to use them, and to an unusual
aptitude for drawing.
One day Mrs. Baker brought her
daughter Pauline with her-a pretty
blue-eyed girl with curly blonde hair,
four years older than Bob, who was
thirteen when his painting began. The
Shepherd looked at her with an ex-
clamation Of delight; until then he had
never seen q beautiful young maiden.
Homely, ill-clad daughters of the
working folk had come to his room
with field flowers now and then, but
no one like Pauline. He felt her hair
and looked wistfully into her face and
said that she was like pink and white
and yellow roses. She swas a discov-
ery--a new kind Of a human being.
Often he thought Of her as he sat
looking out Of the window and often
he dreamed of her at night
The little Shepherd Of the Birds
was not quite a boy. He was a spirit
untouched by any evil thought, un-
broken to lures and thorny ways. He
was like the flowers and birds OF the
garden, strangely fair and wInsome,
with silken, dark hair curling about
his brows He had large, clear, brown
eyes, mouth delicate as a girls and
teeth very white and shapely. The
Bakers had lifted the boundaries Of
his life and extended his vision. He
found a new Joy in studying flower
forms and in initiating their colors on
canvas.
Now, indeed, there was not hap
pier lad in the village than this young
prisoner in one OF the two upper bed
rooms in the small cottage Of the
Widow Moran. True, he had moments
Of longing for his lost freedomGwhen
he heard the shouts of the boys In the
street and their feet hurrying by on
the sidewalk. The steadfast and cou-
rageous Mr.. Bloggs had said II guess
we have just as much fun as they do,
after all. Look at them roses"
One evening, as his mother sat
reading an old love tale to the boy. he
stopped her.
"lfother," he said. Il love Pauline.
Do you think 1t would be all right for
me to tell herT'
"Never a word" said the good
woman. "Ye see It's this way, my lit
tie son, ye're like a priest an It's not
the right thing for a priest"
II don't want to be a priest" said
he impatiently.
'Tut tut my laddle boyi It's for
God to say an for us to obey" she
answered.
When the widow had gone to her
room for the night and Bob was think
Ing II over. Mr.. Bloggs remarked that
IN his opinion they should keep up
their courage, for It was a very grand
thing to be a priest after all.
Winters be spent deep in books out
Of Judge Crooker's library and tending
his pOtted plants and painting them
and the thick blanket Of snow 10 the
garden. Among the happiest moments
OF his life were those that followed his
mothers return from the posto1ico
With the Bingville Sentinel Then. as
the widow was won't to say, be WIS
like a dog with q bone. TO him, BlnR-
Vile was like Rome IA the ancient
world or London in the British en-
pire. All roads led to Bingville. The
Sentinel was IN the nature Of a habit.
One. Issue was like unto another-as
IKE rs "two chaws on the same plug
Of tobaccer." a citizen had once said
Anything important IN the Sentinel
would have been az misplaced a. q
cannon IN a Westinghouse. Every week
Il caught the toy balloons Of gossip.
the thisuedown events which were