The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1922-02-25

muscle. But under his great strength
was q wOman's gentleness under the
dirty. ragged clothes and the rough,
brown skin grlmy with dust and
Precipitation. was one of the cieanest
souls that ever came to this world. l
don't mean that lie was like minis.
ter. He could tell story with pretty
rough talk In It. but always for pur-
pose. He hated dirt on the hands or
on the tongue. lie loved flowers like
a woman. He loved to look at the
stars at night and the cOlors Of the
sunset and the morning dew on the
meadows. / never saw a man SO much
In love with fun and beauty"
They reached Havana that evening
and sold their canoe to 4 man who
kept boats to rent on the river shore.
They ate hot supper at the tavern
and got a ride with farmer who was
going ten miles In their direction.
From his cabin some two hours later
they set out afoot In the darkness.
"GoIng home Is the end Of all Jour
neys." said Abe as they tramped along.
"Did 1t ever occur to you that every
live creature has Its homer The fish Of
the sea. the birds of the air. the beasts
Of the field and forest. the creepers In
the grass, all 60 home. Most Of them
turn toward II when the day wanes.
The call Of home Is the one voice heard
and respected all the way down the
line Of life. And. ye know. the most
wonderful and mysterious thing 10 ma
ture Is the power that fool animals
have to 90 home through great dis
tances. like the turtle that swan from
the Bay Of BIscay to his home Of Van
Dieman's Land. Somehow, coming over
In q ship. he had blazed trail through
the painless deep more than ten thou.
sand miles long. It's the one miracu-
lous gIft-the one call that's irreslst-
ible. Don't you hear It now1 I never
lie down In the darkness without
thinking Of home when am away"
sand It's hard to change your home
when you're wonted to It," said Harry.
ayes. Its q little like dying when you
pull up the roots and move. Its been
hard on your folks"
This remark brought them up to the
greatest Of mysteries. They t1mped
In silence for 4 moment. Abe broke
In upon II with these words:
II reckon there must DO another
home somewhere to 20 to after We
have broke the last camp here. and .
kind Of . birds compass to help %
ind It. reckon we'll hear the call oe
It ~ We grow older"
He stopped and took of his hat and
looked up at the stars and added:
'If 1t Isn't 10 I don't see why the
long procession Of life keeps harpIng
90 this subject Of home. think I SEQ
the point Of the whole thing. It isn't
the place or the furniture that makes
It home. but the love and peace that's
In 1t. BY and by our home isn't here
any more. It has moved. Our minds
begin to beat about In the undlscov-
cred countries looking for II. Some
how we got It l0cated-each man for
himself"
For another space they hurried along
without speaking.
II tell you. Harry. whatever large
number Of Intelligent folks have
agreed upon for some generations IL
so-if they have been allowed to do
their own thinking" said Abe. ats
about the only wisdom there Is"
He had sounded the keynote Of the
new Democracy.
80. under the lights Of heaven.
speaking In the silence of the night Of
impenetrable mysteries. they jour
neyed on toward the land Of plenty.
"It's as still as graveyard" Harry
whispered when they had climbed the
bluff BY the mill long after midnight
and were near the little village.
They're all buried In Sleep" said
Abe. "We'll get Rutledge out Of bed.
He'll give Us q shakedown some
where"
His loud rap on the door Of the tav-
ern signalized more than desire for
rest In the weary travellers. for Just
then q cycle Of thelf lives had ended.
III