Ashland weekly tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1919-1924, 1922-02-15
CHRIS

:
no such thing as luck; that the whole
universe is under inexorable law;
and that not even drop Of water
can be formed except under rules
that determine its weight, shape and
density. All the beautiful clouds,
whether woven or folded, whether
light and fleecy or dark and angry,
are formed according to laws from
which there can be no deviation or
escape. 1t was Leibnitz who taught
that there existed a pre- established
harmony throughout the universe
and that all events take place ac-
cording to this plan, and that the
whole is unfolding somewhat as a
cinematograph reels off Its scenes.
All this may be true, and yet in
practical life, things seem to happen
in a more haphazard way. Some
people appear to be lucky, and every
thing they touch turns to gold, while
others appear to have been born un-
der an unlucky star.
Chris Gauckel belonged to this lat
ter class. l did not see him often.
He had his mail box out on the main
road, but he lived all alone in lit
tie shack back of the cemetery. He
worked around wherever he could
get anything to do, but seemed nev-
er to be able to get anything ahead.
Perhaps he was not Industrious, and
possibly his appetite for strong
drink cosumed some of his earnings,
but for the most part Chris seemed
just unlucky.
He did not have many friends. He
seldom received any mail-occasion-
ally a letter from the old country,
or a paper published in his native
tongue. No one knew very much
about him or took the trouble to in-I
quire. His face was drawn and SER
ious, and l wondered if there was
not tragedy in his life, the secret
of which he had left in the land of
his birth.
He had an acquaintance in the
village named Hanley, an English
man, who sometimes went out to see
him. With the aid of John Barley
corn they had hilarious times to-
gether. Chris had an old violin
which he had brought with him from
the Fatherland, and which he valued
very highly. The strains from the
violin, the shuffling feet, and loud
singing kept joy unconfined until
the hour grew late.
1t was during the early days of
the war when Hanley was out one
evening. After few glasses had
been emptied, the contents of which
he'd sunk without trace" they be-
gan to dicsuss the war. The argu-
ment soon became heated. Chris
cried "Gott strafe England" and at
the same time smashed his much
priced violin over Hanley's head, and
the lost chord trembled away in 81
lence, never to return. Hanley
picked up an old rickety chair and
yelled Down with the kaiser!" and
around the house they ran, lodging
in at one door and out at another,
both yelling in the widest fashion,
Chris leading and Hanley following
in hot pursuit. Chris grabbed an
old empty shot gun and pointed 1t at
Hanley's head just as the latter came
down with his chair, which, owing
to bad craftsmanship, did little to
weaken the enemy forces, but left
that piece of furniture beyond re-
pair.
Finally Hanley secured the gun and
" 1t i'm over the 'ead," and poor,
unlucky Chris threw up his hands
and cried "Mercie Kamerad!" or
words to that effect. And thus the
Great War was fought and won in
miniature. What a pity the great
nations could not have accepted the
decision of these single combatants,
as the custom was in olden time! 1t
would have saved much blood and
treasure, and rendered all this dis
cussion about league of nations
unnecessary.
Some time after this, spotted
fawn became separated from its
mother, and wandered down from
the hills. 1t was beautiful creature
with eyes large and trustful. 1t had
not learned to be wary of man, and
gave little heed to the evidences of
civilization around. 1t wandered at
last in back of the cemetery, and
some of the neighbors heard the re-
port of gun.
The matter was reported at once
by telephone to the game warden,
who soon arrived on the scene. He
went directly to the cabin where
Chris lived and inquired II he had
heard of anybody around killing a