Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1925-11-19
The Command to
) "Move On"
BY MORGAN SHEPARD
right

4 earthquake and the after days OF
flame AMI chaos had become memo
ries only in our turmoil of untimeG
work and feverish REIMBURSEMENT. Bread
and canned goods were plentiful while
the embers of our city cooled. and
there was promise. too, for time for
rest, and time 10 gather our scattered
f;iclllties-but still we hungered. our
canned and picked stomachs cried
OFT for fresh green stuff, and the
ynawing ache was worse than thirst
and more relentless
Here and there 4 vicious let Of Ere
spurted upward with hiss Of tri-
umpb In searching out and finding
some hidden chaff to deal with as a
great city had been dealt with Chaos
was subsiding and man had begun to
think again. Eyes glazed by terror
or dim with stupid resignation once
more carried low light Of some rec
soning thought.
The water front--that haven for the
distracted throngs of the SHre days;
gave; up its covering and waiting
crews. "Move On--mote "a" had been
yellea from behind the Dayonet's
psiRt. Little, bands Of aimless crea-
torres stumbled forth into the ruins
to ain. beyond or amid MAT
frnsl smouldsrins city Of
PROM my hilltl could see scores Of
these plodding bands melt like sha-
dowg into the lowering murk that
chung to the long stretches, Of gray
streets-named streets In irony surely.
All these shadows of men lent upon
some vague purpose were the fiotsam
and jetsam after a storm Of fire and
a Quaking earth, But to us who had
worked and sickened for the lack Of
fresh green things the word ''orange"
was music and potato" was song. l
was hidden to find them or anything.
he Ii ever so green.
My path to the water front by way
of Vallejo street looked comparatively
cool and plain. 1t was no hard mat
ter to select, for all streets were as
clearly defined as If painted on a red
map. Oakland lay bright and clean
across the hay. Surely our need might
he found for price in that oasis be-
y0nd the wateri
Coming my way saw mother,
with no man to guide and guard.
Through reeking ashes there trudged
behind her four children, a boy. per
haps of twelve, and three girls, all
younger-one of them a silent little
fodder Each wayfarer bore some
burden too great. but too precious to
ahandon--pots. pans. besmudged bed
ding and the ever familiar pillOwcase,
stuffed with God knows what--ano
bread.
Move on. move on" the military
had ordered They were moving on.
hut action had no meaning The moth
er's lips were dry, fiabby and purpose
less. her eyes dead, save for name
less CLEAN that distorted the heavy
eyelids She stared before her out
Of those dull eyes and turned neither
to right nor left. her sOrdid little es-
cOrt Of wordless offspring following
along after her.
In that company there was a sixth.
Wrapped by a SOiled red shawl to Its
mother was a nursing babe. with face
buried deep In the bare breast of the
woman. One little arm. released from
bond dangled in rhythm with the
mothers plodding steps l saw chat
the child was dead.
Mother" | said, In the language
Of her people. your baby-do you
know, mother-thst-that, your 6aBy'
is deadY'
She made no reply, there was no
exclamation She stopped heavily, as
did all OF her foilowers-my word
might have been a military ''halt."
Her expression did not change shade
from its fixed despair, there was not
even q twitch of the Swallowed lips or
a tremor of the swollen eyelids. Then
with awkward, fumbling fingers she
undid the bonds that held her babe
to her; the child's head fell back In
ertfy against the mothers soiled hand
and slowly she raised the little body
to her parched cheek as II: to listen
for a heart beat; hut she heard none.
for. turning to the dust and ashes
about her she stared forth yacaptly as
she had before / had given my mes
sage. Judging by that unmoved face
life might have been to her the same
as 1t was before she learned that death
repOsed upon her bosom.
Near where she stood there Jared
up one of those vicious spurts OF
flame, dying reluctantly amid a tangle
of wreckage. Thrusting itself through
this mass was mound of glowing
embers. Deliberately she stopped and
laid her babe upon that waiting pyre.
and leaned over it little time. dust
10 dust" said In my heart
She spoke no word. there was no
cry, no tears came to the dull eyes.
and her lips were unchanged. Then
she fell again into the weary trudg
ing had interrupted. The drowsy
smoke hung low along the broken
street up which the woman passed
The sun shone red through veil that
rose over the funeral pyre OF a city
and a babe, as a mother obeyed the
command of God and the military to
move on.