Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-16
The Vacation Of Mustapha.
ny ROBERT J. BURDETTE.

H
tRobert Jones Burdette. .ls44,lsl4. was an
Ts ae f.mous With hs
writings; his works include rChimes OF
testers Bell.)
Now. in the sixth month, in the
reign of the good Caliph, 1t was so
that Mustapha said. am Wearleo
with much work. thought, care and
worry have worn me out: l need re-
nose for the hand of exhaustion is upon
me, and death even now Hetn at the
And he called his physician, who felt
~ HE mise and looked upon his tongue,
and said: .,.
by which ali physicians swore( O1
verify thou must have rest. flee unuo
the valley of quiet, and close TIME eyes
In dfeamful rest; fold back thy praln
tron. thought and they hand from labor.
or YOU will be candidate LOT Ihe asS-
lin in three weeks
And he heard him, and went OUT.
and put the business in the hands OF
the clerk. and went away 10 rest IN
the valley of quiet. And ne went 70
his Uncle Ben's, whom he mao not
seen 10. these IA years Now, ms onCle
Zen was a farmer. and abode IN tne
valley of rest, and the mountains Oh
rich and well favored, and strong as
ar ok and healthy as an onion crop.
Outlines he boosted to his neighbors
that there was not lazy bone IN MS
hody and he swore that he hated
lazy man. -
And Mustapha visit not that 1t was
90. 49,.
But when he reached his Uncle BenS
they received him with great JOY, ano
placed before him a supper OF VlanoS
wen cooked. and piled up on his piate
liks the wreck of a box car. And when
he could not eat all they laughed him
to Scorn. -,
And after supper they sat up with
him and talked with him about rela-
tfves whereof he had never, In all MS
life. so much as heard. And he an
swered their questions at RANDOM; ana
lied unto them, protesting to know
Uncle Ezra and Aunt Bethesda, ana
once he said that he hadta letter from
Uncle George last week.
Now they all knew that Uncle George
was shot in a neighbours sheep pen
three years ago, but MuStapha visit NOT
that It was so, and he was sleepy, and
only talked to fill up the time. And
then they talked politics to him. and
he hated politics. So about l O'Clock
in the morning they sent him TO PED
was right under the roof, and there
was ears and bundles of ears OF SEED
corn hung from the rafters; and he
b,lnsed his eyes with the same, and ne
hooked his chin in festoons OF DRIED
aDules and shook dried herbs and See0s
down his back as he walked along, Tor
il was dark. And when he sat up IN
bed in the night he ran scythe In
his ear.
At4k %Ian
slept with him, for the bed was wide
and they were restless, and slumbered
crosswise and kicked. so that Mustapha
slept not a wink that night, neither
closed he his eyes.
And about the fourth hour after
midnight his Uncle Ben Smote him on
the back and spake unto him. saying:
Awake, arise, rustic out Of this and
wash your face, for the liver and bacon
are fried and the breakfast waitetn.
You will find the well down at the
other end Of the COW lot. Take towel
with you
When they had eaten, his Uncle Ben
spake unto him, saying. Come, let us
stroll around the farm" :.
And they walked about IL miles And
his Uncle Ben sat him upon wagon
and taught him how to load hay. Then
they drove into the barn and he taught
MIN now TO uUIOdO H. -AhcA SAASy
girded up their Joins and walked 4
miles, even into the forest, and his
Uncle Ben taught him how to chop
wood. and then walked back to supper.
And the morning and the evening were
the first day and Mustapha wished ne
were dead.
And after supper his Uncle Ben
spoke once more, and said: Come,
let us have some funf' And so they
hooked up a team and drove miles
down to Belcher's Branch, where there
vas a shop And they danced until
the second hour in the morning.
When the next day was come-which
wasn't long, for already the night was
far spent-his Uncle Ben took him out
and taught him how to make rail
fence. And that night there was a
wedding, and they danced and made
merry, and drank, and ate, and
when they went to bed at 3 o'clock,
Mustapha prayed that death might
come to him before -breakfast-time. But
breakfast had an early start, and got
there first And his Uncle Ben took
him down to the creek and taught
him how to wash and shear sheep.
And when evening was come they went
TO spelling school, and they got home
at the first hour after midnight and
Uncle Ben marveled that it was so
early And he lighted his pipe and sat
up for an hour and told Mustapha all
about the forty acres he bought last
Spring of old Mosey Stringer, To finish
out that north half. and about the new
colt that was foaled last Spring.
And when Mustapha went to bed that