The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1955-09-09
Gods Good Earth
Gives Feeling
Of Security
By CARLTON MORRIS
Editor. Gates County Index

Every man, from the lowliest
city dweller to the poorest share
cropper, has deep-bred desire to
own a little piece of Gods good
earth. There is something eternal
! and enduring about the land on
which we live and nothing gives
man a greater feeling of security
than owning some of it.
AS small lad / dreamed of
owning vast acreage. On long
spring days, gazed at the north
end of southbound mule as we
went up and down my dads little
field and | planned to own a great
estate. When the sun would climb
high in the heavens, | would sit in
the shade of the big gum tree at
the back of the little field and tell
the old mule about my dreams
while | listened carefully, hoping
to hear my mother calling me to
lunch.
But alas! l grew up and my
dream grew faint and was all but
forgotten as | went out into the
world and began the long struggle
that is life. On rare occasions my
dream would return to haunt me,
but with the coming of maturity
| realized that more than dreams
were needed to accumulate posses
sions of any sort on this earth.
A long time passed and my
mother and dad were called away
and behind them they left the little
farm that l plowed in my early
youth. 1t was too small to be OF
any value according to present-day
standards of farming, and certain
ly | was no farmer. The correct
thing to do would be to sell it to
the first buyer.
Thus l went back to the little
farm and walked again among the
rows that seemed so long in my
youth. The old gum tree with its
deep shade had long since sue
cumbed to progress and the ole
mule was only memory as |
tramped the little field.
Grass grew rank in the rows ano
corn stalks stood to the right and
to the left from last years crop.
Desolate and dead, they stooc
lonely sentinels over the fallow
land for they had lived out THEN
time and no man had plowed them
| under the comforting earth. Surely
a more lonely and sad spot did
not exist and the wise thing to do
would be to sell the little field anG
forget it.,
But as l stood there the little
field seemed dead no longer, for
knew that of all mans possessions
the good earth gave him most anc
asked little in return. Mother and
dad slept side by side in the
churchyard by the church where
they had worshiped all their lives,
and the old mule was long since
uSdu. NJ uIGdIl was uSeu anu
could never be, but the land was
still there. 1t woul be there for
ever.
And then | saw little freckled
boy following an old mule and
dreaming of great things to come
l even heard a bob-white whis-
ting from the hedgerow. The sun
shone bright and | knew the rains
and SHOWS would come again.
remembered the dream that q
little boy carried in his heart fol
SO many years as he walked VI
and down this little patch of earth
! l stood long in the bright sur
and thought of many things such
as growing corn pushing shoots
through new-turned earth, anc
crops ripening in the autumn sun
and the tiny sound peas make
when they ripen and burst in the
fall.
After a long time, stopped
down and gathered a handful Of
my earth and let it trickle slowly
through my fingers.