The Project Gutenberg EBook of Parables Of A Province, by Gilbert Parker

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Title: Parables Of A Province

Author: Gilbert Parker

Last Updated: March 13, 2009
Release Date: October 18, 2006 [EBook #6242]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PARABLES OF A PROVINCE ***

Produced by David Widger

PARABLES OF A PROVINCE

By Gilbert Parker

THE GOLDEN PIPES
THE GUARDIAN OF THE FIRE
BY THAT PLACE CALLED PERADVENTURE
THE SINGING OF THE BEES
THE WHITE OMEN
THE SOJOURNERS
THE TENT OF THE PURPLE MAT
THERE WAS A LITTLE CITY
THE FORGE IN THE VALLEY

THE GOLDEN PIPES

They hung all bronzed and shining, on the side of Margath Mountain--the
tall and perfect pipes of the organ which was played by some son of God
when the world was young. At least Hepnon the cripple said this was so,
when he was but a child, and when he got older he said that even now
a golden music came from the pipes at sunrise and sunset. And no one
laughed at Hepnon, for you could not look into the dark warm eyes,
dilating with his fancies, or see the transparent temper of his face,
the look of the dreamer over all, without believing him, and reproving
your own judgment. You felt that he had travelled ways you could never
travel, that he had had dreams beyond you, that his fanciful spirit had
had adventures you would give years of your dull life to know.

And yet he was not made only as women are made, fragile and trembling
in his nerves. For he was strong of arm, and there was no place in the
hills to be climbed by venturesome man, which he could not climb with
crutch and shrivelled leg. Also, he was a gallant horseman, riding with
his knees and one foot in stirrup, his crutch slung behind him. It
may be that was why rough men listened to his fancies about the Golden
Pipes. Indeed they would go out at sunrise and look across to where the
pipes hung, taking the rosy glory of the morning, and steal away
alone at sunset, and in some lonely spot lean out towards the flaming
instrument to hear if any music rose from them. The legend that one of
the Mighty Men of the Kimash Hills came here to play,