What is He Up To?

Sherwin peered down from the balcony of the colonial style mansion. What in the world is Grand pop doing?

He always looked forward to visiting his grandparents. Sure, Granddad was a crusty old soul, but Grammie more than made up for it by being jolly and well, grand-motherly. Sherwin shaded his eyes against the glare of the hot, Mississippian sun and tried to figure out what the old man was up to. He seemed to be using a cane. Sherwin knew the old man wouldn't want to be caught dead with a cane in his hands so it couldn't be that and besides he seemed to be sweeping back and forth with that odd looking stick.

Sherwin knew there was no point in hollering because the old man was too far away, and besides he (sometimes) seemed to be stone deaf. So, forgetting the sweltering heat, Sherwin scrambled down and was soon heading kitty corner across the field to ask a few questions.

“What are you doing, Grand pop?”

Mr. Henry straightened his creaky old back and almost leaned on the strange looking stick, but decided not to.

“Back when my great grandpa was a boy there used to be a store at these crossroads. It burned down years ago but I'm suspecting there might be ancient coins burned in the dirt here.”

Sherwin’s brow furrowed. Why would there be a store out in the middle of the boondocks?

“Was there a town, here?”

“No.” Grand pop seemed reluctant to say more.

But then he did. On his own initiative, at that.

 "Back then our ancestors owned plenty of slaves. Maybe fifty or a hundred or more. Don't rightly recall. We provided them with the store to do all their shopping at. But that ole store burned down when the nasty Yankees came by. Forgot all about it till I saw it marked on an old map. " 

 Grand pop chortled with glee when he found first one, then another and eventually several ancient coins buried in the dirt. He generously gave Sherwin one, and the lad high-tailed home to show his grandmother.

Esther rubbed the penny on her apron until it shone then held it up to the light. To Sherwin's surprize there was a tear in her eye.

"There's lots of buried treasure the whole world over," Sherwin jerked his head up in surprize. He had never thought Grammie would be a coin collector, let alone a treasure hunter!

 "I'll call it the souls of men. The Heavenly Father keeps digging and digging around in the dirt they have gotten mired in. They are very precious and He wants us to help find them. 

As Sherwin pocketed the coin and walked back into the hot Mississippian sunlight  there was a thoughtful look on his fair, young features. 

Let's go treasure hunting!