The man was from the world beyond the ridges, and his carefully tailored clothing looked strangely out of place in the mountain wilderness. His form stooped a little in the shoulders, perhaps with weariness, but he carried himself with the unconscious air of one long used to a position of conspicuous power and influence; and, while his well-kept hair and beard were strongly touched with white, the brown, clear lighted eyes, that looked from under their shaggy brows, told of an intellect unclouded by the shadows of many years. The people of the Ozarks called him The Shepherd of The Hills and only he can heal a division in the community that no one else is even aware of.

During the early 20th century, Harold Bell Wright was one of America's most popular authors, and he helped make Westerns one of America's favorite genres, whether in print or on the screen. However, Wright also wrote this short fantasy tale about a would-be king.

"The secret of [Harold Bell Wright's] power is the same God-given secret that inspired Shakespeare and upheld Dickens." --Philadelphia Sunday Dispatch "It is this almost clairvoyant power of reading the human soul that has made Mr. Wright's books among the most remarkable works of the present age." --Oregon Journal The eastern plains of Colorado hold many secrets, including the origin of an orphaned four-year-old girl found near her dead mother by five weary travelers. One of the five, financier Jefferson Worth, decides to adopt the girl, who calls herself "Barba," and his life will never be the same. The fates of Barbara and the plains are inextricably linked, and in turn, they profoundly alter the destinies of all the men, especially that of Jefferson Worth. The once cold and calculating businessman sees himself through the eyes of his adopted daughter--and has an epiphany in which he realizes his position and obligations in life. Originally published in 1911, with a first printing of 175,000 copies, this moral fable of the ministry of capital remains extremely relevant.

From the introduction: Behold the child, by Nature's kindly law, Pleased with a rattle, tickled with a straw; Some livelier plaything gives his youth delight, A little louder, but as empty quite; Scarfs, garters, gold, amuse his riper stage, And beads and prayer-books are the toys of age; Pleased with this bauble still, as that before; Till tired he sleeps, and life's poor play is o'er. "AN ESSAY ON MAN"--Pope.