The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-07-15
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
Translated from the French
The Heavy Cross.

pension. which ne PAID Tor DIV the loss % one U u NJ
legs Now partly that leg, and still more that pen
sion, were constant object of jealousy fr Robert; hi
blamed fate for having left him his two legs, and b
complained bitterly to God because he could not, as
he said, sell his legs at the same price as Hulhns
: Every time that he went 10 pay his rent, he repeated,
grumblingiy. that his neighbor was a very happy
man; that he was well able to pay a rent, the King
gave him such q good pension.
At FIRST, Robert contenfed himself with talking OF
his grievances to himself; but little by little his dis
content was expressed more loudly, and soon it be
came his habitual and favorite topic of conversation
One week when he was behindhand with his rent,
and as he was going towards the house of Mr.. Taylor
20 make his excuses, he met his neighbor Huiiins,
who was going as regular as a clock to pay his rent.
The very sight of Samuel had on Robert the effect OF
sickness; 50 when he bowed his head in reply to the
~eafutation Of Hullins, his face singularly resembled
that of a bull showing his horns to a dog. On
reaching the house of the landlord, Hope was severely
up to him, as always paying regularly and to the last
penny.
"Yes, yes" muttered Robert, "there are some
who are born with their mouth full of money; HUI
Inns is very happy, but 1 am not astonished that a
person can pay regularly when he has such a pension
as his"
Mullins has a pension, it is true replied Mr..
Taylor, but his infrmity is a heavy cross, and if
you were afflicted with it, you would complain much
more"
"Not at ALL" replied Hope; "ifI had been happy
enough to lose a leg as he has, it would have been a
famously productive day for me. | would sell all my
limbs at the same price that Samuel has. Do you
call his wooden leg a heavy cross.-for my part I
think his pension ought to make it light. The
heaviest cross that I know of, is to be obliged to work
increasingly to pay your rent"
. Mr. Taylor was a good nafured man and a keen
observer. He had for a long time remarked Roberts
envious disposition, and he resolved to convince him
that with q Disconnected spirit the highest cross
would soon become heavy.
81 see,'' said he to Hope. ..tbat you are disposed
70 do nothing; very well. | can free you from this
necessity of working, which you think so grievous.
HOu think the croSa 0f yaurp aiObhOr Samna1 aaSv In
bear, do you2 If you will accept OF one much
lighter, l will engage TO hold you quit of your rent ?"
But what kind Of cross will you put on my
shoulder 30 asked Robert uneasily, for he feared that
the proposition would not be acceptable.
"Such as this,'' said Mr.. Taylor, taking n bit of
chalk and tracing a white cross on Roberts coat;
"as long as you wear this 1 will not ask you for your
Hope thought at first that his landlord was Joking;
but on being assured that he was speaking seriously
by 81. Georgei, cried he. "you may be sure
that you have seen the last of my money, for l will
carry such n cross all my lii et"
Robert soon left congratulating himself on his good
luck, and all along the road he laughed at the folly
Of Mr.. Taylor in giving up his rent so easily. He
had never felt happier in his life than when he
reached home: he found fault with nothing; even his
dog came and sat down at his feet without being
punished for his familiarity. As he sat down on
entering the house, his wife did not at first see the
white cross he had on his shoulder; but passing be-
hind her husband to wind up the clock, she cried out |
all at once, IN y sharp voice:
s..Ahi-good heavens, Robert, where have you
been? You have a cross a foot long on YOUR back.
fou must have come home from the tavern, and |
suppose some drunken friend has played you this
trick to make you look like n booby,-as if you
needed a mark for that Get up, and keep quiet till
/ brush off that cross -
sect of ~ cried Hope, turning away Quickly;
my clothes have no need of you; go and knit your
stocking, and let me alone"
That I will not 20 said Mistress Hope, in a still
sharper voice. 81 do not wish my husband tobecome
the laughing stock of the village, and if I tear your
coat in pieces, you shall not wear that ridiculous
cross :"
So saying the whole household endeavored to brush
Roberts shoulder; and he knowing that resistance
was useless, fed, swearing and shutting the door
violently.
what fury ~ murmured he; SO If she had been
more gentle, | would have told her of my good luck: !
but she is not worthy of knowing it."
"O-Robert - cried the old man Fox, the moment
Hope turned the corner of his house; what is that
white cross you carry on your back -
Mind your own business replied Hope, inSo-
iently.
mir. Hope said little Patty Stevens, the daugh-
ter OF the grocer, 90 stop a moment, if you please, till
I rub of the cross that some one has made on your
shoulder"
Go and sell your behring's, idle GIRL - replied
Robert, "and don't trouble yourself about the
passers-by."
The little girl, confused, FASTENED into her mothers
chop. just then Hope reached the house of the
hatcher, who was chatting with his ~neighbor, the
blacksmith.
lou are Just the man we want said they, stop
ping Robert, and they Immediately began TO talk of
business; but hardly had they begun, when an old
woman, Peggy Turton, came up, dressed in her
plaid and blue apron.
s.Heavens-Mr. Hope ~ cried she, gathering up
her apron with her hands, "what a horrible thing on
your back -
Robert turned round to tell her to let it alone; but
then the blacksmith perceived the mark.
"By heavens-look ~ said he, laughing, she can
serve as a sign for the inn of the White Cross -
81 SUPPOSE added the butcher, that his wife
put this sign on his shoulder for fear of losing him.
Hope felt that there was but one way to escape
their jokes, so he hastily left the place, but not with
out calling them foolish idlers; the cross began to
weigh on his shoulder more than he had at first sup
posed possible
The unhappy Robert seemed destined this day to
unpleasant meetings, for scarcely had he taken a few
steps when he found himself in the midst of the
school children. The school was over, and the
scholars burst out into the road, disposed to make the
most of any occasion for frolic which might present
isself Hope was seized with a terrible restlessness:
he seemed already 10 hear the hue-and-cry after him
Before long his fears were realized; hardly had he
passed, when a loud, mocking cry was heard, and at
least fifty scholars began TO run after him, pointing
nj him, and throwing their bonnets and caps in the
ar.
"Look, look =, cried one; he looks ike a sheen
marked for the butcher
DO you not see,'' said another, that he has
been crossed. and is going 10 leave for Palestine."
And the shouts Of laughter began again louder
than ever. Hope now became pale with anger: he
round like a surely house-dog, worried By
and perhaps would have taken cruel
revenge on his young prosecutors, if Mr. johnson,
the scboolmaster, had not just then shown himself at
the door Of his house
Robert went towards him and began to complain
that his school was composed Of vagabonds and inso-
children. Mr.. johnson replied gently, that he
would not for all the world encourage impertinence
IN his scholars, but that the white cross which he had
On his back would make people wiser than children
augh-
what business is that TO you q" replied Robert,
,~sughtly; " is not my back my own property"
The schoolmaster bowed, and Hope continued on
way. But the cross bore more and more heavily
70 his shoulders. He began to think il would not be
o easy to avoid paying Mr. Taylor his rent, after all. j
r % many jokes followed him already. what would it {