Daily globe., 1882-07-09

Ills own plate ne QlSpOSeQ or as mucl as
all the other guests-fifteen in all, and
all the Flemings, and Jean Philippe
could not help envying him his appe-
tite.
When, at 10 o'clock, the curfew was
sounded at Conde the stirrup cup was
drained, and the godfather, having
smiled benevolently upon his godchild
and embraced his gossip, bade the fam
lily good evening.
Jean Philippe insisted on seeing him
home, at least part of the way, and they
set out, arm In arm, singing.
From time to time they stopped to say
their prayers, as the saying of the coun-
try is, to toss off pint or hight pipe
at any house where there happened to
be light visible. may add that the
whole country side twinkled with chapel
lights as the sky with stars, for, you see,
it was Twelfth Night, and everybody was
celebrating the Feast OF the Bean-even
the poicemen-so they met no one or
the roads.
"Say, friend, remarked the farmer,
as they walked along. "though you
have q famous appetite, I no longer
wonder that you have so little fat on
your ribs. You must have a busy time
of 1t. How much-that Is to say, how
many do you NOW day, eh ?"
Oh, bout so, 000a day, should say.
on an average sometimes more, some
times less"
"Si1-ty Thousand day Dear,
dear And how many Gid you NOW
down to-day, ii it's fair question ?"
"Not single one"
"Not a single one Dear. dear
Why. there are 10000 Christian foll
that ought TO be under obligations to
me-"
"Well, not exactly. You see, take
a holiday now and then, and this hap
pened to be one of my lazy days; else
1 couldn't have accepted your kind in
vitation. "
But how DO you tell whom to cut
down and whom TO leave, because /
don't suppose you do it at random 2"
"Of course 1 don't, but if you will
come home with me I'll show you with
pleasure. Oh, no; it isn't far-a mere
bowshot from here
Jean Philippe looked about him. They
were on the verge OF the forest OF
Baudour. From chapel to chapel, as
the saying is, they had been walking
a good six hours, without his motto.
ing it.
The residence of Death was n mean
and poorly-furnished hut, its sole orna-
ment the big scythe, which, in the rays
of the moon, shone as if it We're made oi
silver.
"For master-workman, such as you
are" quoth the farmer, 81 must say
that you are poorly lodged"
"Oh, that makes no difference. The
pot isn't the beer, you know. And, be-
side, l am not married. But come down
stairs till I show you.
Y.
He took his scythe and milestone and
lifted the trap-door in the flooring. Jean
Philippe followed him into the aperture,
and they went down dark and winding
stair, went down, went down, went
down, till the farmer thought they must
be coming to the center of the earth. At
last they reached big iron door. Death
opened it with key he took from his
belt, and Jean Philippe started back as
it swung open.
"In the name of God, what is this ?"
he stammered, blinded by the glow of
light which burst from the aperture.
Before him were endless vistas OF gal
leries where shone millions of lighted
lamps. There We're lamps of gold and
silver, OF copper and of brass, of iron
and of tin lamps of every metal from
the most precious to the basest lamps
swinging from the roof, hung against
the walls, ranged in rows of steps ofpor-
phyry. And yet, curiously enough,
Jean Philippe could distinguish the
shining of each individual lamp.
"These," said Death, "are the lamps
of all the mortals upon earth. When
one of them goes out it means that some
one up above rs is to be cut down
down.
"Curious-very. And the golden
lamps %
"Golden lamps are Kingsand Princes !;
the silver ones are Dukes; the brazen
ones are Counts, and so on down to the
small tin lamps, which are the common
people. All are labeled, you see."
The farmer wandered up and down
the gallery for some time in ecstasy. He
noticed that the lamps of many noble
and powerful lords, which might have
been thought to be full of oil, were run
ming low, and that many of the brightest
lights were in the meanest sockets.
When he had enjoyed the spectacle long
enough he said to Death
"Say, godpapa, where are the lamps
of Quesne-Raoult, ii you have no OBJ
lection to my seeing them ?"
"None whatever. La the first GAL
lery, third section. on the left-hand
side"
While the farmer proceeded On his
tour of inspection, Death sat down and
began putting an edge on his scythe
against the days work. From time to
time excIamations of surprise or merri-
ment came from the gallery, across the
sound of the stone passing over the edge.
Presently Jean Philippe reappeared, look
ing decidedly astonished.
81 say. Death, he cried excitedly,
"I've come to tell you that my lamp is
almost out of oil.
"That is likely enough" replied
Death, running his thumb along the
blade.
"The deuce you sayl Then it'spretty
near my time ?"
Death nodded.
81 say, perhaps you are sharpening