St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-07-11

less SlOTlOuSly, 4OuAu III CnC O :,
who care for other peoples children
the leaven of others Jumps, who, NIL
ing out the measure Of lives not their t
own, are themselves destitute. Ihey
are beautiful or ugly as it happens;
they wear no mark on their foreheads,
unless it be the sign of a high and holy |
purpose; nothing Distinguishing, unless |
| it be an expression OF the eye Whlch |
seems always to see outward, never 10
look within.
OF such was Marie Won Sulevitch,
! also a trial and puzzle to the orthodox
| members of the simple community
Without excuse she had refused to
marry Ivan in Russia, and when her
father foolishly INDUCED her, and would
again have permitted her to marry, this
time in America, Alexis, who was rich
in land and cattle, she refused as be-
fore; some quality in the girl, which the
rest found it difficult to appreciate, ena-
bled her again to have her own way.
That had been years before, when she
was manageable; now she was twenty
three, and no longer counted among
the girls. She had never really been
counted among the girls; to dance with
her had never been so much fun as with
those who laughed more. Only Ivan
and Alexis had wished to worship her
as a saint It was therefore fortunate,
perhaps, that neither had married her,
If they had continued to worship, the
other women might have become exact
ing and forgotten that it IS honor
enough to work and rear children Tor q
good man, and reward enough 10 re-
ceiye bread in return.
But the Mennonites, like other FRO
testants, have not yet solved the prob
) lem of unmarried wOmanhood and they
looked with suspicion upon Marie Won
! SuIevitch, who was twenty-three and mad
never cared for lover; not, at least,
;; until he had fever; for her delight and
occupation was sickness of all kinds
AS the colony increased in size she
came to be constantly busy. Babies
4 grew quiet as she took them in her
arms, fever became lighter at the touch
of her cool hands and pain was easier
: to bear after Marie had bandaged the
wound.
Those who had been sick growled
when well that she should be INDUCED
in her whims and the whole people
came in time to consider her gifts,
:. which were those of a good nurse, as
an especial provision for their necesSl-
ties.
DR.. Hoyt, it CHANGED, had never be,
q fore been summoned. It was sight
e pitiful even to professional eyes, thai
!, met his view as he entered the cabin
: The boy was grooming and writing
! on pile of straw in one corner; tht
It close, dark room was crowded witt
Y men smoking and women chatterlng-
e men and women alike filthy as then
surroundings. The one mitigating cir.
: cumstance was the woman kneeling BY
. the bed, gently bathing the wounds, bu
n evidently ignorant of further remedy
d The Doctor recognized her as the ''on'
t. who talked for them. =
|, ':Send these people out, !" he said t
D her. '"They are killing him, using tn,
at little air there is with their vile pipes. :,
4 "They will not 60" she answered
as 1t is not customary with my peopl
4 to trust the worlds people.
is. With an ejaculation, expressive Q
Of disgust, Dr. Hoyt turned to his patient
i shall not attempt diagnosis; ther
" were broken bones and ghastly wounds
re The boy was fast weakening from hi
s. more than mortal agony.
Chloroform, that angel of solace
OF the sufferer, was first administered; an
e. the long-bearded men, gathered clos
r. sround the bed, watched the immed
Of ate effect of the medicine, and saw tha
gs the boy gasped a little, grew NOR
III quiet and lay dead.
II, The enlightened reader will not fin
r, it easy to comprehend Ignorance sue
e as theirs; but these men had only th
I'll evidence of their senses, with no pa!
a experience, or even knowledge. !
y. was only natural, therefore, that the
IL should Jump to quick conclusion
ed and that hatred of the alien an
y. stranger, already strong enough
ne should, with this added proVocatiol
en- call forth every mans knife, with il
as tent to kill.
40 DR.. Hoyt was too taken by surpris
oy to be more than dismayed at first. II
e threatening chances at the bed, the r
de doubled bowls of one of the wome
81 made plain the cause of the murderer
I'll preparations. He turned to the girl
It, the bed, whom he had thought of
rs higher grade of intelligence than Il
ay rest; but her face showed only paine
distress.
!. m 1T is chloroform. Don't you know
~ ~ he said, appealing to her. lit W
' 'N make him sleep while set the bone
-; - Then he will awaken. Tell them quic
~, ~ or it will be too late. "
~ She looked at him long before s
to spoke, and the rest waited, breathles
- 1oT for her words. She noted the dexterit
a. the certainty of his motions, and h
70. faith rose above her judgment