Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-06-11
The Treasure Of Franchard.
BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
I


endIessly past the timber landing place NJ
which he moored his boat. There was no
time, he used to say, for making theories
IKE tne early morning. 81 rise earlier than
any one else In the village" he once boosted.
ut is fair consequence that know mora
and wish to do less with my knowledge
The doctor was connoisseur Of sunris,s.
and loved good theatrical effect to usher in
the day He had theory Of dew, by which
he could predict the weather. Indeed, mose
things served him TO that end; the sound Of
the bells from all the neighboring villages,
the smell Of tho forest, the visits and the be-
havior Of both birds and fishes, the look Of
pi,nts in his gurJfen, the dis isbosition OF
IA color of the light, and last, thoug.,
s~t, he arsenal of meteorological in
.eii.s IN a louvre boarded hutch upori
rn Ever since he had settled at Gresz
fit iern growing more and more into the
~ iietcnroiogist, the unpaid champion Of
4.e local climate lie thought at first there
was place healthful in the arrondisse-
ment, BY the end of the second year, he
protested there was none SO wholesome in the
whole department. Aud for some time be-
fore he met Jean Marie he had been prepared
TO challenge all France and the better part Of
Europe for rival to his chosen spot.
Doctor he would say--"doctor is a foul
word. 1t should not be used to ladies'. 1t
implies disease. remark it, as flaw In our
civilization, that we have not the proper hor-
ror of disease. Now /, for my part, have
washed my hands Of it; l have renounced my
laureation; l am no DOCTOR am only a
worshiper of the true goddess Hygeia All,
believe me, 1t is she who has the cestus! And
here, in this exiguous hamlet, has she placed
her shrine, here she dwells and lavishes her
gifts; here i walk with her in the early
morning, and she shows me how strong she
has made the peasants, how fruitful she has
made the fields, how the trees grow up tall
and comely under her eyes, and the fishes in
the river become clean and agile in her pres
ence: Rheumatismw he would cry, on some
malapert interruption. ooh, yes, believe
we do have little Rheumatism. That could
hardly he avoided, you know, on a river.
And of course the place stands little low;
and the meadows are marshy, there's no
doubt. But, my dear sir, look at Bourronl
Bourron stands high. Bourron is close 10
the forest; plenty Of ozone there, you would
say. Well compared with Gretz, Bourron is
a perfect shambles."
The morning after he had been summoned
to the dying mountebank the doctor visited
the wharf at the tail Of his garden and had
a long look at the running water. This he
called prayer; but whether his alterations
were addressed to the goddess Hygeia or
some more orthodox deity never plainly ap-
peared. For he had uttered doubtful oracles.
sometimes declaring that river was the
type OF bodily health, sometimes extoling it
as the great moral preacher continually
preaching peace continuity and diligence to
mans tormented spirits. After he bad
watched a mile or 30 Of the clear water run
ming by before bis eyes, seen fish or two
come to the surface with CLEAN of silver
and sufficiently admired the long shadows of
the trees falling half across the river from
the opposite bank, with patches Of moving
sunlight in between, he stroled once more
up the garden and through his house into the
street, feeling cool and renovated.
The sound of his feet upon the causeway
began the business Of the day; for the viii |
lage was still sound asleep. Tho church
tower looked very airy in the sunlight; a few |
birds that turned about it seemed to swim in |
an atmosphere Of more that usual rarity; |
and the doctor, walking in long, transparent |
shadows, filled his lungs amply, and pro- /
claimed himself well contented with the |
On one Of the posts before Tentaillon's car |
riage entry he espied q little dark figure
perched in a meditative attitude, and imme- /
diately recognized Jean-Marie
"Aha" he said, stopping before him hu- |
with a hand on either knee. 80 /
we rise early in the morning, do wea It APP
pears to me that we have oil the vices Of q
philosopher"
The boy got to his feet and made grave
salutation.
"And how is our patientf' asked Desprez.
1t appeared the patient was about the |
same.
"And why do you rise carly in the morn
ingY" he pursued.
Jean Marie, after long silence, professed
that he hardly knew.
"You hardly known repeated Desprez.
"We hardly know anything, my man, until /
we try to learn. lnterrogate your conscious
ness Come, push me this inquiry home.
Do you like iti"
"Yes,n said the boy slowly; Eyes, like itn
"And why do you like itp continued the
doctor. "NWe are now pursuing the Socratic
method) Why do you like It'll"
'It is quiet" answered Jean Marie; 'and |
have nothing to do; and then feel as if
were good"
DIR. Desprez took a seat on the post at tho
opposite side. He was beginning to take an
interest in the talk, for the boy plainly |
thought before he spoke, and tried to answer
truly. sit appears you have taste for feel
ing good" said the doctor. "Now, there you
puzzle me extremely, for thought you said
you were thief; and the two are incom-
patible.n
as it very bad to stealf' asked Jean Marie
"Such is the general opinion, little boy"
replied the doctor.
"Nol but mean as STOLE" exclaimed the
other. "For had no choice l think it is
surely right to have bread it must DO
right to have bread, there comes Z SO
plain a want Of it. And then they beat me
cruelty if returned with nothing" he added.
81 was not ignorant of right and wrong; for
before that l had been well taught by a |
priest, who was very kind to me-" Uhe doc
tor made a horrible grimace at the word |
'priest.m ''But it seemed to me, when one /
had nothing to eat and was beaten, it was
affair. would not have stolen for |
tartlets believe; but any one would steal |
for bakers bread"
'And so l suppose" said the doctor, with |
a rising sneer, ''you prayed God to forgive
you, and explained the case to him at length"
, "Why, sirr asked Jean-Marie. ~ do not |
see"
"Your priest would see, however" retorted |
Dssprez.
"Would he" asked the boy, troubled for |
the first time. 81 should have thought God |
would have known
"Ehf' snarled the doctor.
81 should have thought God would have
understood me-" replied the other. "You do
not, see but then it was God that made me |
think SO, was 1t notf'
"Little boy, little boy" said DR.. Deprez II |
told you already you had the vices of philos- |
ophy; if you display the virtues also, must
go. l am a student of the blessed laws of
health, an observer Of plain and temperate
nature in her common walks; and l cannot
preserve my equanimity in presence Of O
monster. Do you underestimate
''No, sir" said the boy.
; 81 will make my meaning clear to YOU.
replied the doctor. "Look there at the sky
behind the belfry first, where it is so light,