The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-04
CHAPTER /.

H NIHILIsTs.
Mill! These five Roman letters were
displayed in a garrett window Upon a large
placard pasted to the glass on the inside.
A deal study table, pushed up to the win
dow, was loaded with papers. The floor,
uneven and dirty, showed wretched power
~ and disgusting negligence. Heaped up
on the chest of drawers in q perplexing
glass, a pair of socks, q tallow candle, a
pot of pomatum, a shoe, a clasp knife, half
pound of stale bread. a bottle of ink and a
tooth brush. Above of the beds hung
an unframed portrait of Prudhon, beside a
small oval looking-glass which in spots had
lost it's silvering.
There were two beds in the garrett, and
consequently it seemed to have two inmates.
One man, q mere youth, was seated at the
writing table. His long hair, fair and
smooth, fell upon a turn-down collar of I'M
certain hue. His features, though wan and
emaciated, were regular, and his bright
eyes were not lacking in expression; the
neglected down covering the lower part of
face made his wretched appearance still
more repulsive. A sad smile played over
his pale lips.
"Nihil, nothing!' thought he; there is
nothing in this world, neither past, nor
present, nor to come. That is q comfort,
they tell me, for poor wretches like our
seely.s when We see the fortunate of this
world world work hard for nothing. Per
haps for this l should envy and hate the
fortunate young girl who lives in that house
there, but / love her, and it is impossible
that she should return my love-"
He passed his hand over his brow.
"Nihil! Nothing! How much more COM
forting is my mothers faith-to live again
in heaven in eternal %bliss-souls united!
CIR! Then, after death, very soon-after a
few years or months-we shall live again
forever. as equals-if l merit such blessed
ness--merit is the sole qualification" He
bent his head upon his breast. YES, but
religion is not n matter of reasoning. We
How hard it is! Materialism is based upon
chance; hence its conclusions. Ny mothers
faith, if not infallible. is rs we'll founded as
that"
Suddenly he shuddered. "If Poleno
should suspect what is going o in my mind
he would turn me out, and he is the only
support that is left me: through him only I
live. He is one of us. l cannot abandon
him; and yet he also requires faith and
talks of martyrdom." Rising, he walked
up md down in the chamber with long
strides. "Poleno takes a long time. Mill.
Suffering. both physical and moral. never
thelessiexists. On. how l svffer! l am in
of the piece of bread on the chest of draw
ers. Bread. Why, l didn't know
But. letting the bread fall to the floor, he
carried his hand to his mouth with a little
cry of pain. at has become as hard ~ a
stone; 1t must have been a month in the
rtn1nf MIL a1nu n-nu s,a Al
yet he was to bring us some food.
For this purpose he went to the COM
mittee, saying: 1T il the duty of all to
aid one another during.sthe Babylonian cap
tiyity.' Alas. these big words are as emp
ty as my stomach" Suddenly the yonng
heard on the staircase. sonnet ody raised
the latch of the door. '.There he IS, at
last" And a man really entered the garrett.
Past middle life, dislieveled white hair fell
over his deeply fnrrowed forehead; II long
pointed beard, of a very dirty gray ended
in ii violent twist: the very dark skin of
his livid face twitched conyulsiyely, deep
set gray eyea full of life endered this
FRESHNESS countenance perfectly ffaIstssfa..
Notwithstanding his age, this man
moved briskly. threw the package he held
in his ha:ds on II of the beds and said to
the young man:
'.fhere are yictuals. il only remains to
earn them; eat quickly, Andrew"
The young man did not wait for a second
invitation. Promptly opening the package
he found in sf fresh bread. ham. cheese and
n bottle of brandy. Scarcely had the Wit
uals met his eye when hunger. which he
had probably kept down for long hours.
gave his face an expression of greediness
that was almost ferocious. He broke the
loaf in two and began 10 devonr il. Tn
old man, with al ~ironical smile, went slow
IL to the chest Of drawers, took the clasp
knife. a glass. returned to the bod still more
slowly. cut off a slice of ham, sprerd the
ham ON the bread. poured a little brandy
into the glass, and before carrying it TO his
mouth. said:
what weakness"
'Poleno," muTmured the young man with