Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1891-10-27
LOST m rns SNOW.
Prom ,hs rr,ash et Charle. nas, !

4 li.lit almost Immediately appeared
hehlnl ths glas.c. ot the lower story
snd a ho,r.e Vplcr ctlci through the
wickrts: "Who zoe. iber.f Who
dare. Ia knock at such an hourr'
lit lent YOU want. Dcmol.ellc Vie
toirc," the spplicaut responded, evident
" accustomed 10 thee bru'que rcccp-
tions.
At thl. momrnt the window above
thcm oIenc,i. aud the venerable hgurc
ot the cure ~ Montectin lcanel from the
easement.
"whtt 10 you want, r,ycly' hc asked
In asoni.hmeni.
Hut the D,mol.-llc vlrtoir- hid al
ready turned the Key In the Lock. aud
the Ni.iior. having entered, Va. ushcrrd
AZ once into the parson,gc Kitchen,
where the ,mbcr. ~ frc on the hearth
.tiil gNe out gruilr warmth. In the
ch,mler above the rur- was putting on
hi. wsdis,i coat snd va..ock preparatory
to coni " doNn.
The Abi.@ IIrOrX. cuv of Montccrin.
"a. m,n Isthsp' 90 years ~ agr, tall
uf stature, muscular uf limb, With an
appearance II rugged health aud
strength.
fot morr than thirty wear. b" had gov
rrnci tli. poor little parish ~ 80 or
Jpo inhthittn,., situated upou one of the
highest plateau. 10 th. SaVoIsrlc. Alp'.
.But how dh you cume, An oinr, nav
boyY' .ah tho abb-. anrCtlonatsly
',scat yoursslf and drlnk a glass ~ eau
de We; th~n tell mc What brough, YOU
here .o late, of rather 80 early. for "
va. after midnight wh~n ! vent a. bel.
Spcak, my good Auiolar, tell "a. your
cfrand."
II have come from Nygues, VI lc Cure,
fa,rl f-plir,i, "aui all ou the run. ]
started Al night f,ll. bat u !. 80 Gar aud
ihrrr u - much snow
''ls suy Que sick NJ Ayg,usf' Inter
ruptei IA" cure.
"Alas, W. i,@rhap. hy nov hc I. dead.
IL was takrs lli .uddcnly last night, ani
IA. uuconsclpu. when left. came to
ohllgr hi. wife: .h- va. afraid a. have
him dc Nithlut coufrsslon.'
"Quick, [" cried the cure "giNe mc my
boot. aud my mantle may arrive ten
late" "Nou cannot go. VI. le Cure, YOU
cannot gu," dcvlsrri Nictoifr. stnutly
/ nsyrfthslr.., .h- ht.tene,i to Z lihrr up
the article. demanded, bringing her
master an old hat reserved Tor such ocva-
.Ion., a heavy NUolrn cloak sni pair
of thick letthsr lyopt.. You've forgot.
ten the cold. VI. lc Cure, aud the snow
.hc p~fsi.tc,l, 1t i tao feet dcrr at
least
Four feet" aid Aniolnc there lent
the .llghc.t trsc- 20 the rad. aud the
Hack brook 1. running out oi ". banks.
"lou haven't told me Who !, Il that !.
dying" .sii the cure, suddenly addrc.'-
Ing the messenger.
"Dcmetriu.." replied the peasant,
turning a timil and que.,lonlng look
upon the fac. ~ M. old man.
"pemstfius Blsuc.' shouted Nitolrr
In q rsgr. aud llitlng her arm. tossrd.
the ceiling: "that Northlr.. scsprgrac-,
that good for nothing scamp; be hasn't
..t fuot ln church .ilc- ~. returned
from psn.. VIII you ~ to him, VI. le
Curc, Who never hoNs io the cross, Who
whistle. q. the procession passes; who
drlnk. like fsh and mocks AZ every
thing .urrly, VI. IT, 'urr, You Won't ~
"a him. Th.rrup0n the worthy bpnne
buslei herself Ia warming the Thick
Noolru oyer.ock. and the ribbli.sin
gloyc.. while her master pulled on hl.
boot.. ~ man." .he continued, "Who
h.. In.ultsd you lover than the ground,
| and Who would have beaten you but
for Antonio here
m. cur, paid no attention o. her
grumbling, however, bat Got up When
be- had fni.h-i hi. preparations, and
started Ia 20 cut.
"Come. NV boy. you viii have to ~
with me, .,ii he. "rhe clerk u too
feeble and too old hc couldn't 80 q hun
,lrri yard. In thi. snow. IL Il work
of charity which heaven always remem'
ber.."
"parIon me, VI. le Cure" crlci fhyel,
rrproachfully, ''dld you think would
.tay here II = dorm clerks could ~
while you were cNposedF'
.Ii,en farewell, Vl,tolfr, ani don't for
get Ia send In the morning a bowl o'
/ nouIllon aud bottle of wine to the Wife
~ Pierre Jacques, ani .sy prayer, my
| girl, for the poor Drmctrius.' Saying
| this. the cure Opened the door aud went
out into th. cold and the snow. The
modest little church of the village stood
upon q knoll lust sboy. the cures dwell
Ing. Unlocking the door, they entered
IN. building, Antoine holding the lsn-
tern. and took up the little vase aud the
silver vessel containing the holy oil,
which the old prie., placed In hi' velvet
bag, carefully fastening u about HI.
neck. Antoine carried the prayer book
aud the bell.
N took two hour. In ordinary time Ia
I go from the church to Aygru., but In
weather like thi. more than twice a.
long. II was the week before Christ
mas, aud the oldest Inhabitants, accus-
| toned "a they were to th. hsrd-hip- 81
/ life on the Alps, had never seen winter
a. terrible a. this. Aygue. was q ml.-
erable hamlet ~ thrrc or four novels,
living Ia the bottom of rayine between
two great mountains. To reach u IL
wa. necessary to climb th. preclpi,ous
.Ide of the mounts ain, cross Over the top
and de.cend by a narrow path Ia the "a.
vine below. at the bottom of which
foamed rushing torrent.
IN was one of those terrible nights
4 known To the Alpine winter. \ freezing
cold enehained all nature. The sky MAS
/ Of leaden gray. aud a carpet of un-
trodten snow extended AZ far as the eye
could reach. Profound silence rested
upon everything. =.
The Able Brock aud his guide walked
ON, scattering the snow With their long
pointed STATS, the lantern of Antoine
throwing few feeble rays Of light on
the ground before them. As they walk
ed along the good priest murmured his
prayers, while Antoine thought only of
his cows, his stable and the wheat that
filled his grsnary. Neither the priest
nor the peasant seemed To feel fatigue as
they moved quickly on, their eycs fixed
upon the circle of light cast by the Ian
tern upon the snow.
Little by little, however. white bead
stood upon their brows, their breathing
became hurried and they walked with
less rapidlty. The lantern swung less
firmly In the hand of Antoine, aud from
time % time the old priest stopped to rest
A moment and to say aloud a prayer.
They had now been climbing tbs
mountain for more than two hours, but
were still far from their journeys end
nevertheless, they continued on, speaking
but seldom, and then only to encourage
each other.
IN. Ie Cure cried Antoine suddenly
~ have forgotten To bring my wate'
gourd."
"And I mine," cried the cure In . tons
Of regret. "whst IN imprudencc! Well
We aisaii drink with better heart whe'