Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-24


The men in the fields
nsd ceased their work and. with coats thrown
over their stopping shoulders. were vending
their way home in little Struggling groups to
their cottages. eager for theiT evening meal
Across the hillside you could hear the sweet
tinkle of the sheep bells minglin; with the COW
bells deeper notes and the froliesome bark Of
the herdsman's dog the animals were being
driven In for the night. through the open
door OF the cathedral-fOr the people OF saint
Ange loved and preferred to call II SUCH
though II hardly deserved the nIIne-yOu could
SET the dim hight of the candles on the simple
altar and the snoN-vhite robes of the priest
and oils two chorIsteT boys as they went about
their sacred duties; and you could also see the
kneeling figures Of the silent wOrsbipers. for
tine vesper bell had runG and even now few
late cOnIrrs we're Eurr.ediy entering the dusky
thAshOld. The soft notes OF the organ came
flowing out on the hu-Eed evening air and save
that and the faIut sound Of the chanted vesper
prayer nothing broke IN upon the peace that
brOOded over the valley.
In garden adjoining the smallest OF the
quaint thatch-rOOfed cottages fingered "a soil
taTy figure. ieediess Of his surroundings. He
had been leaning over the gate for more than
an hour past. not noting the evening bell and
bind To the beauty OF the sunset His gaze
was Ru absent one and his eyes glIstened Us if
h< thoughts Were sad.
Carlo was an odd fellow. they used to say;
yet no one knew why they said So. II Is hu-
man nature % harbOr unaccounted-for pre- ju-
dIccs. When taken to task We laugh shortly.
sLrus our shoulders and say: "Oh, well, every
bod, else thinks sO.' As If that were a reasOni
70 u was in this little town. With the excep-
ton Of the cure, old Pierre, the shoemaker, and
his foster father. seemed to be Carlos only
true friend. Nothing pleased the Old man bet
ter than To sit on a little bench outside OF his
Cottage door and. pipe in hand for gesticula-
tons. 10 relate 20 the stranger happening IN
SAINT Ange how Carlo had been handed TO him
one morning a mere baby. wrapped in a tat
tered shawl, with nothing to mark identify
HIM. aud how he and his wIfe-alasl dear sOull
she ,ilr,i .ong ago, and the good man would
cross himself III reycrence-aad taken the
ehIld IN and aad reared him as their son; and
how when he was old enough they mad sent
hun TO school that white building yonder with
tn bvlfry, where VI. lie Cure-you know NJ 10
Cure. n est ce pas monsIeurI-taught the bows
OF the town reading. writing. arithmetic aad
the caiechIsm. Aud thus the old shoemaker
would rdmble on until his pipe was empty or
his listener rose to leave.
Carlo had never been popular at the parish
school Perhaps II WAS because he did not JOIN
IL the sports and pastlmes OF the other boys.
SOmeAOw he was not like them. and was al
ways made the butt of their TIdicule aud rar-
cor. One boz IN particular hated him. lie
Was the leader IN the petty persecution. And
as Carlo leaned over the rustic gate this autumn
evening he remembered many little spiteftl
actIohs and many cruel jests of which he was
the victim and Rudolf the originator. But it
was not thoughts of his childhood that made
his eyes gl.stsl and caused that far-off look o..
his face. The weary days Of school life had
long SINCE passed away. Nor did the sense Of
has unpOp ularIty Cypress him
What cared he fOr others opinions? There
Vas his WORK TO keep HIM busv-for he had
asned old PIerre's trade; and there were the
eyer-plea-ing walks n the fields and woods to
ssnau-e hsFn- No; had you been able to look
into hi mind YOU would have found this story
the cause YOU sought
Gabrielle Mureau was the belle Of Saint Ange
what town. be II ever so small. has not Its
belle? Ever since he could remember Carlo
had kEOwn her. and IN lis bOyish way even
then lad loved her. He not her only ad-
m.reT. FOR II would have been hard to find a
SINCE pupil ID thar school Of the cure who
would not At any moment declare himself her
champion Sac WAS the heroine o: all those
youthful gai.ants. and many we're the fierce
battles waSet between the hot-headed lovers
on her account
NJ from the merry child with sunny curls and
eyes that lsughci and glanced coguet,ishly
into tall graceful woman. And in Carlos
heart the tru- tire burned thIs time 1t was no
boyisr fancy. he was in love.
Sult0r- were not kin. for Gabrielle hand
sc had more than any other gIrl in town bur
20 CARO- Il seemed that he was the favored
one Her smile tor him WAS the sweetest Her
Laa1 clasps to- hIuI were hrmer and LONGER
Perhaps she saw how others .Luupec him and
from h,v kIuduess o; heart did Iais She pitie,!
h. lone Illness. Alas for him. He mistook II
for s0n4e thiIs else. and slowly his hope grew
gres uutii II IA ell his whole being. He had
not uotr-I what others no doubt had seen
Love = blind lie had not noticed the hush
on tsItTl-ll@s cheek when she Was with his
scEou-lOy enemy, Rudolf: he had not noticed
tnc sparkle IN her ewes when on Saturday even
iLs- tuey danced tOg -ther-fOr II was then and
l. TODAY the custom n saint Ange for the Young
fo.As TO dance ON SATURDAY evenings In tie
SUMNER time. while their elders SIT around the
~Ouv knitting and EoSsipIng the men smok-
ins and chatting about the crops.
Carlo. say. had no: noticed all this: and
the day had come and gone and sill he hest
tatru- lie w,s sili. only an aimIrer whom the
gIrl had kuDNn since they were children. But
on. evening aot very long before. as he was
tnAia- one q! his solitary stro.!s. BE- had me;
Gabrielle IN the little path ACROSS the fields
aud had walked back with her. He re1nen..
bred 10 wcL-thC beautiful woman beside HIM
TIL tUnefu. Tus-.e Of the corn tha: seemed Ia
whisper love. he dark green of the trees
beyond. the broad WOODLAND! the rolling
meadows. ami the bills IN the distance now
growing blurred and Dim IA the twi,irht-ves
be cOu a see 10 all. I.cre n the peaceflIne--
OF tho dsrkcni1E fields tta; summer nj lat he
declared h. love. and she looked PANIED and
surprised and quietly told kIm that she had
gwen her heart and hand TO another-to
kudolf
hat Was IN the summer and row the last O,
thu autumn leaves were saiiin. and no one but
she knew hI- secret sorrow. This what he
vas th.st pg 81 rs he ieaned over the gard. L
gate. and this why he was sad He dil
noi often weld thus - the mood: but the even.
ing had something particularly subdul ~, ia it,
something that forced his ns;nd 10 dwell on
tbes- sacred memories. But for all their
sarredDs So they had deep bitter tinye. Life
Sc med alfulc~s enousu now. All. ne almost
sished- he half prayed. IuIeed. that he might
draw an odd number at the conscr. pti0n tina
vas soon 20 be at SAINT AuSe. IL was the iirlt
of the war, and the emperor called for more
soldier, the proclamation was posted up on
the doors Of the town hall. where every on,
could see 4 Most OF the Young men dreaded
the thOught-buJ anything seemed more pleas
ant to Carlo Than the aimless life that had
pAught but bitterness 10 mark IL II he drew
the odd number and went eff to war he might
In Iced be kili"d IA battit-he wou,d die fight
I'M at least. but u h. survived the canlpa,.,r
b. might be made an officer. anl-but wi a.
sou.l % al amount 20 without C5airlell,2 And
hls up quiver-L aud he hastily brushed hi.
sleeve across his face.
IL getting dark now. Only narrox
strrA. remained of the purple glow above Ia,
hiils. Family few stars were giistenIns IN
the violet dome overhead. Lights were alp
pesring IN the cottage and the deyout people
vsre coming out Of the cathedral Evenins
mass was over
Carlo pasised a few moments to let the coo
snd bore the sweet scent Of new-mOwn gras
l. 4 -