Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-11-14

world commonly calls an eeeeatrie
man- While &c dida't effect 10 despise
ordinary people yes he seemed 10 have
no desire 20 emingle with them, no
doabs considering himself better com
pany. said one Of his friends Of him;
al can't sxaetly say that bis presence
sInoog N Ia depressing, yet the truth
Il We don't anas ourselves 50 well
when DO i with as. He weighs upon
our spixissL Not that he says anything
unpleasant, far from it. b1t still, in
spite Of efforts to Ahe contrary, We are
nos quite ourselves when Lacien Is
with ~ Hz wine Is always two
thirds water. ne orders only one
disA, he doesn't use tobacco IN any
Iorm, he has an aversion 20 hunting.
doesn't want to kin anything, ne says
Nevertheless. he Is not . bad fello"
He can laugh when he chooses, espec-
tAlly when there are any children
about. He prefers their society; he
puts himself on their level Lack OF
confidence in himself? Oh. no; he n q
graduate of the college of medicine. he
las . wonderful knowledge of books,
snd always has q book thrust into
some ono Of his pockets, but he never
reads when in company. for he Is
deep student OF human nature, so much
% that he seems to have been acquainted
with every Que IN the world when he
came into 10 aud be merely meeting You
again when YOU are trst presented to
him, for without any preliminaries he
1T once chooses topic OF conversation
which Is interesting TO you
II cant tell. you" continued this
friend, what Lacien's religion ia He
never goes to church, and yet he and
the cure are the best of friends Only
onoe was ne ever seen at mass Ii was
. moursful occasion, the death OF his
mother Every one was in tears ex-
: cepting Lueien. yet he loved his mother
dearly. In the last year of her Life she
had not been able to walk Lucien had
carried her about in open air for hours
every day. You know he IL superbly
built and has the strength of giant,
and had amused her as she lay in his
arms ike a child by telling her fairy
and other stories with an arch grace and
delicate pathos that would have made
= publishers fortune If the stories could
have been taken down by steno-
9rapher At times she would fall
asleep. Then ne would lay her dowu
on bench, sit down beside her and
draw forth the ever present book
His mother was a woman Of strong
character, and az her request her son
gave her due notice OF approaching
death The entire night preceding her
dissolution Lueien sat alone by her
bedside Ths WAS as she desired,
every one else was sent 70 bed.
II have often asked myself" said
this friend. what they talked about
on that last night which must have
been long one. and at the end of
which NINE. Barshelemy passed away
gently. quietly, peacefully. without a
pain or a pang. her sons hand clasped
in hers No; the cure was not called
In, but he had dined with Lucien the
dav previous at the bedside of the sick
woman. When. few weeks after. /
spoke 70 Lucsen in admiration of this
beautiful passing away of his mother,
he replied In n low voice.
.s.Eyeryone can die in the same way;
al that is necessary Is 70 give five
minutes thought to death every day of
ones life.
".And do You think that we shall
meet again asked.
There can be no doubt Of it. he
replied
/" Where. how. in what form?' I
queried-
- 4 don't know was hrs answer,
and tue reason why don't know Is
because IL IS no AFFAIR of mine
:. Then why do you affirm that we
fshall meet again
because I know We shall, he said
calmly"
Iucisn was one OF those men who,
while not arguing 70 the point, are
meme the less convincing.
WAS Il at all surprising" continued
this friend OF Barshelemv's. that
Iucien should have peculiar notions on
the subject OF marriages? / think not
Anyway he did have such notions.
have II from his own lips. Said he 70
me one day:
81 want 70 impress upon your mind
firmly that I am no. one of those who
think that IN civilization like ours
perpetual bonds should be laid upon a
human being. no matter with what
solernnity the contract may have been
entered into Fate has not the power
10 modify the past and man has nc
rghs % speak for The future. lie,
sixn.tures support what they are set
un,l.,r n commercial Transactions, bu.
tbfs ann't De 50 in moral eompscts,
snfiect ~ tbev are both 70 the vsri-
ABILITY of sur IDEAS and feelings These
eotnpaets must be surely voluntary,
an it Il The souls insliensble righi
totahe possession Of itself again when
A. discovers shat either nnder dsr>ss or
uns.se infuence Il surrendered m
eizeir Marriage il purely a moral
snra~srt insa which the man, generally
spea kin goes knowingly. with fuil
iasfs ledge # THAT he is dong. bit
.he = oman gropipgiy, hlindly. IN my
cpinlsn she man alone i entitled "a
b. called a contracting party.
when ence she marriage has been
ssleeaaiaed. continued Lucien, II de
veives upon the man Sv every posi- b =