Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-05-22


me now. said ne after few pulls q
his pips, ''tl,at was the son of . ricl
farmer. All. truly. time can do strang'
things with men! Ny fathcr-blc~sct
b. his mcmory-ws wrong when he y
often said. nearly 30 years ago that hi
Wild boy wouldn't live TO sc man,
years I've seen only too many Of them
There was my brother Xavier-ar
entirely different sort of fellow-my cx
oct opposite While ] wandered Oh,
whole day long In the woods he woult
ait poring over books thick with dusI
even In our prandfathcrs' day which h'
found In the garret
''In the catcchism he stood nd ths
head The pastor had not met 10 indus
trious boy In year.
And II Oh. I was q good for moth
Ing. who deserved q whipping ever
dayi I got Il often enough. toa and II
didn't agrcc 20 badly with me either. fuI
I grew % h. such u big fellow N
couldn't be matched In the neightpr
hood
~ think for ono whilc thcrc wasn't
village fair I'm the vicinity where
didn't play the rowdy. This would hav,
tscn q pretty had state u Affairs II u
had lasted long. but an end soon cam,
90 it-an end which I would gladly
have exchane,d for an honest stab In q
tavern brawi. II haprsncd thus;
"Can you see. sir. that old tumble
down hut over there between tho~e two
larvhc-, Twelve ycar ago that was the
home of an old day laborcr. II IL easy
10 be seen that wealth had no placs
thcr,. hut the house was kept by Marie.
the old mans dsughtcr-a girl 20 prct.
~ that the angels In heaven might have
rjoiccd 90 look at her. What wonder
was II that often stopped 20 chat with
her over the fence or fasten no-sxay
in her boiioc GA my way home!
"wcll. the summer passed away. and
when winter came on. raw and cold.
and / hal no excuse for wandering
among the mountains. still something
drw me irrc~istibly 90 tho-e old paths
and could not let single day 20 by
without SEEING Marie
"lIcr father saw how matters were
going. but no made no OBJECTIONS for
while he knew that was . Wild sort
Of q scamp he did not believe there was
anything really lad In me And he was
not mistaken.
THE time came nj last when j must
sciuaint my father with the state of AZ.
fairs Oh. but you should have scci.
sir. the storm u RAISED! II had never
entered into my lo,e-ick brain that Ma.
rie was the daughter of poor I-asani
The old man was stubborn. and ! clual.
ly 81 For six whole weeks ! did not sit
down 90 meal with him Xavier In
the meanwhile was all devotion. And
hc was right-my noble brothcr-fur
was not making my choice between
Marie and my share u the propcrtyi
''Just then IL seemed ~ II heaven u
self meant tospoil his calculations The
dreaded day for the military draft came
OH had the year before drawn the
lucky number which exonerated mv
from sryioc II was now XAvier's turn
20 try the wheel of fortune
'lIe drew n blank. and unless q sub.
stitu,e should hopruvidci he must with.
In few days Join the army.
my father wa incon-olable A sub
stifute was no easy thing to obtain. e..
pecialiy n the very air semed full II
omipous portents. and any day might
come the news that war had ben dc.
clarcd
"a thought flashed through my mind.
I swallowed my pride ou the instant
and ono. more entered the old mans
p,~cncc
Father. said l. ~ you will give
your consent 90 my marriage with
Marie. I will Ia Xavicr's substitute.
"Three days later was wearing the
kaisr's grsn uniform.
The ant hunter stopped for IN instant
and looked about him
"It L. Q BEAUTIFUL little bit VI earth,
this fatherland. he went on 10 say.
"and have always loved H. Ny grand.
father gave his life for IT, He was killed
In the ycar 1909 In q battle with the
French lie little dreamed, good man.
that q grandson II his would cover his
untarnished name with disgraoc. and
shut up In q fortre-s n q cowardly he-
trayer VI his prince curse the day that
sver be- was born
"And can you imagine. sir. who
brought me thorc' A miserable scoun.
drel. the ofY-couring Of humanity' May
the earth swallow him mp and God
cure him! by heaven. was not bad.
but they wcrc bound to have mo ~. and
the one who can mort congratulate him.
self ON his success Ii no other than IA.
vier. my precious brother Xavier!
1T was not enough that he had
robbed me Of my fathers heart lie
must take from me that for which ! had
aacrifccd my freedom
Through what dcviltry he managcd
Il could never find out Sufiice IL IN
say, had been scarcely dx months In
the army when fellow from my native
VILLAGE did me the friendly service to
tell me that Xavier and Marie had been
called cot thrre times from the altar
AT first ! only ridiculed the idea,
but later was convinced that Il wa
only too true
''Do you see that blade Of grass there,
sir, whichever way the wind blows
strongest. that way u blows-a picture
of q woman's heart From that day
lost my faith In humanity.
"Oh, but Il was fearful blow TO me
thought was going to lose my mind.
Only one thing seemed plain TO me-
must see the miserable pair and aveng'
myself
"The day ON which they were to b
married was ON my way homo had
asked for no furloush. I had thought ol
none All unwittingly had become
deserter.
"At last I was within sight Of my
goal. Alrrady I could hear the church
bells ringing and shuddercd Ut theil
toneA They were the funeral knell ol
nay fools happiness oh. how ! longet
for wingsl Perhaps could get ther,
ret and stop this horrible thing. and
then But. no: strength failed ma My
limbs were like lead. and only with
difficulty could drag myself along.
"whcn reached the church, wa
j too late The bridal proccsion was jus
coming out I can $50 them now - II 4
had happened only yesterday. oh, tha
. thunderbolt had fallen from HEAVIER