Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-12-27

and expiation. this ANXIOUS doubt tnat
perhaps all that great, gloomy. medieval
business Of saints and nuns and bones
and relics and miracles aud icons and
calvaries and cells and celibacy and
horsehair shirts and blood and dirt and
tears was true after all! What II the
world of beauty had been content to
live in was satanic show, and the real
thing was that dead, topay turvy world
down there in the cold gray lake under
the reeking mists? sneaked back into
the house to see II the streak hadn't
dried yet, but no, il loomed in telltale
ghastliness, a sort Of writing on the
wall, announcing the wrath and vista
ton of heaven. went outside again
aud smoked miserably on the little
bench. Gradually began to feel warm
err; the mists seemed clearing. rose
and stretched myself with an ache OF
luxurious languor. Encouraged, stole
within again to peep at the streak. II
was dry-a virgin wall innocently
white met my delighted gaze. opened
the window. The dragging vapors were
stilI rising. rising; the bleakness was
merging in u mild warmth. / refilled
my pipe and plunged down the yet gray
hill. strode past the old sawmill,
skirted the swampy border OF the lake,
came out cn the firm green, when, bing,
zim, br.r-r! heavenly bolt OF sunshine
smashed through tee raw mists, scatter
ing them like bomb TO the horizons
rim. Then with sovereign calm the sun
came out full, flooding hill and dale
with luminous joy the lake shimmered
and flashed into radiant life and gave
back great white cloud island un
stretch of glorious blue, and all that
golden warmth stole into my veins like
wine.
"a little goat came skipping along
with tinkling bell. horse at grass
threw up its heels in ecstasy. an OK
lowed. u dog barked. Tears Of exquisite
emotion came into my eyes. The beau
tiful. soft warm light that lay over all
the happy valley seemed to get into
them and melt something. How unlike
those tears OF yesterday, wrung out Of
me ~ by some serpent coiled round my
ribs Now my ribs seemed expanding
to hold my heart-and all the divine
JOY of existence thrilled me TO . reh.
gious rapture And with the lifting OF
the mists all that CHASTITY medieval
nightmare was lifted from my soul. In
that sacred moment all the lurid tragedy
VI the crucified Christ vanished, and
only Christ was left, the simple fellow
ship with man aud beast and nature,
,he love Of life. the love Of love. the
love Of God. And In that yearning
ecstasy my picture came to me-'The
Joyous Comrade. Christ-not the tor.
tured God, but the joyous comrade, the
friend of all simple souls-the joyous
colnrade with the children clinging TO
him and the peasants and fishers listen.
ing to his chat; not the theologian
spinning barren subtleties, but the man
Of genius protesting against all forms
and dogmas that would replace the di.
rect vision and the living ecstasy; not
the Man Of Sorrows, loving the blank
ness Of underground cells and scourged
backs and sexless skeletons, but the low.
or Of warm life and warm sunlight and
oil that IL fresh and simple aud pure
and beautiful"
Every man makes his God in his
own image" I thought, too touched to
jar him 10y saying il aloud.
"And So, ever since, of and on, ]
have worked at this human picture of
him-'The Joyous Comrade'-to re-
store the true Christ to the world.
(Which you hope to convert?"
my business is with work, not with
results. Whatsoever thy hand fndeth
to do. do it with thy might What can
any single hand. even the mightiest. do
in this great weltering world; Yet.