The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-08-18
GASPARD, EIMBECILE
BY JOHN 20 BRETON

ID! THOSE were happy days when
"a Gaspard Mendon was 4 fisher
anl From the peaceful Village 81
Bizon the fishing feet sailed, to re-
turn loaded with the spoil Of the sea
which the good God had provided for
man. Sfivery. 1.-THE and cleaning, the
Ash came into the boat, only Ia pant
their little lives away, for often the
men were lucky, and it was as much
as they could 90 to get IN the nets and
clear them. So many lives ended, and
vet no one gave them a thought the
fan are the fruit Of the sea, to be gath-
cred by the fishers, and they risk their
lives ia reaping the harvest
When summer came, and the sea,
like the skies, was Haunting its royal
tints Of deepest, brightest blue, and
the lazy wind would not lift the sails,
ii seemed q dreamy life to Gaspard;
the older hands would tell the young
ones tales OF countries far away which
they had seen when they had been
serving in the warships, as any of the
fishermen might be called upon to do.
Sometimes they would tell OF the won
ders that are far down in the sea, and
OF mermaids with their golden hair
streaming out upon the free wind,
with strange deep eyes Of starshine
and dusk, singing wild, sweet songs
laden with the love and sorrow Of all
the ages, songs that raYish the heart
z ofmau. and which. If he turn not away
and close his ears against them Will
draw his soul from out his body, so.
that he be'what men call dead.
But when wintercame and the great
& waves threatened TO swallow up the
little fisher boats, there was noleisure
for %recounting stories while at seq,
If for each one had 70 strive aud heed
for the safety ( all, and TO pray ~ the
saints That they might be guided out
Of treublous waters and nome again
"a 70 dear blzon, oohetlmes, WINE =
their midst' one 81 we heet Moutu
stagger and disappear, ana the Whlte-
b crested waves Wo0lq sofge ans TOSS
where it had oeeh' ana gailaht com
rades would oe lost forever. an! ~
was a sofroWlul hIe IN the WINTER
cold ana Wfeteheu ana run o. naru
sHlPs' lays mere We're "Heh i was
-E ~.- Har 44 4
our 70 sea ~ aii' ana then uhe talss II
s1ihimer would rs tepealea ~ tle nIe-
noes oy the gfay bearos' ahu those VIZ"
listened would ~ touhu, open
ihouthed' searcely nearing the "Ahu
u y hoMiea fouhu ths cottages any
carried the ram Win sueh loree wv
witness that aasheollke spent sho0
Agalnst the WIDOWS
u n 9 were Grave anu generous
ig race the hsnefs OF DiAoh' anu eouIaBe
of was hofh I'D every Daue . ehlnl,
nfough generations they nau pattle1
th sFith the sea, groWing PRAYER anu
Is lafalef aao sothe goFerhulel 49,
"a heAl, anu AAWals sous II 'lie At4oh
men Nere away ~ the WarshlPs'
And then q DAY came "heh 1asPaFo
lad 70 leave nome ana klnafeo 70 JON
sy ne Marine depot, and al ms dreams
I mermalds' ana foreign lands ana
eh Wealth. and power were SUNK lh the
I'D oFroW OF parting from au ne hela
ry lear. IL seemed 70 him that when ne
Ell. ny blzoh ne Wouia 20 IRON the |orlu
ar mo utter darkness g
At the depot Pe found many who,
.0f lte himself were lonely and So, each
qs elang the other Of hls troubles they
en-, ecame friends, ana easeo theF sof-
oW' and turned their thoughts TO the
sof lew life that stretched before them
5m. laspard was TO Joip the marine sol
of lery, and after some months OF drill
bI e was sent away tothe West Coast of
Zee tflea' there 70 pc aratleo INTO the
'latnlalhi one OF the smal Hotllla iJ
Z ot 'oIee.