Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1899-01-19

Thou art not far from the kingdom
of God" he cried, repeating his text,
but what avails 1t IL thou canst not
reach that blessed place of quiet and
healing?"
Despair at once deep and convincing
crept into his tone. He spoke as
from the darkness of forever sealed
shades.
who shall pierce the souls of
these?" he continued, who stand just
without the kingdom. beating the
treadmill of their sins, yet coming
never nearer to the gate which is
peace. *Peace! How shall we
know peace, We who can never know
repentance! Ye shall SOW desire, but
we may not reap; we shall hope, but
We may not achieve; ye are the child
rem of penalty-ye have no home. No
fire on the hearthstone awaits you,
no warm beating bosom gives you
rest! Behold this is the mass of the
unredeemable!
'In vain does the rain OF spring
come and the earth be green, the
August fields turn yellow, the harvest
trees drop their ripe fruits the gar
dens swell with the corn and oil; We
shall not have joy in them all-your
souls are dry-they may not be
nourished. This is the church of the
undying penalties. -
|
Night fell, For a long time there
was silence in the little hut
1T was not me you saw-at the
CITADEL" said the priestly hermit at
last.
Dubarre made no answer, out looked
steadily and incredulously into the
others eyes.
ut was my brother you saw, M lie
Comte, who looked like me. l will tell
you my story and his. There was a
girl l had loved. She disappeared.
For years I knew not whittier she
had gone. | became a priest. At
last one day, after my brother had
returned from a long visit to France,
there was an accident near by the
cathedral. l had been a student
of medicine before 1 became a priest,
and l was summoned to the little
house. There was the girl, my lost
love. There also was my brother.
1t was he who had stolen her away
from me. AS I looked 1 flew into a
rage; did not know ther that he had
married her. l was mad. / called
him vile names while she was dying
for want of care-bleeding to death.
When | did turn to her at last it
was too late. With a look of horror
she turned her face to the wall and
died. l might have saved her, but
she had gone-hating me.
Three nights afterward l sent for
my brother. The girl was in her
grave. Then l settled all with him.
| will show you how"
Going to a cupboard he brought out
| four glasses and put them on the
| table. Then from two bottles he
poured out what looked like red wine,
two glasses from each bottle. Putting
the bottles back he returned to the
table.
I'VE sat like this" he said, taking
chair, then we bound our eyes''-he
drew handkerchief from his breast
and wound it round his nose and
eyes. Il moved the glasses about and
he did the same, till neither could
know which two held poisoned wine
and which two pure wine. At last
each raised a glass to his lips. We
q oh l.
of the two glasses of pure wine, he
of the two poisoned glasses. When l
took the handkerchief from my face
he was dead"
Nothing was known
THE truth was not known"
why did you come here?"
Il could not and would not repent
of my brothers death, nor the death
of the girl. Then l said perhaps
was little mad, perhaps l am a lit
tie mad now-I will say mass for the
repentant no longer but for the I'M
repentant, in some remote corner of
the world"
at is pity that someone could not
play this game again with you He
pointed to the four glasses filed with
wine.
81 should be ready. Life is all
chance-we are wisps of straw in
the wind"
You were a priest!" rejoined Du-
barre meaningly.
Il was a priest because in the
church there seemed to be one shelter.
You went with a multitude, not all
alone"
do you dare to drink with me?'
Dubarre asked, nodding toward the
glasses. Willard looked at the other
with contracting, questioning eyes.
You will play that game with me?"