Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-08

who sat with hands clasped in her lap,
| rocking gently forward and back
But you do not seem to be sick, my sis
ter. Why do you think you have ieproSy?
Why you look as well as L do
Aglaia laughed bitterly. Rising she
struck her left leg with her doubled fist,
and stamped upon the ground.
Numb, numb she said mo feeling.
Dead. I am only one-fourth rotten now
but it will creep on. on, over my whole
body. Come here a few years from now.
when it gets into my face, and you will
know whether / am a leper or not
Panayota stood for long time looking
out into the darkness She was weary to
very faintness, but it seemed safer to stand
breathing the cool air. Besides, she could
not talk with this woman. She did not
know what to say to her. AT last -iglaia
spoke again.
Forgive me-" she said, with a sob in
her voice. Il have no one to talk to, and
l sit here and brood over 1T. And 1t will
be for years-for years. But you must be
very tired. and you must rest SO IS to go
on with your journey. Come and lie down
on the barangtza. l will not come near
YOU.
Panayota lay down upon the hard planks,
and made a pillow of her arm.
Il cannot offer you the bed clothing"
said Aglaia. 1T might not be safe
So weary was Panayota that she dropped
Oft into a browse, only to be awakened
after a few moments by the sound of low
sobbing. Listening, she heard the words:
"Oh. my God, / am an outcast. a thing
accursed. l am poison to the touch. Holy
Virgin, save my children, save my little
ones
Panayota sat up on the bench.
II cannot sleep. Sister Aglaia," she said.
4 am so sorry Tor you If my father were
here he would know what to say to you.
He was killed by the Turks. I am an
orphan"
feeling that the sympathy of the pros
porous is not comfort to those in sorrow.
My father was a good man, Sister Ag
l, He was priest and everybody loved
girl and left me to his care. He ever said
an unkind word to me in all his life. Ee
used often to talk to me about mama, and
his voice was very, very tender. And he
used to put his arm around me there in the
door Of our little parsonage, at night be-
fore we went to bed; and pointing to the
stars he would say: When we all get to-
gether up there, you will tell mama that
l good to you, won't you, Panayota?'
And used to say to him. oh, papa. 1 a:
the Virgin every night to tell her But
mama knows, Sister Aglaia, she Knows 1t
ALL"
"Oh, but your mother is dead and In
heaven" replied Aglaia, "and you can
cherish her memory and plant flowers upon
her grave. But suppose she had been a
leper, accused of God, would you Lot have
thought of her with-with horror? IS she
grew more and more reDulsive would you
not have shuddered even at the thought of
herr"
mo. no, indeed I should have thought
always of her beautiful soul. Her misfor
tune would have made my love greater
That is the way any child would feel
toward its mother"
do you really think SOP" cried Aglaia.
"Oh, 1t does me much good to hear you
say SO. 1 have husband and two children
"a girl and a boy. That Is why you saw
me praying when you came in. I pray I'll
the time to the Virgin to save them from
the curse. l never pray for myself. l
am past all help. But 1 pray. pray night
and day for my children"
But there is another world" said Pana-
yota, solemny. do you never ask for
happiness in that?"
Aglaia laughed bitterly.
Listen" she replied. "My children
never come here 1 would not allow It,
But sometimes 1 go down to sthe bank by
the roadside, where the other lepers go to
beg. and my husband brings them. and
stands afar on. and ! look at them and
any greater hell than that? When you're a
mother you will know"
But" interrupted Panayota, who had
presence of such great sorrow, ARE you
Canea?"
OF caique. He has gone to Athens and
taken the two children with him. Before
he went away he brought them down to
SEQ me. And the baby laughed and
My baby has red cheeks and curly hair,
but Yanne don't know how to fix her
hair"
She sat for some time In thought, and
Panayota heard her mutter, ma, mama.
| come here, mama" And later, ''when my
face changes shan't go down to sec them
any more, l shall never lot them SEQ mo
like that"
Panayota could not sleep, and AsaIa.
who had been but short time q resident
Of the leper village, and whose horror OF
| her fellow sufferers prevented her from
| finding companionship ameng them could
not contain herself now that she had
| found friendly ear into which to pour her
sorrow She described to Panayata MI
| putely how the symptoms first came on
| lsngour, general debility wearinsss after
slight exertion, depression, tendency to
sleep. Then followed chiliiness and fever,
| dizziness and bleeding at the nose, A wo..
| man whem Yanne had Tilted in order to
marry Agiaia, and who had never for
given her, raised the hue and CRY of
| lepresy, indignant protests We're Of na
avail, she had been seized with burning
and itching all over her body, This passed