The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1900-11-24

"A Modern Samson" ="
BY ROBERT BARB.

XOulu nave Dcpl IL SldHL. bFlttdHy
men are small as rule, but Jean wa.
m exception. He was powerful
Young fellow who, up to the time h
was compelled to enter the army, had
spent his life In dragging heavy nets
over the sides of boat. He knew
the Brittany coast rugged and in
lented as it Is. as well as he knew
tbe road from the little cafe on the
square to the dwelling Of his father
5n the hillside overlooking the sea.
Never before had he been out OF
sound of the waves. He was a man
who, like Herve Riel, might have
saved the feet, but France. with the
usual good sense of officialism. sent
this man of the coast into the noun
talns. and Jean Rasteaux became a
soldier in the Alpine corps. II he
stood on the highest mountain peak.
Jean might look over illimitable
wastes Of snow, but he could catch
neither sound nor sight of the sea.
Men who mix with mountains be-
GUILE HS anu AuBe>" "' N~->
rocks, and the Alpine corps was a wild
hdy, harsh and brutal. Punishment
m the ranks was swift and terrible.
Tor the corps was situated for from
any of the civilizing things of modern
Hfe and deeds We're done which the
vorld knew not Of: deeds which
would not have been approved If re-
ported at headquarters.
The regiment Of which Jean became
unit was stationed in a high valley.
that had but one outlet, a wild pass
down which q mountain river roared
Ind foamed and tossed. The narrow
bath by the side Of this stream was
the only way out of. or into the val
Iy, for all around. the little plateau
mas walled In by immense peaks of
Everlasting snow, dazzling in the sun
light, and luminous even in the still
lark nights. From the peaks to the
Fouth, Italy might have been seen.
but no man had ever dared to climb
hny Of them. The angry little river
was fed from glacier whose blue
reast lay sparkling in the sunshine
b the south. and the stream circum-
|iyigated the little plateau. as If try
hg to find an outlet for its tossing
aters.
Jean was terribly lonely in these
reary and unaccustOmed sOlitudes.
he white mountains awed him, and
Ne mad roar Of the river seemed but
por compensation for the dignified
easured thunder of the waves on
broad sands Of the Brittany
nst.
But Jean was a good-natured giant,
u he strove to do whatever was re-
ired Of him. He was not quick Mt |
partee. and the men Knocked his
eton dialect. He became the butt |
all their small and often mean
kes, and from the first he was very
&rable, for, added to his yearnins
the sea, whose steady roar he
ard in his dreams at night, he felt
eutter lack Of all human sympathy.
A first he endeavored. by unfailing
cd nature and prompt obedience. to
~ the regard of his fellows, and he
came In measure the slave Of the
Siment, but the more he tried to
ease, the more his burden increased.
the greater were the insults he
compelled to bear from both Of1i-
and men. 1t was SO easy to bully
giant, whom they nicknamed
mson, that even the smallest men
me regiment felt at liberty to swear
aim or cuff him If necessary.
Ut at last Samson's good nature
ned to be wearing out. His stock
becoming exhausted. and his COM
forgot that the Bretons for hui
OF years have been successful
Aers, and that the blood Of con-
uon flows In their veins.
Hhough the Alpine corps. as a
eral thing, contains the largest aid
ngest men in the French army.
the age French soldier may
Iermed undersized when COM
with the military of either Eng
: or Germany. There were several
ically small men in the regiment.
one OF these. like a diminut We
was Samson's worst prosecutor.
tnere was no other man in the
: nent whom the gnat could bully.
on received more than even he
s De expected to bear. IN, 1ay
\ snat ordered Samson to brin.
pail Of water from the stream,
tne big man unhes:tatingly
. ca He spilled some of it COM
up the bank. and when he de-
1ed it to the little man, the latter
sed him for not bringing the pa:
ana as several of the larger SOL
who had all in their turn made
.on miserable, were standn;
the little man picked up tn.
water and dashed it into Sam
tace. 1t was such a good op.
.nlty for showing off before the
1en, who removed their pipes
.nelr mouths and laughed loud
samson with his knuckles tried
Se the water out of his eyes
samson did an astonishing
miserable little. Insignificant
0e cried UI xrc,,1I c,,,ch -.