The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-03

the time for the Angelus,'' he said. You will like to go to your room, and rest during the Angelus. Then we will dine."
 He had an old black woman show us to rooms in a house by the church.
 We asked ner to fetch some water.
 ''It is ready" she answered. when saw you arrive I knew mon pere would have you stay; so I prepared the rooms. These are the rooms of the Seminarists.
 There were clean, sweet beds. bare walls, and floors, crucifix in each. candle. few religious prints, and book on Living a Good Life.'' The Angelus commenced to ring, causing pause in the village.
 A Rapid Retreat We had simple dinner of soup, black bread, beef, claret, coffee, and pousse cafe made of ruhm and syrup, the drink of the country. And besides, the kind old man hunted through a closet and brought out one cigarette, which some traveller had left there. It was the best he had that he gave us.
 Two nights ago." he said, smiling. II entertained two other Americans-geo- Iogues or journalistes, I don't know. We had but just taken soup when le volcan- boom! new explosion! and the Ameri- cans fled, got right up, and ran back to Fo'-de-Fwunce. They left everything; threw away their cameras abandoned | their horses in the stable! We had heard about the flight. The men hastened afoot, with several guides, back thirty miles to Fort-de-France. In fear of the storied fer-de-lance serpent one kept swinging stick in front of him to clear the way. The cure was highly amused.
 But why do you stay in so perilous placer" we asked. Nearly every one ha9 gone."
 "A hundred and fifty remain They are my people. I stay to minister to them. feed them, and to say to them be not afraid"
 DO you believe that St. Pierre was de- stroyed for it's wickedness?'
 Then he told us of the extraordinary immortality there. of the growth of the worship of the devil, of the public blas- phemyphemy, of the increase of socialism.
 And would you say the people were destroyed for all that?' we pursued.
 He shook his head and answered briefly: "Dieu punit"-god punishes The Sole Survivor.
 Tell us-is it true that the only person in St. Pierre to escape alive was pris- oner in jail?"
 "Yes. 1t is true. He has eaten at this table since. This is how it was: A man named Leon Cypress. black, had cut an- other with his machete at a fair in Pre- cheur litt.e way down the coast beyond St. Pierre. While laboring on the road with other prisoners in St. Pierre one day hs ran away, ran away to Precheur. Yes, the quarrel had been over a woman. Per haps he ran back to her. But they caught him. and on the day St. Pierre perished he had one more day to serve. Because he had run away the iailcrs had put hin In solitary, underground cell which had at the top a very small window. He heard the explosions, he felt the great heat was burned little, and the gases came into the little window, but not enough to suffocate him. He could not imag zine what had happened. q
 Rain came, and washed into his cell. This gave him drink, but for four days he had nothing to eat. On the fourth day he heard voices outside and called loudly.
 Leon D'Angeles and Theo. Hilaire were outside looking through the ruins Yes, they may have been looking for property; don't know. They heard the cries, it was very still everywhere. They dug and pried until they made an opening and he crawled out. There lay St. Pierre, scarcely one stone on another no living person except those who had saved him. He wondered, and asked what had hap pened, and was frightened, and wanted to go to Precheur. They told him not soul was left at Precheur. They told him to come to me, to Pere Marye, and he did.
 He is now in our hospital. Last Thurs day" concluded Pere Maryt. with satis- faction, Inc came to his first commit nion."
 The people he stays to watch over had the night we were there (June D, only food enough to last for eight days. N
 But where is the food the Americans landed so plentifully on May 21?'
 Grim Politics. He shrugged his shoulders The poli- ticians know" He had asked for sup plies; he had written letter to the American Consul. Mir. Ayme, at Fort de France; but he had had no response. The fact is, that the party in power in Tanmany-like way, was sending the supplies not to tine needy districts, hut | to the districts where the largesse would bring to the politicians a direct return in | votes and power. One odd result of the effacement of St. Pierre is that the white party of the island was there practically wiped out-St. Pierre contained the ma | jOrity of the white party's voters. That catastrophe has given the black voters an immense advantage. which it is using in a way singularly repulsive. even for | political chicanery.
 Today we hear that the city of Fort de France has at last placed some food for Morne Rouge in a ~uined house at St Pierre, where the priests people can go | and get it.
 After dinner the priest lighted us to our rooms across the churchyard. Pelee Vas throwing up a cri nson glow from l its fires against the starlit sky In the morning." he remarked as he | left us, you will find coffee in the re- | factory. l shall he at mass. and after wards shall be busy about the parish. | Good night
 Do you know what Pore Marye is?" said my comrade, as we turned in. He's |