The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-14

You remember st. Ephrem? 1t is little
to remember if you have gone much
about the great world F'layian Dion used
OF say it was well on the way to no.
where. But Flavian!-Well, that man
was always saying and doing queer
things 1t is not in the way of travel
that is true But, living here always,
suppose you were to go on journey
somewhere--to the fair at Montreal or to
the feast of st. Anne de Beaupre; it
would be fine, certainly, for little While,
a day, perchance; but presently long
ing would take hold of you and you
would be unhappy until you came again in
sight of the shining spire of the little
church of st. Ephrem-the little church
that stands in one corner of the garden
of the dcad-and of the dark green river
flowing gently along. But yet, il was
here that Flavian lived oh, but he was
queer, that Flavian. OF all who have
lived here and gone away he is the only
one who has never returned. But he
has thought about il; he has tried to
come-oh, you may depend upon that
Flavian went away; he left his wife
and child, All, but softly, madame! gent
", m'sieu'. have no Impotence. Flavian
Dion was the artist born, having the
gift from heaven.
Well then, behold this Flavian Dion
sitting at home while the sun is shining,
playing his flute and his violin for him.
self. his little daughter, his dog and his
pig-the daughter smiling with tears in
her eyes, the dog whining and the pig
erunting with satisfaction. Oh, fine.
yes: and his poor wife toiling in the
fields, or drudging in the house from sun
rise to sunset and later.
That was the din raised about F'lavian
Dion's ears at home and abroad, and all
over the village of st. Ephrem. And the
good wife made matters worse by slap
ping the child kicking the dog, beating
the pig, scolding, fretting, worrying,
with every waking breath she drew. She
had cause; but could Flavian Dion be
blamed for the nature which the good
God had given him? And had there not
been days long ago, when Suzette Des-
moulins had lstGned 10 Flavians music
as if it came from heaven, and laughed
at his drolleries until the tears ran down
her cheeks?
Working a little here and there and
idiing a great deal, if the invention of
heart breaking melodies is to be called
idIing Flavian Dion allowed the din
about his ears to grow and increase until
Zepherine. the daughter, was old enough
TO be placed in the school of the good
Sisters of the Sacred Heart at st. Hya-
cinthe Then having no one to hearken
10 his flute or violin, or to laugh and
cry. by turns ct his beautiful stories, he
look his flute and his fiddle and his
necessary belongings and went singing
along the road to the States. He dis
appeared and was not heard of again
until long after Suzette, his wife, had
been laid to rest in the little church
ward Then some wayfarer returning
home reported that he had met the wan
derer in New Orleans.
1t was queer the neighbors thought;
but after Flavian went away his wife
was inconsolable. 1t was indeed true
that Suzette was heart broken. No other
ever was, or could be as handsome. as
gentle and as kind as her Flavian now
seemed to be in the light of her sorrow
and remorse. She had no thought but of
her Flavian. and with his name on her
lips she died
And so there was Zepherine, the daugh-
ter of Flavian, to be looked after. She
was in the hands of Providence in a very
it was the belief of the good Sisters Of
the Sacred Heert. She was what is
called une file de noeI-a child of Christ
1nas-tnat being the day on which she
was born She grew with the growing
years and was happy with the rest She
had very vivid memories of her father
and his gentle ways. The melodies he
had called forth from his flute and vio-
I, hox dor
full stories he had told were still fresh
in her mind. They were'a part of her
daily life.
She knew where her mother was: yes,
full well. Many and many time she
had krelt before the little white cross
that marked the spot in the garden of
the dead at st. Ephrem. and prayed for
the peace and repose of her mothers
soul AS for her father-well, at the
proper time the good God would take
her by the hand and show her where he
was She had not the slightest doubt
of this, and she prayed that when the
time should come she should be pre-
pared TO follow the guiding hand. So
he years went on until at last, one
Christmas Day. il seemed to Zepherine
Dion that this unseen hand was bcckon-
ing to her, and she made haste to obey
the summons.
Now, ii is to regretted that Mr.. Sand
crs, of Shady Dale. cannot have the
privilege of telling the rest of this story
in his own inimitable way. He used to
tell it, and tell it we'll; he gave it "a
coloring and a humor all his OVID, and
he added to it the eloquence Of gesture
and the appropriate play of his happy
countenance More than that, he was
able to lap upon ii the burden of Il
family history with which it had only
casual connection He would tell about
the settlement of Shady Dale by the
Cloptons: of the original deed in the
handwriting of Gen. Alexander McGil-