Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-06-19

auueu, are tne men all stTd1gnLg'
ran them over in my mind. AZ.
Eyes, I think 3d."
"If not. don't you help them down
and anyway you can't be too careful
But don't mind me. / am quit Of the
whole business from this out"
time. as II happened.
We were a quaint combination-old
"Beetles," whose nickname was pro
phetic Of his future fame as bugman
as the fellows irreverently said; "Stum
py" Smith, a demon bowler; "Polly'
Lindsay, slow as ever and as sure al
when he held the halfback line will
Graeme and used to make my hear,
stand still at his cool elaboration. Blu,
he was never known to tumble or funk
and somehow he always got us out SAFE
enough. Then there were Rattray-
"Rat" for short-who, from q swell
had developed into a cynic with 8
sneer, awfully clever and a good
enough fellow at heart; little "Wig'
Martin, the sharpest quarter ever seen
and Barney Lundy, center scrimmage
whose terrific roar and rush had Otter
struck terror to the enemy's heart and
who was Graeme's slave. Such wal
the party.
As the supper went on my fears be
gan to vanish, for II Greene did moi
roar he did the next best thing-ate ant
talked quite up to his old form. Now
we played our matches over again, bit
terly lamenting the offs" that had losi
us the championships and wildly ap
proving the tackles that had saved ant
the runs that had made the varsity
crowd 90 mad with delight and hat
won for us, and as their names came
up in talk we learned how life hat
gone with those who had been oul
comrades OF ten years ago. Some sue
cess had lifted to high places, somt
failure had left upon the rocks, and
few lay in their graves.
But as the evening wore on begar
to wish that had left out the wines
for the men began to drop an occasion
al oath, though had let them know
during the summer that Graeme wa,
not the man he had been. But Graem,
smoked and talked and needed not til
Rattray swore by that name most sa
cred of all ever borne by man. Ther
Graeme opened upon him in a cool
slow way:
what an awful fool man is t.
damn things as you do, Rat! Thing.
are not damned. 1t is men who are
and that is too bad to be talked mucl
about. But when a man filings out Of
his foul mouth the name Of Jesui
Chrst"-here he lowered his voice
''it's sha ne; it's more-it's crime"
There was dead silence. Then Rat
tray replied:
II suppose you're right enough. 1t Il
bad form. But crime is rather strong
l think"
mot II you consider who it is" salt
Graeme. with emphasis.
ooh, come now" broke in Beetles
"Religion is all right. 1t is a goot
thing and, believe, a necessary thing
for the race. But no one takes serious
ly any longer the Christ myth"
What about your mother, Beetles?
put in Wig Martin.
Beetles consigned him to the pit and
was silent, for his father was an Epis
copal clergyman and his mother g
sanity woman.
IT fooled with that for some time
Beetles, but it won't do. You can,
build a religion that will take the dev
II out of man on a myth. That Wont
do the trick. l don't want to argue
about it, but am quite convinced the
myth theory is not reasonable, and, be
sides, it won't work"
evil the other workT' asked Rat
tray, with 4 sneer.
"Surc," said Graeme. 1--WE seen IT.
where" challenged Rattray. g.
haven't seen much of it."
Yes, you have, Rattray; you know
you have" said Wig again.
But Rattray ignored him.
ell tell you, boys" said Graeme
II want you to know anyway why
believe what do"
Then he told them the story of ole
man Nelson, from the old coast days
before I knew him, to the end. He
told the story well. The stern figh
and the victory of the life and the sell
sacrifice and the pathos of the deatf
appealed to these men. who loved fgh
and could understand sacrifice.
"rhat's why believe in Jesus Christ
and that's why l think it a crime t.
fling his name about"
II wish to heaven l could say that,
said Beetles.
Keep wishing hard enough, and 1
will come to you." said Graeme.
Look here, old chap said Rattray
you're quite right about this. In
willing to own up. Wig is correct.
know a few at least Of that stamp, Blu
most of those who go in for that sor
Of thing are not much account"
For ten years, Rattray," said Graem
in downright matter of fact way
"you and l have tried this sort o
thing" tapping bottle, land we go
out Of it all there is to be got, PAL,
we'll for it, too, and, faugh, you know
it's not good enough, and the more yol
go in for it the more you curse your
self SO have quit this. and I an
going in for the other"
what? Going in for preaching?"
mot Notwithstanding, money in
and lending hand to fellows on tn
rocks"
II say. don't you want center for