Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-08-11

and Barney Lundy, center scrimmage,
whose terrific roar and rush had often
struck terror to the enemy's heart and
who was Graeme's slave. Such was
the party.
AS the supper went on my fears be-
gan to vanish, for if Graeme did not
roar he did the next best thing-ate and
talked quite up to his old form. Now
we played our matches over again, bit
terly lamenting the "ifs" that had lost
us the championships and wildly ap-
proving the tackles that had saved and
the runs that had made the varsity
crowd go mad with delight and had
won for us, and as their names came
up in talk we learned how life had
gone with those who had been our
comrades of ten years ago. Some sue
cess had lifted to high places, some
failure had left upon the rocks, and a
few lay in their graves.
But as the evening wore on l began
!! to wish that had left out the wines,
for the men began to drop an occasion
al oath, though I had let them know
during the summer that Graeme was
not the man he had been. But Graeme
smoked and talked and needed not till
Rattray swore by that name most sa-
cred of all ever borne by man. Then
Graeme opened upon him in cool.
slow way:
"What an awful fool a man is to
damn things as you do, Rat! Things
are not damned. 1t is men who are,
and that is too bad to be talked much
about. But when a man filings out of
| his foul mouth the name. Of Jesus
Christ"-here he lowered his voice
'ft's shame; it's more-its crime"
| There was dead silence. Then Rat
tray replied:
81 suppose you're right enough. 1t is
bad form. But crime is rather strong,
think"
''Not if you consider who it is" said
Graeme, with emphasis.
ooh, come nowv' broke in Beetles.
Religion is all right. 1t is a good
thing and, I believe, a necessary thing
for the race. But no one takes serious
ly any longer the Christ myth
What about your mother, BeetlesY
put in Wig Martin.
Beetles consigned him to the pit and
was silent, for his father was an Epis-
copal clergyman and his mother
sanity woman.
81 fooled with that for some time,
Beetles, but it won't do. You can't
build religion that will take the dev-
II out of a man on myth. That won't
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"
"Will the other work?' asked Rat
tray, with a sneer.
Sure" said Graeme. give seen it."
"Where" challenged Rattray. 81
haven't seen much of it."
Eyes, you have, Rattray; you know
you have" said Wig again.
But Rattray ignored him.
"I'll tell you, boys" said Graeme.
81 want you to know anyway why
believe what 1 do"
Then he told them the story of old
man Nelson, from the old coast days,
before l knew him, to the end. He
told the story we'll. The stern fight
and the victory of the life and the self
appealed to these men, who loved fight
and could understand sacrifice.
''That's why believe in Jesus Christ
and that's why l think it crime to
fling his name about"
81 wish to heaven could say that,
said Beetles.
keep wishing hard enough, and II
will come to you," said Graeme.
Look here, old chap" said Rattray
you're quite right about this. I'm
| willing to own up. Wig is correct.
! know few at least of that stamp, bu
most of those who go in for that sor
t of thing are not much account"
l "For ten years, Rattray," said Graem,
in a downright matter of fact way
E "you and l have tried this sort Of
l thing" tapping bottle, land we go
7 out Of it all there is to be got, pai(
well for it. too, and, faugh, you know
!. it's not good enough, and the more 70,
|. go in for it the more you curse your
self. So 1 have quit this. and 1 an
e going in for the other.''
What! Going In Tor preach1ng!
"Not Notwithstanding, money in
and lending hand to fellows on tn
= rocks"
: 81 say, don't you want a center for
3 ward? said big Barney in his Gee
voice.
Every man must play his game il
his place, old chap. I'd like to see yo1
= tackle it. though, right WELL" sal
= Graeme earnestly.
And so he did in the after years, an
good tackling it was. But that is ar
Z other story.
:. "But, say, Graeme," persisted Be-
:, ties, "about this business-do you mea
7" to say you go the whole thing-Jonal
you know, and the rest Of it?'
IL Craomo hocitafod fhon said.