Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-09

the end of his days? The best
he could do would be merely a
negative service. He could lead Cream
life. but this would be purely seihsh
atonement for the past. 1t would Deneh'
no one but himself. If man has stolen a
hundred pounds he can hardly make rep
aration by resolving to steal nothing
more
God had no use for him. 1t was clear
that he had lived his life and that MOTH
ing more was required of him. The SHIP
wreck cutting him off from civilization.
the temptation of Hamil driving him out
from the society of his fellow ian. the
sand storm which had prevented his let
ter from reaching England, the death OF
the camel which had kept him a pris-
oner on a few acres of heritage set like
some island in the midst of an lmpassaDie
ocean. all these were details In dern1te
plan. He was an outcast left to die IN
the wilderness. a thing of no account in
the great scheme of the universe.
Day after day these thoughts whfrled
through his brain in chaos. But. like the
nebulous matter that once resolved itself
into the solid earth. they gradually ma
terialiZed into a single thought.
II must get out of this he said to
himself. land 1 must try to do some good
in the world"
tice was going to pursue him to the last
At the end of six months of loneliness
and determination and seh-reproach
he was taken i'll. For few days he was
strong enough to walk about, and eat his
food and sit on the edge of the oasis
staring into the desert. Then he became
weak and dizzy and he was seized with
great fear
of the disease which had attacked him,
but he felt that he was very near to
death All the strength of his mind and
body seemed to be slowly dying.
Once before he had been face to face
with death. and then there had seemed
no possible chance of escape. Now he
was 10 die in comparative comfort. FOOD
and water lay close to him. On the soft
CARPET of heritage by the spring ne couid
die almost as comfortably as on bed.
Yet this fact did not make the reality of
death less terrible. On the contrary, he
had more time to think about death. His
mind was not occupied with any struggle
for life. He had merely to await the end.
Give me the future" he murmured.
land 1 will serve Thee to the end of my
days"
There was no answer to his prayer but
the faint sound of breeze among the
palm leaves and the gurgling of the
stream. Through a gap in the trees he
could see the yellow wastes of the desert.
that impossible ocean which cut him on
from all chance of doing either good or
evil in the world.
On the third day he became delirious
and talked necessarily to himself. And
then. in the evening, he passed into the
rest of sleep.
When he awoke it was dark and he
could see nothing but a few stars over
head. His body was almost lifeless. and
he could not move a finger. But his brain
was so clear and active that it seemed
to b. able to grasp the whole scheme OF
the universe.
He not only saw himself as he really
was. and as he might be. but he saw
the whole social life of England as 1t
was and as 1t might be. He saw the
lusts. the tyranny. the greed. the deceit,
the hollow joys, the awful sunerings or
modern life. And as he saw them. he
realized how small thing he was In this
CHASTITY tumble of civilization. and yet
how great thing man might be. If he
could fight against the evil i'll the world.
Such a work might atone for all the
worst sins of a mans life.
Give me the future" he whispered.
land I will serve Thee till the end of my
days.
There was no answer. but the whole
darkness seemed to culver like the lips
of one who is going to speak.
MY life is forfeit" he cried again. III
there is no work for me to do, no means
of atonement. take my life and have
mercy on my SOUL
Still there was silence. but the agony
and fear of the man passed from him.
and once more life seemed to be return
ing to his limbs.
And in the darkness he saw the splen-
did vision of a new world.