The Dolores star., 1910-02-04
MOONLIGHT
By GUY De MAUPASsAN1
Copyright. by Short Stories Co., Ltd.)

Copyright. by Short Stories Co.. Ltd)
Able Marignan's martial name suit.
ed him well. He was tall. thin priest.
fanatic. excitable. yet upright. All
his beliefs were fixed, never oscillat-
ing. He believed sincerely that he
knew his God. penetrated his plans.
desires and Intentions.
But he hated woman-hated her un.
consciously and despised her by in.
stinct. He often repeated the words
OF Christ: Woman. what have I to
do with thee?" and he would add: "It
seems as II God himself were dissatis-
fed with this work of his"
According to his belief, God had ere.
ated woman for the sole purpose Of
tempting and proving man. He had
no indulgence except for nuns. whom
their VOWS rendered inofYensive; but
he was stern with them all the same.
because he felt that at the bottom of
their chained and humble hearts the
everlasting tenderness was burning
brightly-that tenderness which was
shown even to him. priest.
He felt this cursed softness even in
their docility. in the low tones Of
their voices when speaking to him, in
their lowered eyes, and In their re-
signed tears when he reproved them
rudely. And he would shake his cas-.
sock on leaving the convent doors, and
walk on, lengthening his stride as II
flying from danger.
He had niece who lived with her
mother in little house near him. He
was bent upon making a sister of char.
ity of her.
She was pretty. mocking madcap.
When the abbe preached she laughed
and when he was angry with her she
embraced him tightly. drawing him
to her heart, while he sought involun-
tarily, to release himself from this re.
straint. which, nevertheless. filled him
with a sweet pleasure, awakening In
his depths the sensation of paternity
which slumbers in every man.
Often. when walking by her side
along the road, between the fields, he
spoke to her of God, OF his God. She
never listened to him, but looked
about her at the sky, the grass and
flowers, and in. her eyes shone the
JOY Of life for every one to see. At
times she would spring forward to
catch some flying creature, crying out
as she brought 1t back: Look, uncle,
how pretty 1t is. want to hug it,"
And this desire to hug" flies or lilac
blossoms disquieted, irritated and
reused the priest. who saw, even here
In. the ineradicable tenderness that is
always germinated in women's hearts.
Then there came a day when the
sacristan's wife, who kept house for
Able Marignan, told him with eau.
ton. that his niece had a lover.
Almost suffocated by the fearful
emotion this news reused in him, he
stood there, his face covered with
soap, for he was in the act OF shaw.
Ing
When he had sufficiently recovered
to reflect and speak, he cried: ut is
not true; you lie, Mcdaniel"
But the peasant woman put her
hand on her heart. saying: May our
Lord Judge me IL lie, Monsieur le
Cure. tell you she goes to him
every night when your sister has gone
to bed. They meet by the river side; /;
you have only to go there and see, be-
tween ten o'clock and midnight"
After his dinner he tried to read
a little, but could not. growing
more and more angry. When ten
o'clock struck he took his cane, for.
mfdable oak stick, which he was wont
to carry in his nocturnal walks when
visiting the sick. And he smiled at
the enormous club which he twirled
mechanically in his strong, country
fist. Then he raised It suddenly and,
gritting his teeth, brought it down on
chair. the broken back OF which fell
over on the floor.
He opened the door to go out. but
stopped on the sill. surprised by the
splendid moonlight, of such brilliance
as is seldom seen.
And. as he was gifted with an
emotional nature. one such as all the
fathers of the church should have,
tkose poetic dreamers. he felt sudden,
ly distracted and moved by all the
grand and serene beauty of this pale
night.
In his little garden. all bathed in
soft light, his fruit trees. in a row
cast on the ground the shadow Of their