The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1911-09-28

I'll Ola irlenQ. NOW listen TO what
have to say. You have your heart
set, l perceive. upon poetry. At Dreux,
] have friend, one Monsieur Bril-
Georges DIii. He lives in little
cleared space in household Of books.
He is learned man; he visits Paris
each year; he himself has written
books. He will tell you when the cat
acomhs were made, how they loind
out the names OF the stars, and why
the plcver has long bill. The mean
Ing and the form OF poetry is to him
as intelligent as the baE OF sheep
is to you. will give you letter to
him, and you shall take him your DO
ems and let him read them Then you
will know If you shall write more, or
give your attention to your wife and
business"
Write the letter." said David; 81
am sorry you did not speak Of this
sooner"
At sunrise the next morning he was
on the road to Dreux with the pre-.
cious roll of poems under his arm. At
noon he wiped the dust from his feet
at the door of Monsieur Bril- That
learned man broke the seal of NJ
Papineau's letter, and sucked up its
contents through his cleaning specta-
ces as the sun draws water. He
took David inside to his study and sat
him down upon a little island beat
upon by sea of books.
Monsieur Bril- had a conscience. He
f1inched not even at mass OF manu-
script the thickness Of finger length
and rolled to an incorrigible curve.
He broke the back of the roll against
his knee, and began to read. He
sighted nothing; he bored into the
lump as worm into nut, seeking for
kernel.
Meanwhile, David sat marooned.
trembling in the spray of so much lit.
erature 1t roared in his ears. He
held no chart or compass for voyaging
in that sea. Half the world. he
thought, must be writing books.
Monsieur Bril- bored to the last page
spectacles and wiped them with his
handkerchief.
my friend, Papineau. is well?" he
asked.
I'm the best of health" said David
How many sheep have you. Mon
sieur Mignot?"
Three hundred and nine, when
counted them yesterday. The flock has
had i'll fortune. To that number 1t has
decreased from $50"
You have wife and home, and
lived in comfort The sheep brought
you plenty. You went into the fields
with them and lived In the keen air
and ate the sweet bread of content.
ment. You had but to be vigilant
and recline there upon natures breast,
listening to the whistle OF the
blackbirds in the grove. Am I right
thus far?"
1T was So" said David.
Il have read all your verses" con-
tinued Monsigneur Bril-. his eyes wan
dering about his sea of books as If
he conned the horizon for a sail.
Look yonder, Monsignor Mignot; tell
me what you see in that tree"
81 see a crow" said David. look
ing.
There is a bird" said Monsigneur
Bril-, that shall assist where l am
disposed to shirk a duty. You know
that bird. Monsieur Mignot; he is the
philosopher of the air. He Is happy
through submission to his lot None
so merry or full-crawed as he with his
whimsical eye and rollicking step.
The fields yield him what he desires.
He never grieves that his plumage is
not gay, like the orioles. And you
have heard, Monsieur Mignot. the
the nightingale any happier. do you
Think"
David rose to his feet. The crow
caweS harshly from his tree.
q thank you. Monsieur Bril-" he
said, slowly. There was not then. one
nightingale note among all those
croaks?"
81 could not have missed It," said
Monsieur Bril-, with sigh. II read
every word. Live your poetry. man;
do not try to write 1t any more"
Il thank you" said David, again.
And now | will be going back to my
sheep"
IF you would dine with me-" said
the man of books, land overlook the
smart of it. will give you reasons at
length"
NO." said the poet 81 must be back
in the fields cawing at my sheep"
Back along the road to Veroy he
trudged, with his poems under his
arm.
When he reached his cottage Yvonne
was not there. OF late she had taken to
gadding much among the neighbors.
but a fire was glowing in the kitchen
stove. David opened the door OF 1t
and thrust his poems in upon the
Goals. AS they blazed up they made
singing, harsh sound in the flue.
The song of the crow!" said the