El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-02-28
By Jules Lemaitre.


and an old priest. The bell was
| cracked, and when it was rung it
sounded like an old womans cough; it
was painful to listen to, and the Ia
borers in the fields shook their heads
sadly when they heard it.
The priest, the Able Corentin, was
| still strong and vigorous, In spite of
1 his rs years. As the 50th anniversary
of Able Corentin's ministry was ap
! preaching his faithful flock decided
to offer him handsome present to
| celebrate the great occasion. His three
! church wardens secretly went from
house to house and made a collection.
When they had got together 500 francs
they took the money to the old priest
/ and buy a new church bell.
On the following day the Able Co
rentin set out to buy the bell He had
/ to go to six miles afoot to the market
town, Rosny-le Roses, whence he
could take the stage to Pont PArche-
vogue, the county town.
The weather was fine and the old
able, his head ringing with future
| joyous peals, walked gaily on, praising
! God, as Saint Frsncois did. for the
| beauty and joy of His creation As
| he approached Rosny-les- Roses, he no
! ttced a gipsy's caravan at the road
| side. Not far from the caravan an old
horse was lying on its side; its legs
were strentched out and stiff its ribs
were sticking out like hoops, and there
was blood on its nostrils.
An old man and woman, clothed in
rags. were sitting on the side of the
ditch; they were weeping beside the
old dead horse. A girl of about 10
years of age. jumped out of the ditch
and ran towards the able, crying out:
Charity. Monsieur lie Cure; give to
the poor"
Her voice was both rough and sweet.
and modulated its prayer like gypsy
song.
Tit able slackened his pace. and
took a piece of two sous from his
purse. But, when he saw the child's
eyes, he stopped, and began to ques-
ton her.
MY brother" she explained, "is in
prison, because they say he stole a
hen. It was he who supported US, and
we have eaten nothing for two days"
The able put the penny back into
| his purse and took out piece of sill
YER
And l." she continued, know how
to juggle, and my mother tells for
tunes. But they won't let us perform
any more in the towns and villages
because we are so ragged. And now
our horse is dead"
But could you not find some work
about here?" asked the able.
1.-The people are afraid Of US, and
throw stones at us. Besides, we don't
know how to work; we only know how
TO do tricks. If we had a horse and
little money to buy clothes we could
still make living. But there's moth
ing left now but to die
The able put the silver piece back
into his purse.
do you love God?' he asked.
7 should love Him if He helped US"
answered the child.
The able felt the weight of the bag
of money hanging at his side. The
child kept her great eyes fixed on his
face.
Are you a good girl" he ques-
"Good?" exclaimed the gypsy inter
negatively She did not understand
what he meant
SAY. God, our Father in Heaven,
love you"
The child did not speak. but her big
eyes filled with tears. The able un-
did the buttons Of his cassock, and
took out the bag of money Hardly
knowing what he was doing, he hand
ed it to the girl. She seized it with
a rapid, monkey-like gesture, and said:
Thank you, Monsieure PAbbe, 1 love
you"
Then she fled towards the two old
people, who were still silently weeping
beside the poor old horse.
The able continued to walk towards
Rosny les Roses, thinking of the great
misery, with which it pleases God to
affIIct some of His creatures, and
praying Him to Tighten the darkness
in the soul of the little GYPSY, who was
evidently an unbeliever and probably
had not received the holy baptism But.
all at once, he perceived that it was
useless to continue his journey, as he
had no more money to buy the bell.
So he began to retrace his steps.
He could not understand now how
he had come to give to an unknown
Deggar girl. to a gypsy. an enormous
sum of money, which did not belong
to him. He shastened back, hoping to
meet her again. But there was moth
ing to be seen on the roadside except
the dead horse and the empty cara
van.
He managed to enter the vicarage
without being seen
Back already" exclaimed tht old
scholastique, his servant. Then you
haven't been to Pont rArcheveque?
The able told his first lie.
'T missed the stage at Rosny-les-
Roses-TH go another day-but don't
tell anyone I'm already back"
He did not celebrate mass on the
following day. He remained shut up
in his room, and dared not even walk
in his orchard. The next day they
came to fetch him to administer ex-
IRENE JUNCTION to a dying man in a
neighboring hamlet
Monsieur lie Cure has not yet re-
turned said his faithful servant.
''Scholastique is mistaken, I am
here said the able.
AS he was coming back he met one
of his most faithful pensioners.
well, Monsieur lie Cure. have you
made a pleasant journey"
The able lied for the second time.
Excellent, my friend, excellent"
And the bell?n
The able told another lie. Alas, it
would soon be difficult to keep count
Of them.
"Scholastique." said the able, as he
crossed the threshold of his little !
house, IF 1 sold the arm chair, the