Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-25

to the wild spirit Of the wilderness. Once
more he was home. To him the forest
had always been home, filled with the
low voice Of whispering winds and trees,
and tonight 1T was more his home than
ever. Lonely and sick at heart, with no
other desire than to bury himself deeper
and deeper into it, he felt the life and
sympathy and love Of 1t creeping into his
heart. grieving with him in his grief.
warming him with it's hope, pledg1ng him
again the eternal friendship Of its trees,
its mountains and all of the wild that 1t
held therein.
And from above him the stars looked
down like a billion tiny fires kindled by
loving hands to light his way-the stars
that had given him music, peace, since
he could remember. and that had taught
him more of the silent power OF God than
the lips of man could ever tell. From
this time forth Jan Thoreau knew that
these things would be his life. his god.
thousand times in fanciful play he had
given life and form to the star shadows
about him, to the shadows Of the tall
spruce, the twisted shrub, the rocks and
even the mountains. And now 1t was no
longer play With each hour that passed
this night. and with each day and night
that followed. they became moro real to
painted him pictures rs they had never
painted them before, and the trees and
the rocks and the twisted shrub conf
forted him moro and more In his loneli-
ness. and gave to him the presence OF life
in their movement, in the coming and
going of their shadow forms. Every
where they were the same old friends,
unvarying and ohangeless The spruce
shadow Of tonight, nodding to him in its
silent way. was the same that had nod
ded to him last night--a hundred nights
ago; the stars were the same. the winds
whispering to him in the tree tops were
the same. everything was rs it was yes
terday-years ago-unchanged. never leav-
1Y1cr tv,, ,>IL .ss =
votion. He had loved the forest-now he
worshiped 1T. In its vast silence he still
possessed Melissa. 1t whispered to him
still of her old love. of their days and
lived these days over and over again, and
when he slept with his forest he dreamed
of them.
Nearly a month passed before he
reached Oxford House and found the
sweetfaced girl whom Thornton loved
He did as Thornton had asked. and went
on-into the north and east. He had no
mission now, except to roam in his for
ests. He went down the Hayes. getting
his few supplies at Indian camps. and
stopped at last, with the beginning Of
spring. far up on the Getaway. Here he
built himself camp and lived for
time. setting deadfalls for bear. Then
he struck north again and still east
When the first chill winds of the bay
brought warning Of winter down to him
he was filled for time with longing
to strike north-and west, to go once more
back to his barren lands. But instead,
he went south, and so it came to pass
that year after he had left Lac Balm
he built himself cabin deep in the for
est Of Gods river. fifty miles from Ok
ford House, and trapped once more for
the company. He had not forgotten his
promise to Thornton. and at Oxford
House left word where he could be found
if the man from civilization should return.
In late midwinter Jan returned to Ok
ford House with his furs. 1t was on the
post that he heard a Frenchman who had
come down from the north speak of Lac
Balm. None noticed the change in JAMS
face as he hung back in the shadows of
the company's store. A little later he
followed the Frenchman outside and stop
ped him where there were no others near
to overhear
"M'sieur, you spoke of Lac Balm" he
said. in French. you have been there"
Yes replied the other, 81 was there
for a week waiting for the first sledse
snow"
at is my old home" said Jan. trying
to keep his voice natural. II have Won
dered-if there are changes. You saw
Cummins-the factor?'
Yes. he was there
man."
'He was away. Mon Dieu. listen to
that, The dogs are fighting out there"
~ moment, m'sicur," begged Jan. as
the Frenchman made a movement as if
to run in the direction OF the tumult
The factor had Observation-Disclosures
tTo be concluded tomorrow