Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-11-14

tne story OF another mana man Irou
civilization. like you. who came up
into this country Of ours years and
years ago and who met Q woman. as
you have met this girl at OXFORD
House. and who loved her as you love
this one and perhaps more. 1t Is SIN
gular that the case should be 80 SINH
lar. m'sieur, and It Is because Of this
that l believe our Blessed Lady gives
me courage to tell 1t to you, for this
man. like you, left a wife and two
children when he came into the north.
M'sleur. pray the great God to for
give him. for he left a third child
unborn"
Jan leaned upon his hand 80 that It
shaded his face.
ut IL not so much Of that as OF
what followed that l am going to tell
you. m'sieur," be went on. ut was
beautiful love on the woman's part,
and It would have been a beautiful
love on the mans part II 1t had been
pure. For her he gave up everything.
even his God. as you would give up
everything and your God for this girl
at Oxford House. M'sleur. l will
speak mostly Of the woman now. She
was beautiful. She was one Of the
three most beautiful things that God
pver placed In our world. and she
bved this man. She married him. be-
leved in him. was ready to die for
him, to follow him to the ends OF the
Earth. as our women will do for the
men they love. God In heaven! Can
you not guess what happened. m'sIeur?
A child was bornv"
So fercely did Jan cry out the
words that Thornton jerked back as
though a blow had been struck at him
from out Of the gloom.
"A child was born" repeated Jan.
Ind Thornton heard his nails digging
IN the table. THAT was the first
rurse of Coda child! Carton. beasts
pf carrion, that is what we call them
beasts Of carbon and carrion eaters.
breeders of devils and sim My God!
That Is what happened. A child was
horn with tho curse Of God upon him!'
Jan stopped. his nails digging deep
er his breath escaping from him as
though he had been running
Down In your world he would hnve
grown up a man, lac continued. speak
ing more calmly. Il have heard that
since But here It is different. The
curse never dies, 1t follows. day after
day. year utter year. And this child
more unfortunate than the wild things
was born one of them. If the winds
had whispered the secret nothing
would have come near him. The In
dian women would sooner have touch
ed the plague. He would have beer
an outcast, despised as he grew older
pointed at and tainted. called name:
which are worse than those called tt
the lowest and meanest dogs. That l.
what it means to be born under thai
curse-up here"
He waited for Thornton to speak. but
the other sat silent and moveless across
the table.
THE curse worked swiftly. m'sieur
1t came frSt-in remorse-tO the man
1t gnawed at his soul. ate him alive
and drove him from place to place
with the woman and the child. TIL,
purity and love of the woman added t,
his suffering. and ut last he came t
know that the hand Of God had faller
upon his head The woman saw BIZ
grief. but did not know the reason To-
it, And 80 the curse first came to her
! They went north-far north. above TIT
Barren Lands. and the curse followed
there 1t gnawed at his life until-h,
died. That was seven years after tn,
child was born
The oil lamp sputtered and began t
! smoke. and with quick movemen
Jan turned the wick down until the.
were left in darkness.
"M'sieur, 1t was then that the ours
began to fall upon the woman and tn
child. DO you not believe that abou
the sins OF the fathers falling upO
others? 1t il 50. 1t IS so. 1t came Il
many small ways, and then the ours
1t came suddenly-like this" Jan
voice came in n Kissing whisper now
Thornton could feel his hot breath a
he leaned over the table. and In tn
darkness Jams eyes shone like tw
Goals of fire. 1T came like this!" pan,
ed Jan. "There was new missiOne
ut the post-n--a Christian from th
south. and he was great friend to til
woman and preached God. and she bt
iieved him. The boy was very youn
and saw things. but did not under
stand at first. He knew afterwar
that the missioner loved his mother
beauty and that he tried hard to wi
it-and failed. for the woman unit
death would love only the one to whol
she had given herself first. Great Got
II happened then-one night whe
every soul was about the big fires 9
the caribou roast and there was no on
near the lonely little cabin where tn
boy aud his mother lived. The DO
was AT the feast. but he ran home wit
n bit OF dripping meat ms gift for h
mother. and he heard her cries and RI
in, to be struck down by the missione
II happened then. and even the DO
knew and followed the man. shriekin
that he had killed his mother" Their
was IL terrible calmness now In Jan
8 voice "M'sieur. 1t was true. Sh
wasted away like a nower after thu
night She died and left the boy alor
with the curse. And that boy. m'sieu
was Jan Thorenu. The woman WI
his mother"
There was silence now. a dead. pulls
less quiet, broken after a moment b
! a movement. II was Thornton. gro