The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-01-11


ceded her, piercing the darkness, de-
lineated moving shadow.
She stopped and stiffled a cry. She
thought it was another beggar who
came to ask for shelter and she raised
the lantern to his face. 1t was an old
man whose beard was curling like the
tendrils of sweet peas in May and who
wore wide brimmed hat made limp
by three generations wear. He adj
vanced in the light Of the lantern and
said:
For the love of God, mistress, don't
let me spend the night out of doors"
''You at least speak as beggars no
longer know how to and therefore
will let you in, but this is the last
time. My husband is going to lock the
barn after this. What is your name?"
"They call me Misery
She looked at him and was sur
prised to see that his eyes we're very
blue and very soft, like a child's.
Though the wind was blowing and it
rained hard she hurried no more than
if the weather had been summerlike
and the night clear.
81 don't know whether you are tell.
ing me your real name, Misery.
Where do you come from?" she asked.
From everywhere"
''How do they treat your"
Worse every day.
why are you always tramping with.
out knowing where you will stop at
night?"
''To keep peoples hearts from clos
ing entirely. Where I pass there is
only beggar After have gone,
there is Gods blessing"
Mistress Julienne of the Renardiere
thought this tramp looked like one
of the apostles carved and painted in
the village church and she said, know
ing that the night is full Of wanderers
that no one will ever count:
go in there, the best spot is in the
right corner. If there is no fresh
straw, loosen up some from the stock;
won't mind if you do"
After the four wanderers had gath
cred in circle around the tureen of
soup in the light of the lantern the
woman had hung On nail in the wall,
the great darkness of night spread
thickly over the world The storm
howled more fiercely; the high tide
that was rising filled the wind with so
much noise that it sounded as though
it were beating against the house bent
on dwelling it down Julienne re-
turned to her room happy.
There are four of them now; as
many as we have children"
At break of day father and son
arose to tend the cattle, wondering
whether the wind would allow them
to venture out on the sea. They
hadn't crossed the threshold, how
ever, when Julienne called:
ooh, it's terrible! Come! Help!"
They rushed to her in the second
room, where she was weeping bitter
ly; the dresser in which they had kept
the years savings, was open and the
drawers had been ransacked.
The man became wild with anger,
he turned furiously upon the woman
who had always made life happy at
La Renardiere and in terrible scene
reproached her cruelty for this mis-
fortune.
isn't it your fault now? Why do
you take in those thieves? That's
what you get for your stupid gener-
osity! We are penniless, and all on
account of you, you lodger of beggars
and hoboes!"
Young Herve paled at seeing his
mother weeping and his father SO in
censed.
It was half an hour before the
farmer even thought of pursuing the
thieves. He went across the yard,
took pitchfork from the stable and
entered the barn. His wife and son
followed him closely. On the straw
the fourth tramp was still asleep.
Get up there, you thief! Where
are the others?"
Misery opened his eyes but didn't
move He was wrapped up in his
faded travellers cloak and his face
was as pale as the straw on which
it rested.
Cant you understand me, you
scoundrel? Where are the others?"
The eyes of the tramp were so clear
and so deep, however, that the man
suddenly thought of the sea in the off
| ing as he beheld it daily from his fish
erman's boat Though boiling with
rage he dared not touch the beggar
and said, not quite so brutally:
81 don't accuse you of doing it. l
won't do you any harm. Only tell me,
where are the others who have robbed
me?"
"Over a quarter of an hour ago,
farmer, heard people running, but the
way they were going you will never
catch them"
Still lying on his back, with his
face still serene and talking in the
tone of one who had authority, he
asked:
what have they stolen? Your hap
piness?"
mo"
"One of your children
mo"
| your consciousness of being an
honest man, of having always worked
faithfully and always done your
duty?"
~