The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1913-09-11

i luo cy65 OI the BOVeTuIl6uL W I6SbAs
In his incarceration in the bastile.
The impractical dreamer in the arm
chair, this visionary who, all h same.
In the few pages Of LIE Contrat Social
fissured the old world of thought like
q a Of glass mi freed h dream OF
mans freedom like a bubble; this giant
who was also q child suddenly smote
himself q mighty blow on the fore
head. ~ %t.
Could voltaire be at tho bottom of all
this? The pretty woman, the myste-
rious packet, the imprisoned friend:
could all this be a plot laid for his
ruin by that arch enemy, that bro
Arouet de VoltaireI e.
The thought completed his misery.
and just as q child takes to sucking
Its comforter for consolation, so did
our philosopher turn to his spinet. He
sat down before II and struck a few
tive imagination Though his trou-
bles were not forgotten, they had in
some magic way opened the doors Of
that temple OF the brain where music
sits ana dreams.
An hour later he was seated at the
table with some music-paper before
Therese had gone off for the day,
leaving behind her a potato salad for
his dinner. At 4 o'clock, urged by the
sensation of hunger, he searched for
and found he salad, devoured 1t and
round that he had wrecked the music
In his head; fell asleep, and was awak-
ened by the ringing Of the bell.
Thinking 1t was Therese returned,
he hurried down. and found De Lus-
q at the door.
It was only when he had reached
Rousseau's steps that De Lussac felt
b effects Of his long fast. He had
not eaten that day. and he had gone
through adventures sufficient to tax
the strongest
he almost fell In Rousseau's arms.
Il am pursued" said he, land, NOR
dieu! / can scarcely stand. Shelter me,
my friend, n give me something to
eat; I am fainting!"
Rousseau, a rabbit a moment ago but
a lion now, cast his arm round the
comte to support him. He would have
defed the whole Hotel de Sartines,
guards, Swiss soldiers, lieutenant gen
eral and all, had they arrived to claim
their prisoner. For this sentimentalist,
this dreamer, this timorous spinet-
tinker was a man at heart. Always
fearful of the things that lay in the flu
ture, brought face to face with real
danger, called on by real distress, he
had no fear.
He led the scomte up the rtckety
stairs, placed him IN the arm chair, and,
darting into the kitchen, which was also
the parlor, began to search for food.
He found a pie prepared by Therese
for their supper, q bottle Of wine, some
bread and a knife, fork and plate.
When De Lussac had finished half a
bottle Of wine and made terrible in
roads into h sacred pie, the blood re-
turned to his cheeks and life began for
him again.
In as few words As possible he told
his tale from the very beginning, and
Rousseau listened, astounded and per-
picked; he could not reconcile the man
OF intellect, h delicate, graceful and
gracious De Lussac, with the terrible
hornet hat had burst from the Bastile,
half s~trangling De Richelieu, striking
Beauregard with its sting, shifting and
rIrsuing in broad day the agents Of De
Sartines,' buZzing it's victorious way
across Paris and lighting at his steps
in the resumed formed Of the graceful
and delicate De Lussac.
1t was an object lesson in that most
difficult subject, man, delivered as If
by heaven to this philosopher who had
made mankind his study.
"Mordieu!" said he, permitting him
self for once to swear, what you tell
me sounds like q conte by Monsieur
Tobias. And Is this Monsieur de Beau
regard likely to die OF his wounds?"
Il do not know" replied De Lussac.
II trust not. Should he die, however,
my mind is clear on the matter. I did
it in self-defense."
LAY, ay," replied Rousseau; Gin self
defense, but all the same, he acted from
duty. You killed him in the execution
of his duty"
Pardon me-" cut in the other. do
not say killed, for I left him still liv-
ing"
But Jean Jacques heard him not. He
had risen to his feet and was pacing
the floor, urging by his Internal i'm
agination.
ITO kill q man in the execution OF
his duty is a grave offense. I am not
speaking Of the human law, but Of that
moral code which is part of the struc-
ture of the human mind"
But, monsieur, I have not killed
him; and quarrel was private; he
insulted my hat, / challenged him, and
he fell Such things happen every day
in Paris"
Stay: / do no wish to stand in judg-
ment over you. Who am I to do so
But I think, monsieur, 0 have been
p~recipitata. In breaking from prison
you laid yourself out a course that in
evitably entailed disaster to others, II
not to yourself. Take, for instance
Monsieur le DUO de Richelieu."
He is not hurt" "
This Monsieur de Beauregard."
He will recover"
The agent
Whom I felled? Oh mordieu! ]
wager he is even now joining in the
hunt for me-"
Take myself. / give you refuge, but
in doing 30 / endanger my W very
safety. You have been p~recipitate
whereas you should have been philo-
sophical."
I'm what way?" asked De Lussac
who had risen to his feet.
You, should have remained in his
majesty's fortress of the bastile. and
sent FOR me. I would have seen the
king, I would have used my influence;
your friends would have helped me
then all would have been we'll" g.
De Lussac had not told Jean Jacques
! of the document which had led to al
this trouble, simply stating that his i'm
prisonment was due to his connection
with the Society Of the Midi; nor die
he tell him now.
Monsieur" said he, moving toward
the door, what you say is true. Ny
presence here Is inimical to your safety
l CO."
"You will not" replied Rousseau
placing himself before the door. mo
monsieur, you "a cast yourself Oh my
protection, and my protection you shall
have. Besides, You have another frienc
with whom / must communicates"
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