The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-05-21
"You are very young" the knight

"You are very young" the knight
continued.
II should never have been so DID,"
replied Nillon, showing his fingers. ''if
l had not helped myself with these ten
talents. They have been my nursing
mothers and my nursing fathers"
you may still repent and change"
II repent daily" said the poet.
"There are few people more given to
repentance than poor Francis. AS for
change. let somebody change my cir
cumstances. A man must continue to
eat, if it were only that he may con-
tinue to repent"
1.-THE change must begin in the
heart" returned the old man solemnly.
My dear lord" answered Villon. do
you really fancy that steal for pleas
ure? l hate stealing like any other
piece OF work or Of danger My teeth
chatter when l see gallows But l
must eat. | must drink. l must mix
in society of some sort. What the
devil! Man is not a solitary animal
cui Deus faeminam radit Make me
kings panther. make me abbot of st.
Denis, make me bailie Of the Patatrac,
and then l shall be changed indeed.
But as long as you leave me the poor
scholar Francis Villon, without a far
thing, why, Of course, remain the
same"
THE grace of God is all powerful"
II should be hereto to question
it." said Francis. 1T has made you
lord of Brisetout and bailie Of the Pata
trac. 1t has given me nothing but the
quick wits under my hat and these
ten toes upon my hands. May help
myself to wine? I thank you respect
fully. BY Gods grace, you have very
superior vintage"
The lord of Brisetout walked to and
! fro with his hands behind his back.
Somehow he yearned to convert the
young man to a better way Of think
| ing and could not make up his mind
to drive him forth again into the street.
There is something more than l can
understand in this he said at length.
"Your mouth is full Of subtleties, and
the devil has led you very far astray,
but the devil is only very weak spirit
before Gods truth. and all his subtle
ties vanish at word Of true honor,
like darkness at morning. Listen to
me once more. learned long ago that
a gentleman should live chivalrously
and lovingly to God and the king and
his lady, and, though have seen many
strange things done, have still striv-
en- to command my ways upon that
rule. 1t is not only written in all no
BILE histories. but in every mans heart,
if he will take care to read. You speak
of food and wine, and know very
we'll that hunger is a diff cult trial to
endure, but you do not speak of other
wants. You have totally forgotten the
great and only real ones, like man
who should be doctoring toothache on
the judgment day. for such things as
honor and love and faith are not only
nober than food and drink, but in
deed ! think we desire them more and
suffer more sharply for their absence.
speak to you rs think you will most
easily understand me- Are you not,
while careful to fill your belly, disre
garding another appetite in your heart.
which spells the pleasure of your life
and keeps you continually wretched?'
Villon was sensbly nettled under all
this sermoniZing. You think | have
no sense of honor he cried. I'm
poor enough. God knows, It's hard to
see rich people with their gloves and
you blowing in your hands. An empty
belly is a bitter thing. although you
speak so lightly of it. If you had had
as many as l. perhaps you would
change your tune. Anyway. I'm
thief-make the most of that-but I'm
not devil from hell. God strike me
dead! | would have you to know I've
an honor of my own as good as. yours.
| though l don't prate about it all day
long as if it was a Gods miracle to
have any 1t seems quite natural to
me. l keep it in it's box till it's want
ed. Why. now. look YOU here. how
long have been in this room with you?
Did you not tell me you We're alone in'
the house? Look at your gold plates
You're strong. if you like, but you're
old and unarmed. and have my knife
What did l want but a jerk Of the :
elbow and here would have been you j
with the cold steel in your bowels, and
there would have been me. linking in ,
the streets. with an armful of golden
cups! Did you suppose l hadn't wit
enough to see that? And scorned
the action. There are -FOUR ID
goblets rs safe as in Il church: there :
are you, with your heart ticking as !:
good as new. and here am |, ready to.
60 out again as poor as came in.
with my one white that you threw In
my teeth. And you think have no
sense of honor-God strike me dead!'
The old man stretched out his right
arm. Il will tell you what you are"
he said. "You are rogue, my man.
an impudent and black hearted rogue
and vagabond. have passed an hour
with you. oh, believe me, l feel N.Y.
self disgraced!' And you have eaten