The Irish standard., 1915-10-30

mind twas the youthful innocence Of
me that took every man on his owr
word"
And are YOU so much wiser now
Jerome. avick, after all your travels? o
I'm no wiser than ever was
mother although surely a knowledge
of evil has been driven into me, and
in high places no less than low. And
there is the pain of too much knowl.
edge when It's of evil. mother-when
shining robe is. by accident it might
be, blown away, to learn what a cor.
ruption of carcass is too often lying
beneath it. There's man in this city
- He named him then and aues.
toned me did l know him.
who does not?" l said. "A man
of high station, no less and great
things to be read in the papers about
him.
And yet greater things you would
read of him, mother, if he could find a
yet cleverer man to write them"
Ills common human vanity. Je-
rome" said to that, land in itself no
great villainy, to be wanting to shine
great in the eyes of the world"
But to be shining great that their
own pleasures may be greater-'tis no
simple vanity is there. No, no, moth
er. Many queer corners of this world
I've travelled and many kinds of vii.
lains I've known at close grips-
thieves. cutthroats, robbers. murder
ers, and so on-and no wonderful harm
in many of them beyond the evil of
their calling. Some. indeed, there
were OF likable ways-some such |
have been beholden to. now and again
for kindness. But --and grew
cold with the chill was in his voice
and his eyes-"there are creatures of
a sort of villainy that these I've
spoken of are whiterobed saints be
side.'
Jerome. Jerome" | said, you talk
Strangely
Let it rest there. then--at strange
talk-for 'tisn't me. mother, would
wish the innocence of you to under
stand. beyond knowing from me that
the grandson of that great and good
man who saved father from prison is
i'll the way of being drawn to his ruin
alton. And with no full notion of il
himself"
! knew twas not in Jerome to lie.
What terrible thing" l said, that
a man may strive to be all that is
good himself and still no telling will
the people after him be good, too"
Like many another heir to a fair
name. tits enmeshed in flattery he ia
and will listen to no words" said Je.
rome. But will prove to him before
his own sight with what manner of
villainy he is faced"
And as all men know now, Jerome
Killed the man he had in mind, mean
ing not to. With his two bare hands
and never a notion of the terrible
strength that was in him in his RACES.
he squeezed the thick neck till the
breath was no longer coming from the
vile body. And it was like him then
to say no word for himself eff | saw
word at all ! will say too much"
he said. After all, the manner of
a mans death, so he should have
death, is small matter"
Years ago that was; and Jerome
still in prison for it when his father
lay on his dying bed, and he was say
ing: Mamma Wan, tbs come to me
that my time is short and there is
three, or maybe four. things ! would
like to have hope Of before ! co."
And what are they, Shaun?" |
asked.
ITO be seeing first of all that will
be there the face of little Gerald that
we buried long ago in Aran, when nv
time In purgatory I've served for INV
sins and into the next world I have
passed"
THAT will be as God Wills, John" I
said. but surely he won't deny Won
that after your more than eighty
years Of hard life. But would Won
know him. john" said, after sixty
Two years?' saying that to save my
self saying something sadder.
Know him." he said, know him?"
-vexed like with me. my own first
born that ! held dead across my two
knees through all the black night he
died?"
Don't know you would know him.
John! And what else?"
Il was thinking of my days in the
navy In the war, and how when the
war was over the captain said to me:
John Lacy, you should stay in the
navy and have fine pension against
your old age"
but what of my young age, sr?'
] said-'and my family, 1t might be- on
the one side of the world and myself
In China or elsewhere on the other?
What comfort would have of them or
they OF me?' And others OH the ship
we're OF my mind. And I was think.
ing the while was lying here, Mamma
Wan, OF what few shipmates is left
living of my old ship in the war-and
how 1t would be a grand sight to be