The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1916-01-13
A FAIRY TALE FOR GROWN-U Ps.

S4'S 49, - Il u u SdlSl -
lgnatius handed him the flask and ex-
perienced a strange pleasure in the
! giving. All his life he a been ac-
customed to receive.
He Then o the pebble and uncer-
talnly, as though inwardly protesting
his unpelief Of such childishness,
passed 1t over his eyelids. The old curl
of his lips. that had not endeared him
to his brothers at the Certosa, was. once
again visible, but only for an instant.
For no sooner did he open his eyes and
gaze ABOUT than a great wonder filled
hlm, ike that in the ayes of a child.
Was this merely his own foolishness
or was 1t sorcery? Surely his senses,
unusually acute, not on a sudden
begun to play him tricks? All things
We're the same as of old. yet a subtle
difference pervaded them all.
The old wayfarer, first of all, with
the same threadbare cloak and the
same visage, seemed bathed in a soft,
golden light That, however, might
we'll have been ar effect of the %slanting
sun. But friendliness and love shone
from his eyes, SO that Ignatius could
not choose but love him. 1t was as
though he had found a brother. But
that perhaps vas the upshot Of a little
comradeship on 4 very lonely road. All
the plain and the hills, however, a
suffered the same subtle change. They
We're bathed in a radiance hat made
Li0Ih III iIillIllliDlS pIeCIOuS 10 tllI1l. lie
found himself lingering fond.y upon
that new n satisfying feeling. Some
how he knew to a certainty now that
never more would he be opsessed by
the quest for freedom. He felt himself
free of all things and of all conditions
by cas- Of an invisible bono that
now bound him to all things, to the
dust in the road as to the most distant
stars. The old mar intently watched
him and chuckled pleasantly.
You speak the truth" Ignatius ire
mulously addressed him. No need of
faring to the peaks on the horizon, for
10! | have found what | was seeking;
all things are one. You are as my
brother and l love 0 more than my
self, and l see now that hill Il dale,
field and peasant. dust and stars, are
one, even as you and l." He was be-
coming strangely eloquent. Lord,
Lord" he suddenly burst forth in the
query by which every loving sou is
troubled, how have Thy creatures be-
come so long and so widely s~eparated?'
The stranger smiled and tenderly
laid his hand pom hat of Ignatius.
That question. my brother, no man
may answer. said he slowly, but this
day we W come one step nearer the
remedy. Let us rejoice in that"
Il must take the news to my peo-
Pile firmly declared Ignatius, pre-
pairing to gather up his staff and his
scrip for the return journey: II must
go back to my brothers of the Certosa
and to Florence" The aged stranger
nodded ~approvingly.
Thou are not the first, my brother"
he said reflectiveiy. Ito return to the
people with this news. nor art thou
like to be the last. But that that is
thy bounden duty there is no doubt at
all. Many will yet discover and redis-
cover this truth until, at last, all the
world shallsknow that the sufferings of
one are the sufferings of all. Mean
while the great cycles will revolve to
their own high destinies. Joy unto
thee, my brother" he added with OUT
stretched hand. ~ will walk a space
with three OF thy Journey" More than
ever now the stranger spoke as one
with authority.
On they walked under the azure
heavens N a glowing silence of broth
erhood. A veritable light of human
love shone from both their faces.
Go, my brother" the stranger
finally said when it came to a parting |
of the ways. Nov thou must walk
alone, for | must bend my footsteps
elsewhere Tears of love and graft
tude blinded the monks eyes at the
parting, and when he wiped the dim
ness from his eyes and gazed back the
stranger was no longer visible. The |
that had fallen upon the earth, |
however, persisted, and not a peasant
or a child on the way, not a beast or a
hillside, but was bathed in the radiant
aware of a children'S epidemic |
in Florence-who had seen in every
peasant and laborer a fool-now, de- |
spite his haste, stopped to pat all the
little children in his way to greet all
men and women as his kindred and 10
pause for an hour to comfort a weep |
ing urchin with a thorn in his foot. A
for all the world now streamed
from him like an emanation.
When 1gnatius came to the gates CT
his ancient monastery melancholy It'd
awaited him.
II must see the prior forthwith" he !
the aged porter, for ] have news
of ome for him-yes, and for all OF
you, my brothers"
"Alas!" replied the porter, Father
is now in his cell dying, they
say. of a grievous illness. And when
again we shall have SO sanity a prior
is more than l can declare"
"Ihen stay me not" pressed Igna-
thus, tor must speak with him If he
Is yet alive. l am of this house-Igna- /
tho not know me?' '
"Ignatius. the mad-I mean he who +,
fled the cloisters?" stam-lered the new
porter in confusion. Surely thou hast
become much changed, my brother.
III lace, that was wont to be SO set
we're, now all but resembles the sanity ,,
It'll. iLou mast mace q molly Pilgrim '
age, no doubt?"
Yes, truly. my brother" answered
lgnatius. and l have found an emol-
lent for my old severity; it is of that
must report to the prior"
Father Geronimo smiled when Ig-
natius, treaGing softly. came n knelt
by his bedside.
My son." said he, II rejoice to see
within the walls ere / take my |
hence. A long journeying has been
thine these many many years"
My father" said Ignatius simply, |
1T seems | departed but yesterday
And, without loss of time. he related all
his experience from the day he left
the cloisters to the moment OF his re-
turn.
This house." whispered the prior
with his fast ebbing breath. ''is blessed
IN thee and in thy miracle, my son
let me say, my master. That I should
lived to speak with thee! Nay,
henceforth thou art prior of the Ger
and his holiness will surely sane
ton it." And the prior asked that his
.serivener write down his dying wish.
That stranger" he added TO Ignatius,
was ever in thy heart, and that. pebble
-enlighten others with 1t. That is thy
20 ctr--fhy ~ ~ -xls-- x~rr~ ssa#&gS