The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1920-04-15

he places the old man, who at best
has but a few years of life left, and
two lives are better than one. He
puts himself out of the case-we all
| like to do that when it suits us to do
| so. He must leave them or the old
man to their fate. He sums it all up
and says after all, nobody knows that
| he is Vatican. Let Providence take
| its course. Has not God decided for
him? He will not declare himself.
| Then he heard an internal burst of
| laughter" which he hears during his
whole existence. But joy has gone
from his heart. When joy leaves US,
| that ought to induce us to stop and
consider. He will hide every evidence
of his identity possible, so he burns
his old galley suit; an old stick with
it which he used when a vagabond;
coin he stole from boy; all these he
puts in the fire-even the two candle
sticks he casts in also.
Vatican" Did someone call him?
There is no one there. "Valjean, do
this. Make mask" Man sees that,
but God sees your conscience. He was
hearing the laughter of the soul at
itself
well arranged, you scoundrel," he
seems to hear Then he sleeps and has
dream. He is near a town, the
houses of which are ashen color; the
sky Is leaden; man on the street is
leaning against a wall, but there is
only silence. Why this silence, he
asks, but no answer He finds silent
men IN the rooms; men everywhere,
but they are silent He met a horse
man, naked, skull for his head and in
his hand wand to chastise the inhab-
itants of the city. He went out of
the llfeless town in horror and saw all
its inhabitants coming after him. ''Do
you not know" they said, "that you
have been dead long time?" Yes,
forgers, moral lepers, men who dare
not open their souls to their neighbors.
find behind doors. in books and on the
street corners, silent men, and when
they walk in solitude those silent men
come after them. "Then do you seem
to stand on frozen sod, the horseman
is before you with whip in hand" You
are as one dead; you are in agony
After this Vatican confessed his iden-
WY ~ SiiN sui VI ISS VI dill anu tfen
great light was shining before them"
Here is one who has gotten money
by fraud, or graft, or may be has
stolen it, and another has slandered
his nelghbor who suffers intensely. One
has seduced an innocent girl, but there
comes time when he hears in his in
most soul the plaintive beseechings or
fearful pleadings of her whom he rob-
bed of that which is more valuable
than money-her virtue. He will see
the sad visage of the slandered one
though he holds high his guilty head.
Some day these will receive a shock as
they hear the laughter of the soul at
itself-the voice of conscience, as with
pointed finger he says: "Thou art the
man."
Can we get away from conscience?
Never! 1t has thousand lashes with
which to scourge us in this life and in
the life to come We will not be able
to escape the fearful outbursts of the
laughter of conscience. There is only
one course left US and that is, do right
as God gives US to see the right;
therefore it is that the word of God is
the only infallible rule of faith and
practice. Only the conscious forgive
ness of Jesus Christ can give peace to
an accusing conscience.
Be reconciled to God through Him
and you will have peace.
JOANNES.