THE BELL – RINGER OF GARLAU.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1, 5 January 1905, Page 23

THE BELL - RINGER OF GARLAU.

I. It is a quaint old parish in the depths of the! Morlaix, OBi tlhe other side of the ridge of Dioiu/rtju. A chain of hills surrounds and isolates it. Tihere it lies in a nest of •verdowre, far from the piublie highway. Neilhei hy tlhe pointed s>pir,e of its tower nox .even tfiie vioice of Ms sweefc-ton€|d bells ringing joyous carillons cm Sundays or Ixolyid&ys does the World know of its existence. The -oldjd, pretty name of Garl,au came tp it from some lorngKorgptton saint. The entire village is composed of the tifturcjh,, tjhe p'resfaytery, and a few st^ne houses biuilt ctosa to t|ie cemetery, their old-fas|hiD>nied roiofs piojecting over tjhe s'acretd enclosure. In one of these, sMrjrou'ntied to its very doorsill by fljowciring elder bushes, Tived, at the time of tJhis history, Agaipit Quelsiseveur, better known under t)he affectilosaate s>o|brk)uet of Gapit. At the age of sixteen he had begun as an apprentice to a cicoper at Morlaix. Tlhem one evening before his time w-as up he <hlad reUxrinOdi to tihe village— but how tihin, how sajl, how entiirely changed ! Far a loing time tie havered between life a>nti dea,tjh. His limbs, it was said, were afflicted with a, stiramgie disease-, for which there was no remedy. His mother, a wMow, to whom he ahcvie of five ohildreln n>ad been left, took excellent care of him, using all the uttiiguents she knew of ; 'amd often repaired besides on pilgrimages to famous miraculous shrines. He im-pno-vejd, b*it remain infirm— J his body bejit ulmosit im twig at tlhe wiaist, leaving him am .object of commiseration auli aptonislhrnent to the kind nieig|hbO!rs, w,ho pitied wihile they deipl'ored tlhe Spectacle of -the hefcjd of a yo,uth umitqd to the body of an old m<an. it was mjdntihs before Hie coiuld bring himeelf to venture c(ut : his misfartune seemed to him like a disg»a»oe. By way 'of oons'olat-ioin the Cure s^aid to him one day : 1 We m(usit s.u'bmit to the will of Giod, Agapit.' ' Yes, Monsieur le Cure,' he replied. ' But it is har*d t|o do so— with the proper spirit.' Then, with a deejp sigh,, he wrped a tear from his pale cheek. l L am a useless beine;,' he ocntinue'd : ' unable to either help myself o<r anyone else.' Although this thought afflicted him very 'deeply, there was still another. umaMowed. umsiusipected, which caf-ised him still greater suffering, filling his soul with intense saJdness. Little by little, nevertheless, he began tio po out, ta Walk ajbidut ; and in order to be less of a cjharge on hie mother, who Subsisted by carding flaps:, he undertook certain hdht tasiks aro'urid the house ajad giarideta. S,ome of his oH energy seemed to re-turn in Uhe performance of tlhem ; he dreamed of a possible restoration, and ho,p«e began to stir anew in his heart. One SlujidJay ih Qarly nprfng ihe made his appeaiiance at High Mass. He noticed with gratification during ttie service Hhat curious eyes were seldom turned u.Don him, ,and this was in itself 'a source of great consolation. When Mass was over he joined the gjc»up of y(O,ung mien who ioolk up their usural s>tiatio,n in the graveyard, witih his back to the beVy of girls issuing friom the ciburoh parch on their way homeward. ' Qod be tihaaked you a,re on youi feet a'g,ai<n, Gapit Quesseveuf ' ' said one of these, in a pleasant voice, Avihidh seemed a fitting accompaniment to hex bright eyes atfid dheerf»il countenance. ' Yes, Jeanne Louise,' he responded in a low tone. He cotiJd not utter another word. Pale and embariiassed he stocki before her, all tyhe blaOd in his body eremilng to gather about his Kumiultiuoiusly boating heaat. But his large, beautiful eyes looked pleadingly uip intio hers ; anH the girl, herself a little disconcerted by his seridusmesis,, withljrew her gaze and feigned tjo look for someoine in the drowd, as she said with a*i effort at carelessnesis : ' Since y/ofc ate feeling ?o muoh better, Gaipit, if ypu should be coining our way stop in stome time and have a gliass 'of dder.' ' Yes, Jeanne Louise,' he amswored for i)hc sce,cnid time. She tiuarnc^i a\va.v with a -kind smile ; and as he watched her florm disappear between the trees, his soul o*icq more deiseendbd into the ocean of bitterness which now s|o often thrcitwed tio overwhelm it. He hrtd sat beside Jeatoe Lquise Mevel at catechism ; tfoley had nade their First Comm/uiuion together; amd often, under tie pretext of Minting for birds' eges, he lhaid acfconip^tiicd her with other yaujig girls of tjhe

piajrisih far alohg ttie road which leti fr,om the .village to Kergioz, -wtfiere her parents owned a flouxisftiijng farrrii. THeir QaUhers had been boyish friends aaid, later, qomipanions in the same regiment. Pierre Meivel had been crioss*-b»arer at the fu,neral of Ag,apit's father, wjh 0 hiad died early, whe!n the boy was fifteen. Aiterward he iha)d kindly propoise'd taking the o^pihap into his service, pfovilded hi« widowed mother intended him to s|penld his life on a farm. ' But lioolk you,' Pierre had said to the wildow. 'He is y]o)ur otnly one, and you have nothing. He oam never m:a.ke much headway 'as a faJrm labcreir. He is intelligent, le&rms q.uiokly at stahool, and in your place I sfinuuld gi/ve mm a tirade. It will, not be so hard, and qugjht to be far more profitable.' it was on accojumt of this ajdMce that Agjapit Quesseveur had been apprenticed to a coofper at Morlaix. And l,aiug(hin.gly— but earnestly Gaipit thougiht thein— Pierre had s|aid as he bcride him farewell : ' WfheiJ i y,ou are a'bJe to earn ,t!htee f.rajpc,s a d,ay, Gjapiit, come baok to Kergoz and under our roof-tree you sihjaH fi\n,d a dotve waiting for you.' And Agapit had set forth, tei're o«i his cheeks but laiugjhtor in his heart, as he tUudged aLcng, all his worldly ppssesssiotns slung in a bright-colored hanydkerchiei qver his sih,oiulder. Alas ! thus he had set forth, and how bkd he retunned ? Drag'gimg a botiy winder the giras|) of am inpurabla malady. G,ane were his youth, his vivacity, and his am|bition ; all that remained to him, the now h'QPplesia l'o«ve .of his hajipy chil'dhtood. Never would he be able to earn tyhem now, Itiiose three fraincs per day wlhich were t/o have been the price of his heaxt's desire ; never wo'ul'a she foe his o*n eaartjh, the sweet wihi'te dove of Kergoz. Slowly amd sadly he took his way homeward, and as he pasiecji beneath the trees bitter thoughts began to Ua,ke possess rou of his soul. If it had not been for tlhe advice of Pierre Mevel, he might now be a strong a-njd healthy man. If he had never left hisi native- village, tthe mysterious malady whk?h ha^d wreokeld his yoMth anfd happiness might never have afflicted him. r Jlhen ihis reflections changed, and he begla/n to wonder w neither perhaps, conscious of this aaift regretting itj 'Uhe fatrmer might mot still be willing t ( o take himi for a s|o(n-in-l,aw. Might it not be "possible Jeanne Louise herself would look ujp'on him ,with faivior ? S|he hajd, indeefd, a^peiarod glad to see him ; had invited him, as <yne Wiho meaint what she said, to take a glass of cider at t<!ie old farm ho|'ire. But these later reflections were sjhiout-liAed, for C^'apit Quess'eveair Was no era, vem heart. ' Away with ye, cowardly hopes, unnwily thojughts!' 'he exclaimed almost aloud. ' Get ye gpme arid fioroveir ! What am I Iftnat I Sihiould dare to think of crossing tthe tihirasihold of Pierre Mevel as a sfuitor for the daughter v»ho 13 't)i him a« tlie aplple of his eye ? No, neiver agailn until tfiese lunlbs have recovered their power, until! I| c,an staled erect among my fellows^ until I cam present myself in tthe stat/ure arid strength in which I gloried of old— never Until day comes shall my feet cross the threshold of Kergoz.' Fijvo or six months later the bell-ringer of Gartau, a very old roan, was stricken with fwer amid died after a lew days' llLness. Gapit Quesseveur had often giVen him a heßpilng harid, per^ua'ddd that tjlie exercise necessary in riingilng the bell was beneficial to his spine, wherein tlhe seat of his disease seeme-d to be located. Hje asked f|>r tihe pl&re and obtained it. From that m'omeoit life ass'umad a new aspect to Aga.pat. His m'ot'hor was growing old, and he need no lcwgcifl be dependent upoin her. While tthe ppsitidn yieldejd anly a regular income of fifty franqs a year, there were additional feoa for marriages, christenings, and "buirilals. ' I am no logger a paiiper,' he Said t«o himself, as for the fiiflst time he summoned the parishioners to Hifeh Masis. Hta ways, besides, an incomparable bell-ringer. He ltoveid the maisic of the dhimes wifh the love of a true artist. Suffering had refined 'his w'h.ole being," and now he gjave express itfn tio his peint^up feelings witjh t(he only mnisilc known to him. He had a veritable pas,si/cm for 'the bells. ' He makes 'them say whatever he pleases,' rennarked one /villager to another as tlhey passed, to 'Whe sotoiil of the carilPons, within the iporch of the old villiage chiutih. But it was when he saw Jeanne L)o«uise approaching to High Mfeiss that he set forbh all his energias, giving veint to his feelings fn a very exnltiatipn of harmony. Seated one 4 rooming on the edige of the stone wall with "the bell-corlds in both hands, toe said to the you ( ng girl : ' Well, did ydu like my m,usic to-day, Je-anne Lioiuise ? ' 1 Very rnluch indedd,' she answered, with a radiant simile, blfualhimg slightly as s,he sjpoke. His eyes were

upjoft her, but she did not turta hers agaiti toward him. Wirtih at slight inclination of the heaid, sihe pjasßeti iuto tine church. 4 The bend of her neck is like that of a pigeon,' mlurmjureld Gapit, gazing after her. 'My p,uxe little wfhite dove of Kergote.- 1 'Ln the parish of Garlau it was cubtonwy frpm time immemorial for the bell-rmger to make a visitation aiwo ; ng the better class of lnihabitants tor the purpose of collecting what were called his ' Eastetr-eggs ' as an acifcnlowledgtnent of his services. Remembering his selfregistarod promise, Agapit had refrained from visiting the farm of Pierre Mevel, "until he reflected that the oniiist,j)on tyo do Ho might lo'uk cbJurlisli and aauld hardly "be explained or excused. He made several ineffectual efSorts to call there, hovering near t'lie o,uUAi.rts and than shrinking away on some trifling excuse of gpihg, to anotjheir patnon in the vicinity. At lengtjh on Good Friday afternoon, about four o'clock, he summoned courage to enter the gate and knock at the door of the kitchen. It was Jeanne Louise herself who opened it. ' Ah, it is you, Agapit ! ' gjhe siaijd. ' Come ifr. My fatlherc is just taking a bite.' ' Yes, yes, here I am ! ' cried Pierre from the long table whejre he was attacking a huge piece of dry bread. 1 This is miy breakfast, boy,' he continued. ' Will you not join me ? Good Friday, yom kjnow, anld tihe fare me&gre. But Jea'nne Louise will fetch us a pitcher of cider. ' Tihe giirl Wad already gone for it, a»nd, presently retiurini/ng, /placed it on the table before them ' It topk ylou a lotag time to resp,ovn,d to my invitat:ion, Gapit,' s<he said, pouring out the sparkling draught with a charming smile that wont to Agatfit's head like snew wijne. He coiu,\d n,ot answer her. &he remembered, then, that she had asked him ' She hati meafit it ! She still thought of him, penhaps, as of one who might haive beem her lover—i f— if— if— Then he said : ' Yes, I was not well, buit now I am better.' ' Judgflng from t|he manner in winch yo,n ring those bells, you are,' interposed the farmer. 'So you fuel yioMir strength reforming, Gapit ? ' ' Yes, indeed.' The boy straightened himself as he answered ; and he felt afterward that he felt a sensation as though all hia bomes had cracked on the instant. S»o strong was the impresision that he looked at his companioms for some observation ; but apparently they were unaware of it, for they said nothing. At the same time his limbs trembled so violently that he pressed his arms on t,he table and his feet flrmly to ttote floor, sio that tihe father and daJugjhter might not notice it. ' Perhaps you rmay entirely recover after a time ' s>aiti the farmer kindly. ' 1I am almost well already,' replied G^pit. ' The doctor says I shall s>oon be all right.' Pierre Movel arose from the table and went into a,n adjoining i«oom, Jeanne Louise had remained standing aAd was rtow smiling; at G'atpit with a sweetness that completely upset him. The Iqve he had so faithfully tried to repress again reasserted itself under the maa;ic of her presence. Hope filled his heart ; health seemed to gliow in Wis enfeebled lim,bs, his sluggish veins. Soon tihe farmer reappeared. In his heryl he held a five-franc 'piece, whicfi he extended to tjlie yojung man. Agapit 's fiace turned ,pale. ' No - he saifI > shaking his head—' I cannot take it 'flhati is not wfiat I want.' ' You (do not want it ? ' exclaimed Pierre Me\el in surprise. 'Is it not enough ? ' 'It is not money I woHild as>k from you, Pere Mevel,' answered Agapit, with strong emotion ' What, then ? ' 'It is yonir daughter, Jea&nne Louise— when I shall be well. 1 ' 'My da|'i£*hte/r ! ' cried tfie farmer. ' Wh,at a,re you saying, Agapit ? ' ' I Tove hdr. I shall soon be well. Will yo,u give ■har to me ? ' & ' Poor fellow, you will nejver be well ! ' said Pierre Mevel, laying one hartd on the shoulder of Jeanne Louise. 'Be a man, Gapit. Do not even m thought seek to link the life 'of a cripple with that of a bright 3Wing girl.' fcl - Agapit raised his eyes to those of her whom he lovtfd. I.n a momient he realised wfaat he had done— the selfishlness of it, the horror of it. 'You are right— oh, y O .u are right! r Fiorgilve me Pierre Mevel ! Forgive me, Jeanne Louise— Jeanne Lqruusc ! ' Tears were* streaming 'down his oheeks. Father and daughter flurne'd away ; they cauld not bear to witness his angui.^Oi. He went so quietly that they did not },ftow the moment of his departure ; b,ut whqn they

lodkejd again upon the place where he had been stantiinc he was gone. & 11. Ol lj loly Satur da-y, after two days of Uunorcal silence, the bells, to use a phrase common in that Morlaix clountry, ' came 'back from Rome.' It is a return always impatiently awaited by that primitive people some amioing the younger and less pious of whom do wot enter the church until Uhe joyful carillons of the Gloria m Excelsis ' have ru,ng from tyae gray Uurrcted steeple. As Agia»pit made his appearance in the porch one of the girls cried out : 1 You must give us yoXir "best toiudhes tlo-day, Gapit!' I will tiry— you sihall see, Pierette,' he sftid briefly, as 'he passed them. *i.- '. I "l ow - sad he looks - remarked another. 'But I tnink he iia straighter than he used to be.' There was no sadness, however, in the peal that rang out fqom the tower a few moments afterward. Loud awl Jang rp.ng the bells ; netver had the oldest ihh'abitfcnt of t^he paru&b of Garlau hearid them give forth so iubil'amd a sidnig. But even as the people looked at one ajnjojher m prilde and delight, Ulie chimes suddenly ceased in Ilhe miUst of an exuberant tQieme ; tlhree solemn fiuuiereal stcqkes Succeeded each other, strange, muffled, siiow— theln there was silence. Lquis, the old sacristan, Hurried from the vestry. At the same mioment several of the men left the chjj,rth. They met at the foot of the tower S.ometihin'g has happened ! ' cried Louis. ' Let us go u«p . CIS i ac(k ?e? c leaJd - arid ' Allowing Aim, the others a-stcdnded one by one. When they reached the top, the S? t I TS S Were stiH swin S in g. but «ie ltogest and tlhioke&rt had been wrenched apart. Half of it dangled from the roof of the belfry, i)he otther coJuW not be seen. Arjd Wapit Q ues seven r was not t||iere There is something wrong,' saM Louis, going at once to ;ia small trapdoor near the wall. ' LoJk here my friaads ! The old rope parteid ln twain : Gapit, standing near tjhe trap, was thrown violently irpon it It is old .and none*. He has fallen through. We shall find mm at the bottom.' r^ ' We < t^ 11 R , d h i m dead - then - aid Athanase Dyorjr Ti7- ivi v a fall of ' sixt y feet at least.' Withoait ajrtotfher wor*d they slowly descended the stai,r ; anti Jhere, behind it, as Louis had pjeflicted Vhey found the apparently lifeless body of the young J e - rin f f| r , Blood was flowing from a *.ojuwi in thl back of tihe heiad ; there was alsio a deep out in the forehead. They bent over him. i 'Jt Ie bre r at * ies -' sai d Loiurs-' very faintly, bkit he braatfhes R\ in , Victor, for the doctor ! There may be some Hope. Meanwhile, before the people oome out of church, you awi I, Athanase, can easily oarry him home. ' In a second Vict»or was geme. The Widow Quessevour lived close to the church A premonition of accident had caused hor to Come 'out. They met her at the door of the tower, surromridaii by a crowd of Kilers eager to learji what had occurred oZ glance at the pale face cohered with blototi told the tijue Bretom mother that action was required at presdnt, whatever weeping might wme after ; a tid sjhe led read Jrrived^ hum " blc ome ' where tbe ddcilor Sad al(To be concluded next week.)

THie observation of Lord Hugh Cecil the other day at Greenwich that the King would, in the exercise of ins undoubted prerogative, cohvene Parliament, as in fiormer times, at places otlier tthan the Palace of Weptminster, may render it of interest to know that the anciqnt Parliament House of Ireland was not the dnlv place m which t/he Irish Parliament held its sessions Jt at many other places, as, for instance, Drogheda' Trim, Kilkenny. The Irish Parliaments of Elimbeth' James 1., and Charles I. assembled in rooms prepared for the repose in Dublin Castle ; the Parliament of James 11, sat in the Four Courts, ,<vhioh was thai Uhe King s Inns, and the site of an ancjent abbey From 16^ 0^^ tUI ]725 the Irish Parliament slat at C'hidhester ilouse, which was Uhe site of the existiftic odince. ' ** «*rA YEI S? & SO-S 0 -' D + 6ntists - Octagon, dormer of George sttreeb. They guarantee the highest clase of wor^k at moaerato fee» Theij artificial teelß give general satisfaction ainld the fact of them s/iraplying a temporary denttvre while the gums are heialing does away with the mconvenion.cfc of being months without taeth They miauufactuire a single artificial tooffli' far Tern Shillihes a,nd sets eqiually inlrfderate. The' administration of nitexHis. oxide gas is also a great boom tp thlose neeW&ig the extraction of a tooth, \ 6