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Show A Good Samaritan. "Thousands were there, in darker frame that dwelt, Whose deeds some nobler poet shall adorn."'. Dryden. AWAY from the turbulent, maddening' madden-ing' crowd of a busy seaside city A full day's journey through rugged rug-ged mountain passes by pony route, where dense foliage and tropical verdure ver-dure lined and blocked the way of the traveler on his journey, where the fragrance-laden air met you and made you think that you were m the realms of paradise, where the tall and stately palm tree rose up to the sky as a landmark land-mark to the pedestrian, you at last reach the city, or, rather, to be more technical, the village of Morne Rouge. Nestling tinder the frowning pinnacle of burning Pelee, braving the hidden dangers of the lava mountain, dwells Pere Marye, the cure o't the village, surrounded by his little flock of devoted de-voted followers. To them he is father indeed. If sickness sick-ness 13 present, Jt is Father Marye who must be called He is summoned on all occasions to decide questions of difference dif-ference between warring and contending contend-ing parishioners. By a word, nay, by a look almost, the angry altercation would be stilled by their pastor. He was and is their guiding star, their friend, their all. When the pent-up force of nature hidden away for centuries under the crust of Mt. Pelee burst forth on its passage of death and destruction, submerging sub-merging with fiery waves and clouds I of sulphurous gases, disintegrating the ill-fated city of St. Fierre, the parish-I parish-I loners of Pere Marye were gathered i around him -fear-laden, trembling, imploring. im-ploring. The characteristic nature of the man shone forth like a bright, scintillating scin-tillating star at that dreaded moment. With eyes and hands raised, imploringly imploring-ly to God on high, he prayed for his paivc-stricken flock with that calmness calm-ness which comes only to those who lead righteous lives while the burning ashes which were continually falling around him seemed to indicate that a like catastrophe to that of St. Pierre would be the portion of the people of the almost deserted village. He calmed their fears, he soothed them in this hour of adversity, and today to-day he lives to tell the story of that dreaded time to the people of the world, "Only 150 remain. They are my people. peo-ple. I stay to minister to them, feed, them, and to say to them be not afraid." , These were his word3, and that is why he lives enshrined in the hearts of his little flock, that is why he Is trusted, respected, honored. No puffed up vanity is here. His. name may not be known in the hall of fame. It may dwindle into obscurity the same as many another brave man who seeks not the vain and wordy vaporings of an effete world. Yet some poet will rise up eventually and perpetuate the name of Pere Marye in song and story which will live forever. Meanwhile the faithful flock of Morne Rouge will continue to participate partici-pate in daily masses from early morning morn-ing to late at night the little old I church will still be opm, and the old bell will continue to toll; Te Deums will continue to be chanted, the An-gelus An-gelus will continue to be heard, and the inhabitants will still receive the words of admonition or censure from Pere Marye, the saintly priest who would not desert them when they were threatened with death and destruction from the bowels of the volcano of Pelee. |
