The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 14, 1902, Page 8

THE SUNDAY CALL. creature’s comment, “‘though he less effective. Besides, it is well suited to the condition of the royal treas- u nd teaches, for the benefit of the ¥ h of the kingdom, & practical eco- nomic lesson, by showing how & nuisance can be made to become its own abate- mt. I could rise to & imler height then Caesar, if, like him, had corn to feed my subjects, and so perpetuate my kingdom.” “How ljong hast thou been king? I ssked, anxious to fathom what had be- come & most perplexing mylt::y. “Three days only,” responded Diogenes, “though Xo‘r’lh.\r(} ears 1 was prince among the beggars of Rome.” “And how cam'st thou to establish thy kingdom here?” “The idea was the Emperor's. Anxious to found, on this far coast, a& kingdom that would come, in time, to be & popu- jous and powerful province of Ro: h caused & goodly number of his most de- serving subjects, some of whom .thou bast seen, to be conveyed hither.” I now comprehbend that which, but for the troubled state of my mind, woull have been evident at first. The practice that had long prevailed of exposing old and useless slaves, cripples, mendicants snd worthless paupers generally o islands in the Tiber, there to die of siarvation, had become unpopular with the people, whose boasted sensibilities were touched by the proximity of so much humen suffering. Hence & cargo of mis- ery bad been landed & great distance awey, whence no chance wind could bear shrieks of dying agony and odors of pu- trefying flesh to lh&aunlluvo ears and delicate nostrils of the prospect became absolutely hopeless BOW, “He knew of the order and the lm Shmrettir or The pasbler began th gawn o upon me. “This is the nucleus of his Firice acvirsct Fiaviue Felior Ce &cCOU us e “What's that? Ha = . t \ ve & b Diogenes, in what I could not doubt was real anger, “Forget not that I here and that my only executioner, Hunger, though somewhat siower, is as reliable and artistio in his work as is Tiberius’ most siiliful headsman, Filavius Pollio is my friend, and he shall not be cursed in my presssce.” “Because he Is & t-rut pe(uh.u'r of thy kingdom?” I asked, bitterly. “Because he appreciates and recognises merit. A thousand times hath he be- stowed upon me the coin that thou re- fused; often exchanged with me a golden sureus for & silver argenteus. He well knows the rare fortune that the money . of & leglese imparts to the tremb- ling dice. None shall malign brave, gen- erous Pollio, without incurring my dis- pleasure. I gather from the warmth of thy curses that Pollio sent thes to me; another favor I owe to him.” “}ie told me that there was a Sourish- g - ye— 0P n = sand wherefors? Was it his first false- “His first tru%rl&bt: “Tis that which rwnhbu me. ere is & town somse two ours’ walk, for such as have legs, to the westward, on the coast.” “Why éo we not go there?” I asked, a weight lifting from my heart at the words, which I 8id not doubt wers true. "HuksMg to the co ds of E.un- ger, which they thought or, &8 is surely & more imperious soversign than I, some of my foolish subjects made the journey yesterday. One returned with the information that the sharp swords and heavy javelins 6f the Roman soldiers gerrisoned there had persuaded the oth- ers to remain.” “Breed, bread,” moaned & woman, worn to an almost ghastly thinness, who had tottered to the spot and stood with out- tched hands that pleaded more elo- Quently than her wi voice. “Not for myeelf, I am content te dle, but for my child, who understands not the dealings e gods. “Tis hard to see him starve.” the warp and woof of that mysteri- seamless garment, called life, that idence hath so long been lglnnlng and ng_for me, many bright, shining threads have appeared, but none so glad- | as the one that d’'s ed that instant be- saw—greatest t t bountiful deity to inap- eclative, grasping man—a way to feed is ggonized woman's suffering child, mine own younger brother. The intense enguish of days seemed more than ated for he happy prospect. ed that in serv- rers we more bountifully serve our- * I cried, “not hyself. 'Come blood surged into the devoted rer’s white face and with a strength born of hope—greatest invigorator—she eprang eagerly rd. My words pro- duced_en alm y magical effect upon Diogenes. The sneer faded from his the cynical look vanished from his as the progress ance the love- er or the self- late scoffer at edge of the stunted ded a view of the yond, Ruth and e to be seen. isturb me since I a view to pacify- im away from n return. I led the freshly made the spot-where the huge y upon the d, the sudden I might find salt- d pieces of wood food, since such a d be quite jn keep- m the kitchen a the woman r with delicacles estowed on her a ve me the offense, have such gener- the strength which ill teach my child 1l call upon him wer and the King- disappear to- ked the steady of his love f b vHat I g greedily upon it, shrugged his huge the retreating fig- 7" 1 asked. nd my subjects he replied. “The h well-nigh perish- i the proffered draught d, rather than g soldiers. Am equal, saving Think not that of my starv- his 1 T suggested, not that I quet right ile we once more satisfy whet that of the ro ine, wh day of h b d. Summon of Wretchedness, who ap- peared to unite in his own person all the functions of roya raised his hands. ke two huge shells, to his mouth. and emitted®a series of wh s and hallous tonished me, and which were owering wall of rock, seemed shouting date of real king or 3 to more eagerly, h_greater slacrity. The pene- trating sounds of the improvised trumpet had scarce died away, when a motley crew of haif-clad vretched creatures emerged from their hiding-places and fairly swarmed down the rocky slope. Men and women, staggering under the weight of years and wasting famine; per. sone dwarfed, distorted, maimed, dis. eased; children, who lacked nothing but size to eppear old; & heart-rending, yet most disgusting throng, which numbered not less than fully two score. “Most Jeal and lean subjects of wretchedness,” began Diogenes, when such of the poor creatures as were able to walk or crawl had reached the spo many, through sheer feebleness, throw. ing themselves upon the sand, “it is only by sharp contrasts that our real condition in this life becomes apparent, even tq our- selves. Misery and happiness are relative l terms, expressing different gradations of the same universally distributed thing— want. When we secure that which we ppy, when we do not wel hen have everything we want, we want nothing and are con- tent. Hence, perfect happiness comes from baving no desires. In this life, de- sire, for one thing or another, is umi- versal; hence happiness is unattainable. There is but one thing to be desired by rational men.” He paused and looked searchingly from one to the other of t d, pain- painted faces around him, as if expecting a reply to his implied question. The cyni- cal, snarling smile still lingered upon his lips, but the element of mockery was wanting. I was astonished at his words and did not doubt that they expressed his real sentiments, the conclusions of a hard life, spent in a struggle for existence. “Death!” cried a tall, gaunt man, who was leaning heavily upon a rude stick. “Right, Aristophanes, death,” the philosopher-cripple. “Thou wit than the old Greek poet w! name was bestowed upon thee. He sought to make men forget their misery by forcing them to laugh; thou hast hit upon an easter and more lasting remedy. Half the subjects that swore fealty to me three days agone are dead, or as good as dead, already, and none of the remainder will live to see the successor of the fast-dying moon. To be content, glad, to die, i the chief end of life. Your cup of misery iz full and would run over and drown you it ou ceased to quaff of it. Some o ‘nv' not yet learned the Aristophanes hath so completely master- ed. With no object in living, save en- during the miseries of existence, yot would gladly continue the against your best, your only death, bave good news for you. ‘“‘Announce it, thes,” sald a distorted g“s tle dwarf, whose lean chin rested upon his sharp breast. “I am ready snough to die but am not willing to be talked to death. “Preserve thy temper, Tranquillus; 'tis a duty thou owest thy name. Now for the 800d news. As some of you know, I have & gift for rdading the future. I note not ihe movements of chickens engaged in sating their food, nor descend to the vul- ty of eamining their en I place faith in the drivel of re; augurs. The gods have written the crees of fate upon the wide of the heavens. I have discovered the have solved the mystery of the 1 spoke but now of the dying moon, Not one of us will live to ses its shrinking are arise this night” “T'm sure I cannot lve se long.” mat- tered the hunchback. “Peace, Tranquillus. The manner of eus death I have not taken troul to read, for it matters not, m suifer, you know not real wd‘% your misery, neither the relisf that death Wwill bring. 'To show you this by & sharp contrast and make you willing '3 hm I have bidden o - be the last for m.‘ in ST 22 et B P T me, then, jects, banquet of death.” As he spoke, the mm the speedy en: of own Iesatery” O m-” tne of the one u :] m which K. movfi% s that, which the hungry eyes the olders, N'&l mors precious an gold and jewels. sharp cry of mingled astenish- ment and delight went up as the entire company precipitated themselves upon th. inviting food. I who have seen starvin tasting proffered food, was wsurpris umiliated, at the worse than brutal self- hness of ¢ own species Men and women fought madly for precedencs, the strongest first serving themselves. Dio- genes was in & fury, principally, I thought, because himsel? and bowl had been overthrown in the wild rush. He roundly denounced their greed and utter lack of philosophical methods. Finding, however, that his tirade fell upon deaf ears, he speedily ceased and applied him- self to the food. When all had obtained and were engaged in devouring a portion, I took charge of the basket, mt on se- curing a more orderly division of what re- mained, At this moment, the woman whose ap- peal had reminded me of the provisions, appeared and informed me that some of the unfortunate wretches had been un- able, through weakness, to respond to the call of Diogenes. “I will bear them food if thou wilt per- mit,” she said. The kindness that I bad sho El poor woman in the Rame of surely borne fruit, I reflectsd, as I noted the glad smile that lightened her wan features when I placed the desired bread and meat in her hands. To love and serve 3:1' fellows is surely loving and serving As_the King eof Wr sagerly of his philosephy, save y his cyhicism and vanity, sesmed to Bfiomanmflumww against the needs of the merrow,’ of e are to to-night, nor yet for that matter, but still one of Yav'r enough to crush me—but . SAW An emperor masquel filthy usurer. But thou makest :...q: of thy royalty. Thou'uxluorhvu arments nst the rising of the meon. t me act as the first gentleman of thy ehl;fnbe:é” he bread and scarding the meat that he held in his hands, Manasseh to his feet and opened the huge case wi contained the clothing we had taken with us to Capreae. , ’Continued Next Sunday, e e— In to-day’s issus of The Sunday Call appears the first installment of “The Gospel of Judes Iscariot,” by Aarom Dwight Baldwin—a novel that is proving the semsation of two continents. This book will be published complete in three issues of The Sunday Call’s Magazine Section — December 14, 81 and 28. BE SURE TO READ IT. IT IS THE NOVEL OF THR "HOUBR. A cumplete short story by oné of the leading writers of v fict!on of the day is published every week in The Sunday Call. DOIPT MISS IT. —————