the foreigner-第21节
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hall free you from it。 In this new land； let life be new with you。 Let not the shadow of the old rest upon you。〃 He gathered the boy up in his strong arms and strained him to his breast。 〃Now farewell； my son。 Ah！ God in Heaven！〃 he cried； his tears raining down upon the boy's face； 〃must I give up this too！ Ah； those eyes are her eyes； that face her face！ Is this the last？ Is this all？ How bitter is life！〃 He rocked back and forward on the bench； his boy's arms tight about his neck。 〃My boy； my boy！ the last of life I give up here！ Keep faith。 This；〃 pulling out the miniature； 〃I would give you now； but it is all I have left。 When I die I will send it to you。 Your sister I give to your charge。 When you are a man guard her。 Now go。 Farewell。〃
The guard appeared at the door。
〃Come； you must go。 Time's up；〃 he said roughly。
〃Time is up；〃 cried the father； 〃and all time henceforth is useless to me。 Farewell； my son！〃 kissing him。 〃You must go from me。 Don抰 be ashamed of your father； though he may die a prisoner or wander an exile。〃
The boy clung fast to his father抯 neck； drawing deep sobbing breaths。
〃Boy； boy；〃 said the father； mingling his sobs with those of his son； 〃help me to bear it！〃
It was a piteous appeal； and it reached the boy抯 heart。 At once he loosened one hand from its hold； put it up and stroked his father抯 face as his sobs grew quiet。 At the touch upon his face； the father straightened himself up； gently removed his son's clinging arm from his neck。
〃My son；〃 he said quietly；〃 we must be men。 The men of our blood meet not death so。〃
Immediately the boy slipped from his father's arms and stood erect and quiet； looking up into the dark face above him watchful for the next word or sign。 The father waved his hand toward the door。
〃We now say farewell；〃 he said quietly。 He stooped down； kissed his son gravely and tenderly first upon the lips； then upon the brow； walked with him to the barred door。
〃We are ready；〃 he said quietly to the guard who stood near by。
The boy passed out； and gave his hand to Paulina； who stood waiting for him。
〃Simon Ketzel；〃 said Kalmar； as he bade him farewell； 〃you will befriend my boy？〃
〃Master； brother；〃 said Simon； 〃I will serve your children with my life。〃 He knelt； kissed the prisoner's hand； and went out。
That afternoon； the name of Michael Kalmar was entered upon the roll of the Provincial Penitentiary； and he took up his burden of life； no longer a man； but a mere human animal driven at the will of some petty tyrant； doomed to toil without reward； to isolation from all that makes life dear； to deprivation of the freedom of God's sweet light and air； to degradation without hope of recovery。 Before him stretched fourteen long years of slow agony； with cruel abundance of leisure to feed his soul with maddening memories of defeated vengeance； with fearful anxieties for the future of those dear as life； with feelings of despair over a cause for which he had sacrificed his all。
CHAPTER IX
BROTHER AND SISTER
Before summer had gone； Winnipeg was reminded of the existence of the foreign colony by the escape from the Provincial Penitentiary of the Russian prisoner Kalmar。 The man who could not be held by Siberian bars and guards found escape from a Canadian prison easy。 That he had accomplices was evident； but who they were could not be discovered。 Suspicion naturally fell upon Simon Ketzel and Joseph Pinkas； but after the most searching investigation they were released and Winnipeg went back to its ways and forgot。 The big business men rebuilding fortunes shattered by the boom； the little business men laying foundations for fortunes to be； the women within the charmed circle of Society bound to the whirling wheel of social functions； other women outside and striving to beg； or buy； or break their way into the circle； and still other women who cared not a pin's head whether they were within or without； being sufficient for themselves； the busy people of the churches with their philanthropies； their religious activities； striving to gather into their several folds the waifs and strays that came stumbling into their city from all landsall alike； unaware of the growing danger area in their young city； forgot the foreign colony； its problems and its needs。
Meantime； summer followed winter； and winter summer； the months and years went on while the foreign colony grew in numbers and more slowly in wealth。 More slowly in wealth； because as an individual member grew in wealth he departed from the colony and went out to make an independent home for himself in one of the farming colonies which the Government was establishing in some of the more barren and forbidding sections of the country； or it may be； loving the city and its ways of business； he rapidly sloughed off with his foreign clothes his foreign speech and manner of life； and his foreign ideals as well； and became a Canadian citizen； distinguished from his cosmopolitan fellow citizen only by the slight difficulty he displayed with some of the consonants of the language。
Such a man was Simon Ketzel。 Simon was by trade a carpenter； but he had received in the old land a good educational foundation； he had； moreover； a shrewd head for affairs； and so he turned his energies to business； and with conspicuous success。 For in addition to all his excellent qualities； Simon possessed as the most valuable part of his equipment a tidy； thrifty wife； who saved what her husband earned and kept guard over him on feast days； saved and kept guard so faithfully that before long Simon came to see the wisdom of her policy and became himself a shrewd and sober and well…doing Canadian； able to hold his own with the best of them。
His sobriety and steadiness Simon owed mostly to his thrifty wife； but his rapid transformation into Canadian citizenship he owed chiefly to his little daughter Margaret。 It was Margaret that taught him his English； as she conned over her lessons with him in the evenings。 It was Margaret who carried home from the little Methodist mission near by； the illustrated paper and the library book； and thus set him a…reading。 It was Margaret that brought both Simon and Lena； his wife； to the social gathering of the Sunday School and of the church。 It was thus to little Margaret that the Ketzels owed their introduction to Canadian life and manners； and to the finer sides of Canadian religion。 And through little Margaret it was that those greatest of all Canadianising influences； the school and the mission； made their impact upon the hearts and the home of the Ketzel family。 And as time went on it came to pass that from the Ketzel home； clean； orderly； and Canadian； there went out into the foul wastes about； streams of healing and cleansing that did their beneficent work where they went。
One of these streams reached the home of Paulina； to the great good of herself and her family。 Here； again； it was chiefly little Margaret who became the channel of the new life； for with Paulina both Simon and Lena had utterly failed。 She was too dull； too apathetic； too hopeless and too suspicious even of her own kind to allow the Ketzels an entrance to her heart。 But even had she not been all this； she was too sorely oppressed with the burden of her daily toil to yield to such influence as they had to offer。 For Rosenblatt was again in charge of her household。 In a manner best known to himself； he had secured the mortgage on her home； and thus became her landlord； renting her the room in which she and her family dwelt； and for which they all paid in daily labour； and dearly enough。 Rosenblatt； thus being her master； would not let her go。 She was too valuable for that。 Strong； patient； diligent； from early dawn till late at night she toiled and moiled with her baking and scrubbing； fighting out that ancient and primitive and endless fight against dirt and hunger； beaten by the one； but triumphing over the other。 She carried in her heart a dull sense of injustice； a feeling that somehow wrong was being done her； but when Rosenblatt flourished before her a formidable legal document； and had the same interpreted to her by his smart young clerk； Samuel Sprink； she； with true Slavic and fatalistic passivity； accepted her lot and bent her strong back to her burden without complaint。 What was the use of complaint？ Who in all the city was there to care for a poor； stupid； Galician woman with none too savoury a reputation？ Many and generous were the philanthropies of Winnipeg； but as yet there was none that had to do with the dirt； disease and degradation that were too often found in the environment of the foreign people。 There were many churches in the city rich in good work； with many committees that met to confer and report； but there was not yet one whose special duty it was to confer and to report upon the unhappy and struggling and unsavoury foreigner within their city gate。
Yes； there was one。 The little Methodist mission hard by the foreign colony had such a committee； a remarkable committee in a way； a committee with no fine…spun theories of wholesale reform； a committee with no delicate nostril to be buried in a perfumed handkerchief when pursuing a
