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revolution? Even now? Or what do you believe in — evolution?'

He fixed his glance upon me with a peculiar smile, as if he were looking through me, and said:

'Do you think that people who no longer believe in heaven, who know that they have only one life to live, will be content to wait for evolution?'

'No, I do not believe that, although I preach it.'

'And do you not know that nature, which you reverence, passed through revolutions during the volcanic period, the deluge period, and the glacial period? Do you not think that revolution is evolution?'

'Surely, I believe that, although I do not preach it.'

With this remark I shook the magnificent old man's hand, and bade farewell to the Familistère of Guise.

SIMBA-SIMBA

BY RUDOLF FRANZ

From Die Rote Fahne, May 24 (BERLIN OFFICIAL COMMUNIST Daily)

SIMBA-SIMBA is a little Ovambo negro boy. Or rather, he was one. In the first place, he grew up long ago; and, in the second, he was hanged some ten years back. When he was five years old, he was handed over to the care of Pastor Manegold at Malukansi, because both his parents were dead. At Manegold's home, the little Ovambo boy studied the Catechism, German, the Catechism, writing, the Catechism, arithmetic, and the Catechism. By the time he had mastered these branches, he was quite grown up. Pastor Manegold had never permitted him to read anything but the Bible, the Catechism, and the hymn-book. Consequently, Simba-Simba knew these by heart, almost better than the pastor himself. Often when the good missionary would quote a pious text, Simba-Simba would cap it with another no less pious. When the Basutos revolted and were conquered, the government took stern measures with them. Missionary Manegold read to the whole family at breakfast, from the Colonial News, how many Basutos had

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been shot during their flight, how many had been hanged, and the like. SimbaSimba looked rather thoughtful, whereupon the pastor said to him:

'Yes, my boy: an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.'

Ovambo nodded and answered in a questioning tone:

'Love your enemies, bless them.' 'Oh, that does n't apply in this case. Now let us sing the morning hymn:

'Hallelujah, schöner Morgen!
Schöner als man denken mag!
Heute fühl ich keine Sorgen,
Denn das ist ein lieber Tag,
Der durch seine Lieblichkeit
Recht das Innerste erfreut.'

When this was ended, the missionary said: 'Simba-Simba, repeat now a mission verse.'

'O dass doch bald dein Feuer brennte,
Du unaussprechlich Liebender,
Und bald die ganze Welt erkennte,
Dass du bist König, Gott and Herr!
Zwar brennt es schon in heller Flamme
Jetzt hier, jetzt dort, in Ost und West,
Dir, dem am Kreuz erwürgten Lamme,
Ein herrlich Pfingst- und Freudenfest.- Amen.'

As they separated for their daily tasks, Pastor Manegold said: 'Stick more to the Ten Commandments, my boy; then you cannot go astray. You know them by heart.'

Some time after this, it chanced that Pastor Manegold's brother, a prominent merchant, decided to go back to Germany, and wished a boy to take with him. The missionary offered him young Simba-Simba, and they agreed that he should go back with the merchant. Simba-Simba was perfectly perfectly contented with the arrangement, although he was not consulted regarding it.

On bidding him farewell, the missionary impressed again upon the young Ovambo boy the Ten Commandments: 'You will be able to use them there. You will be exposed to temptations, and in case that, for any reason, perhaps the change of climate, your memory should fail you, I am giving you the Ten Commandments printed on this little card. You see, just the way God gave Moses the Ten Tables.'

Then he dismissed Simba-Simba with his blessing.

After a three days' journey, they reached the coast, boarded a vessel, and left for Germany. A company of colonial troops was returning on the same steamer. A lieutenant and a non-commissioned officer drilled the men every day. Simba-Simba watched them with deep interest. His attention was particularly attracted by the curses which poured from the mouths of the officers. He was not able to understand them at first, until a sailor made them plain to him. Himmelherrgottsakrament was the most common, and also the mildest.

Simba-Simba was speechless with astonishment. He wandered about the deck for a whole day buried in deep thought. In the evening he picked up Missionary Manegold's little card with

the Ten Commandments, and read it through. Each Commandment was numbered. The third was: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Simba-Simba said to himself: "That has been repealed,' and crossed it out. He reflected as he did this: 'Pastor Manegold has not been away from Malukansi for a long time, and he does not know these recent changes. I will tell him about them when I get back.'

When Sunday came, the vessel did not stop, greatly to the Ovambo boy's surprise. The firemen kept on working, and when they arrived at a port that afternoon, the vessel immediately began to coal. The trimmers worked six hours in the hot afternoon sun, and that evening the vessel again put to sea. 'Hm,' said Simba-Simba, and crossed out number four: 'Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.'

Finally, they arrived in Germany. Simba-Simba got permission from his master, the great merchant, to take a walk through the city, and made several purchases, among them a couple of books. One of these was the collected addresses of the great Kaiser who then ruled the country. Simba-Simba read them first, because Pastor Manegold had told him so many praiseworthy things of that glorious monarch. However, he could hardly trust his eyes when he came upon the following sentence: 'It may happen that I shall command you to shoot down your own relatives, your brothers and your parents which God forbid. For even then, you must obey my orders without question.'

Was he mistaken or how was it with the Ten Commandments? SimbaSimba hastily pulled the card out of his pocket. He read them through again, and crossed out number five.

Simba-Simba then took a journey with his new master into the interior of the country. He always kept with him

the card on which the Ten Commandments were printed, but every day or so he had to cross out one of them. It was wonderful how rapidly the times had changed. If Pastor Manegold only knew! First of all, he erased number ten. He hesitated a while over the eighth, for he noticed that almost every day somebody was punished for theft, and so that Commandment seemed still in force. But he soon discovered his error. His unsophisticated eyes soon detected that there were many kinds of theft that were not punished, but instead were rewarded with success and honor. So finally he crossed out number eight.

At last Ovambo became over-curious as to whether any one of the Commandments was still in force. The ninth went at a time of a general election; for the candidates bore false witness against each other in a manner that would have brought blushes to Simba-Simba's cheek, had that been possible. He lost his interest in politics, and devoted his attention to the sciences. Whenever he had leisure he read a book.

He had already crossed out the second Commandment as out of date, marking on the margin of his card a phrase which had caught his fancy in an election speech: 'Superseded by the march of progress.' But he still clung to the first. One day Simba-Simba was lounging on a sofa in his master's waiting room. It was a regular work-day, but why should he not lounge since he also worked on the Sabbath? Commandment number four was no longer in effect, 'superseded by the march of progress,' as Simba reflected. He read a book written by a university professor, who cited several other professors in his support, to the effect that there

was no God. Simba-Simba said, 'Aha!' and was about to cross out the first, and by this time the last, of the Commandments on his card, when he overheard loud talk in his master's office. Another merchant was in there, and the two were having a hot argument. Simba-Simba listened intently. Finally Merchant Manegold shouted angrily: 'Oh, you, with your dear God! Drop that nonsense. We're talking business, not religion!'

Simba-Simba was not surprised. He took the card out of his pocket and crossed out number one. So the thing was done for! Ah these missionaries! This Pastor Manegold! What a liar! Simba-Simba exclaimed to himself, 'Himmelherrgottsakrament,' stole all the money he could from his master that same night, betook himself to a life of vice, purloined a passport, and boarded a vessel. He wanted to get back to Missionary Manegold; for he had decided that the sixth Commandment certainly had no force when all the others were proved false. He likewise recalled the slaughtered Basutos.

Finally, Simba-Simba reached Malukansi.

He murdered the good missionary Manegold, and left the card with the Ten Commandments sticking in his mouth. On the back he had written: 'Superseded by the march of progress.'

When he was captured, he admitted everything, and asked them to execute him as soon as possible. They complied with his wish. They hanged him next day, after giving him fifty lashes in addition, for his brutality and ingratitude to the man who had reared and educated him. A new pastor took the place of the murdered missionary, and went on teaching the Ten Commandments to little negro boys.

BALTHAZAR AND HIS DIGNITY

BY ANDRÉ LAMANDÉ

From L'Écho de Paris June 2
(CLERICAL DAily)

A WEALTHY widow named Madame Bergerin dwelt in the province of Saint-Sulpice. She was humpbacked and she stammered a little and she had a perfect mania for visiting her friends. She used to pay back a hundred-fold the visits that people made her. She loved to startle people by a display of luxury. Also, although she was so miserly that she would cut a cherry into thirds, and did n't like to drink very much, because drinking starts an appetite and food is expensive, still she would not for anything in the world have given up her automobile.

Yet that automobile was the cause of much bitter reflection and cruel worry. Not only was gasolene soaring to desperate heights, but chauffeurs began more than ever to show themselves to be common men, gross fellows, greedy for gain, and with an astonishing disinclination to do any work. And then, besides, they were all very plump, and had alarming paunches. Every day their demands increased, and every month the motor-car had a new driver.

Now, one morning the chauffeur of Madame Bergerin took his fortnight's pay and departed. Whither did he betake himself, with his pretensions and insolence? He did n't say. Still, he was believed to be an honest man, -because he had not kidnaped a young Breton girl who served as chambermaid, or at least he was thought honest up to the moment when it was discovered, forty hours after his departure, that some silver spoons and

some bottles of old Armagnac had disappeared with him.

Madame Bergerin, in a moment of justifiable indignation, ventured upon a heroic resolve.

'I'll give up my automobile!'

But a few days after, being somewhat appeased, she groaned over the hardness of the times, which produced chauffeurs who were no longer the devoted servants that the old coachmen of an earlier day had been, and she wrote her needs to many and many an employment agency.

She waited three weeks, sacked more than twenty candidates for a chauffeurship, and had begun to despair, when a tall, supple man arrived, of an elaborate and distant courtesy, even a little affected. He gave excellent references, conversed in a polished way and with carefully selected words, and he bowed like a king. The little sack of nuts for that is what Madame looked like swelled up with satisfaction. They talked about wages. The old lady offered an absurdly small sum, which the chauffeur accepted, not being, as he said, a man greedy for money.

'It is n't the money, but the dignity of Madame and myself, for which I am ambitious. I am called Balthazar, and I have a distinguished reputation among my professional confrères.'

Madame Bergerin had an uncomfortable suspicion that the fellow was using language a little bit above a chauffeur's; but as she reflected how many others were outside their true

position in these days, she thought it Madame for an act of simple justice. I better not to say anything. fear that I am occupying Madame's

'Well, Balthazer, I'll hire you. Eight time; yet I feel impelled to make a few

o'clock to-morrow morning.'

Balthazar genuflected.

'I would beg to call Madame's attention to the fact that Madame has not yet investigated with me all questions appropriate to the occasion. I wish as there is doubtless no need to indicate to Madame-my complete freedom in the evening, at least twice weekly.'

Such matters exasperated Madame Bergerin. However, she was glad to have a chauffeur who knew enough to bow respectfully, so she assented.

'And for early breakfast,' added Balthazar, 'Madame will undoubtedly comprehend, I shall be unable to change my accustomed habits in any particular.'

'Ah! What are the habits?'

'Nothing of any exceptional consequence. I breakfast ascetically: two eggs, a slice of ham—perhaps half a bottle of white Bordeaux.'

Good Madame Bergerin drew up her little figure to the full height of which it was capable:

'You will ruin me. I cannot accept such terms.'

Balthazar did not even lift his voice. With his hands hanging gracefully at his sides, with his heels trimly together, with his chest lifted and arched, he said:

'Since Madame does not appropriately nourish her household I must regretfully say to Madame that I am leaving immediately.'

He was as good as his word. Madame Bergerin, who admired his grand air, and knew that he would make all her friends die with jealousy, called him back before he had disappeared.

'Well, all right! We'll fix it.'
Again Balthazar bowed profoundly.
'May I express my thanks to

new inquiries of Madame.'

Madame Bergerin made a gesture, and he continued:

'Before I accept this position I must insist on knowing the horse-power of Madame's car.'

'Twelve.'

It

'Monsieur le Senateur Fleurfontaine, whom I drove all last year, owned an eighty-horse-power car, and I gave myself my own word of honor at that time that I would never lower myself by driving anything less powerful. would be too bad for a chauffeur of ability to be mistaken for the vulgar proprietor of a taxi-cab. It would be beneath the dignity of my profession. What would my professional colleagues think while I was waiting for Madame at the door of some literary salon?'

Madame Bergerin wondered whether she was seeing clearly, or if her eyes were getting dim. She rubbed them. No, she was awake.

'Literary salons? Literary salons? Do you think I would waste my time in such foolish talk-shops?'

'Ah! But when Madame goes to some academical reception?' 'I never go!'

'No doubt, however, Madame will go, at least sometimes, to soirées of one or another of the members of the Ministry?'

'Never!'

'Perhaps to the opera?' 'Not a bit of it.'

Balthazar bowed before her, his hands on his heart, and without departing from the special tone which had so much pleased Madame Bergerin, replied:

'Madame will perhaps be so kind as to tell me where I shall as a usual thing drive Madame, and what literary personages or political or financial dignitaries we shall associate with.'

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