The Life of the Fly 



talne's Fables, In a popular, cheap edition, 

 crammed with pictures, small, I admit, and 

 very Inaccurate, but still delightful. Here 

 were the crow, the fox, the wolf, the magpie, 

 the frog, the rabbit, the ass, the dog, the 

 cat : all persons of my acquaintance. The glori- 

 ous book was Immensely to my taste, with its 

 skimpy Illustrations on which the animal 

 walked and talked. As to understanding what 

 it said, that was another story ! Never mind, 

 my lad! Put together syllables that say no- 

 thing to you as yet; they will speak to you 

 later and La Fontaine will always remain your 

 friend. 



I come to the time when I was ten years old 

 and at Rodez College. My functions as a 

 serving-boy In the chapel entitled me to free 

 Instruction as a day-boarder. There were four 

 of us in white surplices and red skull-caps and 

 cassocks. I was the youngest of the party and 

 did little more than walk on. I counted as a 

 unit; and that was about all, for I was never 

 certain when to ring the bell or move the 

 missal. I was all of a tremble when we 

 gathered two on this side and two on that, 

 with genuflexions. In the middle of the sanctu- 

 ary, to intone the Domine, salvum fac regem 

 at the end of mass. Let me make a confes- 

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