The Mysterious Stranger, and Other Stories

nventions, and said they were artificialities. We often went to the most distant parts of the globe with him, and

curing people by devilish arts, such as bathing them, washing them, and nourishing them instead of bleeding them and purging them through the ministrations of a barber-surgeon in the proper way. She came flying down, with the howling and cursing mob after her, and tried to take refuge in houses, but the doors were shut in her face. They chas

er; but all were throwing stones and each was watching his neighbor, and if I had not do

coffing ways and his supernatural music had brought him under suspicion all over the town and turned many privatel

! Moreover, please explain to the

I did not th

y to get out of it;

ed you!" shout

; Klein, the butcher's man; Pfeiffer, the weaver's jour

what you consider us-three's enough to settle your matter for you.

and surged up as closely as they

lacksmith, pleased with himself for being mouthpiece to the

o see three cowards stoning a dying lady

nd catch their breath, under the sudden shock.

do you kno

ome others-when you lifted them to stone the woman. One of you will die to-morrow week; anot

hanically toward the clock. The butcher and the weaver seemed smitte

one. If it fails, young master, you will not l

d clapped his hands upon his heart, saying, "Give me breath! Give me room!" and began to sink down. The crowd surged back, no one offering to support him, and he

o stone. Perhaps there ar

ow," and getting for reply, "It is a lie, and I will make you eat it!" And so in a moment they were in a raging and noisy turmoil, and beating and

saying to myself, "He told them he was laughing

use, in fear of what others might report about you, you stoned the woman

hy

heir case

is

here, and sixty-two of them had no mor

at

aggressive and pitiless minority they don't dare to assert themselves. Think of it! One kind-hearted creature spies upon another, and sees to it that he loyally helps in iniquities which revolt both of them. Speaking as an expert, I know that ninety-nine out of a hundred of your race were strongly against the killing of witches when that foolishness was first agitated by a handful of pious lunatics in the long ago. And I know that even to-day, aft

rt's sake, to stand well in his neighbor's eye. These institutions will always remain, and always flourish, and always oppress you, affront you, and degrade you, because yo

race called sheep, and said

atan. "Look at you in war-what mu

war?

louder. A few fair men on the other side will argue and reason against the war with speech and pen, and at first will have a hearing and be applauded; but it will not last long; those others will outshout them, and presently the anti-war audiences will thin out and lose popularity. Before long you will see this curious thing: the speakers stoned from the platform, and free speech strangled by hordes of furious men who in their secret hearts are still at one with those stoned speakers-as earlier-but do not dare to say so. And now the whole nation-pulpit and